Academic migration and marijuana use among undergraduate students: evidences from a sample in southern Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of marijuana use in the last month, its associated factors and its relationship with academic migration among undergraduate students of a federal university in southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study and data were collected through self-administered questionnaire. A systematic sampling process was conducted. To data analyses, it was used Poisson regression with robust adjust for variance. Overall, 1,423 students participated. The prevalence of marijuana use in the last month was 16.8% (95%CI 14.8% to 18.8%). Data showed that the greater the distance of the city prior to university entry, the higher the prevalence of marijuana use in the last month. Being male, having less age, being single, not having religious practices, having relatives and friends who have used any illicit drug, and having tobacco use in the last month were also risk factors. We understand that academic migration within the country tends to decrease students contact with family and increase vulnerability to peer influence, which may lead to a higher probability of marijuana use in this sample. The results highlights the importance to develop projects of illicit drug use prevention focused on this risky subgroup.

Prevalence and factors associated to the use of illicit drugs and psychotropic medications among brazilian undergraduates

“…In the case of Federal University of Rio Grande, only slightly over 40% of the students were born in Rio Grande (the University's headquarters). A recent study conducted at the same college of the present study (Demenech, Dumith, Paludo, & Neiva-Silva, 2019) associated distance from the city prior to college admission with recent marijuana use.…”

“…The high prevalence presented by this population may be associated with different factors already related to the use of illicit drugs in general. These factors are demonstrated in detail by Demenech, Dumith, Paludo, and Neiva-Silva, L (2019), to which marijuana use was associated with males, the migration of students, the highest age, living alone and having family members.…”

Dental Caries Experience and Associated Factors Among Brazilian Homeless Persons: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, a positive correlation between drug use and worse oral health conditions is associated to deleterious habits commonly observed in drug users, that favor the development of oral diseases. Unbalanced nutritional habits and negligent oral hygiene practices are commonly observed in drug users, risk factors proven to lead to poor oral health condition (Demenech et al, 2019). The condition of high social vulnerability observed in the participants of this study justified that the use or not, of illicit drugs probably represented little impact on the development of dental caries.…”

Factors associated with alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among Brazilian undergraduate students

“…The college population is more vulnerable to initiation and maintenance of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use due to the possibilities of purchase, greater availability of consumption situations, the recent independence and autonomy acquired and, in many occasions, the lack of parental control (3,21) . Similarly, it is pointed out that living with a family would be a protective factor for the use of the three categories of substances (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) .…”