Prevalence, Trends, and Consequences of Substance Use Among University Students: Implication for Intervention.

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the prevalence, trends, and consequences of substance use among university students. The prevalence of substance use, the trends of substance use, and the differences among sociodemographic variables in the experiences of substance use as well as the consequences of substance use among university students were assessed in this study. Using stratified sampling method, 1,156 students were chosen. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that 70%, 79%, and 99% of the participants are users of tobacco product, chat, and alcoholic beverage; the trends of substance use are increasing from time to time. The study also revealed that substance use has negative consequences on duty accomplishment of the users. It is indicated that the trends of substance use are increasing, and substance use has significant consequences on the users and their families. This implies that a special attention needs to be given by policy makers, researchers, humanitarian organizations, and the community, and mainly universities, to overcome this issue.