Prevalence and Factors Associated With Tramadol Abuse Among College Students in West of Iran: an Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

Background: Tramadol is an opioid analgesic indicated for the treatment of moderate and severe pains. In the case of long administration, tramadol has a potential to cause dependency, tolerance and drug abuse. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with tramadol abuse among college students based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework. Patients and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 400 college students of Hamadan universities recruited with a stratified sampling method. The data-gathering tool was a questionnaire based on the TPB constructs. Data was analyzed by logistic regression and bivariate correlations using SPSS-19 software. Results: The subjects reported 50%, 35% and 77% of maximum receivable scores of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavior control, respectively. In total, 12.5% of participants indicated drug abuse in the past. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were better predictors for tramadol abuse. Conclusions: Results demonstrated the unique importance of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control when examining substance abuse among college students.