Alcohol Consumption and Behavioral Consequences in Romanian Medical University Students

Bogdana Adriana Nasui, Monica Popa, Anca Dana Buzoianu, Anca Lucia Pop, Valentin Nicolae Varlas, Sebastian Mihai Armean and Codruta Alina Popescu
Additional contact information
Bogdana Adriana Nasui: Department of Community Health, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Monica Popa: Department of Community Health, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anca Dana Buzoianu: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anca Lucia Pop: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Food Safety, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020945 Bucharest, Romania
Valentin Nicolae Varlas: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 11171 Bucharest, Romania
Sebastian Mihai Armean: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Codruta Alina Popescu: Department of Practical Abilities—Human Sciences, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: Alcohol consumption is a major public health problem facing universities. The objectives of the present study were to investigate alcohol consumption and the behaviors associated with it among Romanian university medical students, with particular reference to sex differences, behavioral consequences, and lifestyle patterns. We performed a cross-sectional study on 722 medical students (60.4% females; 39.6% males); the participants filled out a validated questionnaire containing the following items co-occurring with alcohol consumption: smoking, illicit drug use, energy drink consumption, and other behavioral drinking consequences. Physical activity was estimated using the IPAQ questionnaire. We statistically analyzed the interrelation between alcohol consumption and target factors. The present study showed a high percentage of at-risk drinkers among male (15.0%) and female medical students (14.9%) in the studied group. Male students reported higher illicit drug use and physical activity than female students, but the at-risk female drinkers’ group consumed more drugs than the low-risk female drinkers. Both male and female drinkers engaged in other risky behaviors correlated with drinking (e.g., smoking, low academic performance, and driving a car after drinking). Public health policies, strategies, and interventions should be initiated to reduce alcohol consumption and associated behaviors in medical students.

Keywords: alcohol consumption; illicit drugs consumption; smoking; medical students; risky behaviors; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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