Social media use and alcohol consumption among students in Uganda: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background Globally, alcohol use significantly contributes to the disease burden. Alcohol consumption in Uganda is related to several health consequences among young people, including university students. Social media is commonly used by students to share academic information and create social networks. Among young people in high-income countries, previous studies have also shown that social media use can have negative health outcomes related to alcohol use, and associated problems. To date, similar studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries are largely missing. Objective To assess the prevalence of and associations between social media use and alcohol consumption among university students in Uganda. Method This was a cross-sectional study among 996 undergraduate students at Makerere University. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Alcohol use in the previous 12 months was the dependent variable. The independent variable was social media use categorised as general use, alcohol-related use, and social media lurking/passive participation. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were reported. Results Nearly all students (97%) used social media and 39% reported alcohol use. Regular alcohol use was significantly associated with moderate (OR = 2.22, CI: 1.35–3.66) and high level general social media use (OR = 2.45, CI: 1.43–4.20). Regular alcohol use was also associated with alcohol-related social media (OR = 6.46, CI: 4.04–10.30), and alcohol-related lurking (OR = 4.59, CI: 2.84–7.39). Similar, although weaker associations were identified for occasional alcohol use. Conclusions Approximately four in ten students reported alcohol use in the past year, and almost all students used social media. Alcohol-related social media use was associated with occasional and regular alcohol use, with stronger associations for regular use. These findings may guide further research and present an opportunity for potential alcohol control interventions to improve health among young populations in low- and middle-income countries.

Burden of alcohol and other substance use and correlates among undergraduate students at Busitema University in rural Eastern Uganda after COVID-19 lockdown

“…These ndings are in line with studies that have documented similar prevalence of alcohol use among students of 39% at Makerere university among social media users though this was in a 12-month period and use in last 3 months was never assessed. 23 However, our ndings differed from what was reported among undergraduate students at Gulu University of 35% 24 and 52.9% at Mbarara…”

Adolescentes De Escolas Públicas: Uso De Drogas, Determinantes Sociais De Saúde E Distribuição Espacial

“…A pesquisa mostrou uma porcentagem significativa de uso de bebidas a partir de 14 anos, com o aumento gradativo com a idade, sendo a única associação significativa quanto ao uso de álcool por adolescentes nesse estudo. Este dado é corroborado não apenas por estudos brasileiros como por estudos internacionais 7,10,17 . O fato é que o álcool é considerado como elemento socializador, fazendo parte da história da humanidade, seja por meio de rituais ou para comemorações 10,17 .…”

“…Este dado é corroborado não apenas por estudos brasileiros como por estudos internacionais 7,10,17 . O fato é que o álcool é considerado como elemento socializador, fazendo parte da história da humanidade, seja por meio de rituais ou para comemorações 10,17 . O aumento do uso relaciona-se com o fato do jovem querer e se sentir mais adulto com o seu consumo e acolhido no meio social 6 .…”

“…Já pesquisa conduzida em de Belo Horizonte/MG apresentou prevalência de 23,8% e Diadema/SP de 22,6% [19][20][21] . O consumo em países considerados em desenvolvimento tem resultados parecidos e até mesmo alarmantes, como o México que apresentou percentuais de 60,6% de uso de bebidas por adolescentes de 13/14 anos de idade e Uganda com 39% dos universitários com média de 22 anos que fizeram o uso de bebidas nos últimos 12 meses 17 . Mas países como a Suécia demonstram mudanças quanto ao consumo de álcool, com redução significativa nos últimos dez anos, assim como parte da China também demonstra estabilidade no consumo 5,18 .…”

Polydrug Use among Students in a Public University in a Lower Middle‐Income Country

“…In Uganda, 39% of participants from a public university reported alcohol use. Regular alcohol use was significantly associated with moderate and high-level social media use [ 25 ]. In Tanzania, a cross-sectional survey among young people sampled from secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and out-of-school youths from Kilimanjaro and Mwanza regions reported the highest percentage of alcohol use among college students.…”