Knowledge of consequences, academic performance and drug consumption among undergraduate students in one university in Jamaica / Conhecimento das consequências, desempenho acadêmico e consumo de drogas entre estudantes de graduação em uma universidade da Jamaica / Conocimiento de las consecuencias, desempeño académico y consumo de drogas entre estudiantes universitarios de grado en una universidad de Jamaica

ABSTRACT Objective: determine the prevalence of drug use and to investigate the relationship between knowledge of consequences and drug consumption as well as the relationship between academic performance and drug consumption among university undergraduate students in Jamaica. Method: the study uses a cross sectional design. A total of 250 undergraduate students were selected through a randomized cluster sampling process. A modified survey instrument consisting of over 70 items relating to socio-demographics, knowledge of consequences, drug consumption and academic performance measures was used to test the research question and hypothesis. Results: the findings revealed low levels of drug usage as well as problematic usage, however, there was a weak negative yet statistically significant correlation between the academic performance and alcohol use (r=-.139, p=.028) which suggested that an increase in alcohol usage is associated with reduction in academic performance. The independent T test also revealed a statistically significant difference between those who used alcohol and those who did not use alcohol in the past 12 months based on academic performance. Conclusion: the findings will inform policy decisions regarding drug use and the provision of intervention services. It is recommended that this research should be extended to other universities in Jamaica.

RESUMO Objetivo: determinar a prevalência do uso de drogas e investigar a relação entre o conhecimento das consequências e o consumo de drogas, bem como a relação entre o desempenho acadêmico e o consumo de drogas entre estudantes universitários da Jamaica. Método: o estudo usa um design transversal. Um total de 250 estudantes de graduação foram selecionados por meio de um processo de amostragem por conglomerado randomizado. Um instrumento de pesquisa modificado, composto por mais de 70 itens referentes a aspectos sociodemográficos, conhecimento de consequências, consumo de drogas e medidas de desempenho acadêmico, foi utilizado para testar a pergunta e a hipótese da pesquisa. Resultados: os resultados revelaram baixos níveis de uso de drogas, bem como uso problemático, no entanto, houve uma correlação negativa fraca, embora estatisticamente significativa entre o desempenho acadêmico e uso de álcool (r = -. 139, p = .028), o que sugeriu que um aumento no uso de álcool está associado à redução do desempenho acadêmico. O teste T independente também revelou uma diferença estatisticamente significativa entre aqueles que usaram álcool e aqueles que não usaram álcool nos últimos 12 meses com base no desempenho acadêmico. Conclusão: os resultados informarão as medidas sobre o uso de drogas e a prestação de serviços de intervenção. Recomenda-se que esta pesquisa seja estendida a outras universidades na Jamaica.

RESUMEN Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia del uso de drogas e investigar la relación entre el conocimiento de las consecuencias y el consumo de drogas, así como la relación entre el desempeño académico y el consumo de drogas entre estudiantes universitarios de Jamaica. Método: el estudio utilizó un diseño transversal. Se seleccionó un total de 250 estudiantes universitarios de grado a través de un proceso de muestreo por conglomerado aleatorizado. Se utilizó un instrumento de investigación modificado, compuesto por más de 70 ítems referentes a aspectos sociodemográficos, al conocimiento de las consecuencias, al consumo de drogas y a las medidas de desempeño académico, para comprobar la pregunta y la hipótesis de la investigación. Resultados: los resultados revelaron bajos niveles de uso de drogas, así como uso problemático. Sin embargo, hubo una correlación negativa débil, aunque estadísticamente significativa entre el desempeño académico y el uso de alcohol (r = - 0,139; p = 0,028), que sugiere que un aumento en el uso de alcohol está asociado a la reducción del desempeño académico. La prueba T independiente también indicó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre aquellos que consumieron alcohol y aquellos que no consumieron en los últimos 12 meses sobre la base del desempeño académico. Conclusión: los resultados informarán las medidas sobre el uso de drogas y la prestación de servicios de intervención. Se recomienda que esta investigación se extienda a otras universidades en Jamaica.

Changes in health outcomes as a function of abstinence and reduction in illicit psychoactive drug use: a prospective study in primary care.

AIMS: To test (1) whether abstinence and reduction in illicit psychoactive drug use were associated with changes in health outcomes in primary care patients and (2) whether these associations varied by drug type. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial that tested a brief intervention for drug use in primary care patients (589 enrolled, 574 completed a 6-month assessment). Analyses were conducted overall and stratified by the most commonly self-identified main drugs (marijuana, cocaine and opioids). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients who screened positive for illicit drug use at an urban primary care clinic in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. MEASUREMENTS: Differences in past-month main drug use at baseline and 6-month outcome were categorized as continued or increased use, decreased use without abstinence and abstinence. Primary outcomes were 6-month changes in drug use consequences [Short Inventory of Problems scores (range 0-45)], depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQol). FINDINGS: Abstinence was associated with a greater decrease in adverse drug use consequences than continued or increased use among the full sample and cocaine and opioids subgroups (adjusted means, full sample: -8.11 versus -0.05, P < 0.001; cocaine: -13.33 versus +1.09, P < 0.001, opioids; -16.84 versus -2.10, P < 0.001). Differences were not significant between those who decreased use compared with those who continued or increased use. There were no significant associations between drug use and depressive symptoms or HRQol. Neither abstinence nor decreased use was associated significantly with consequences in the marijuana subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Among primary care patients in the United States who use illicit psychoactive drugs, abstinence but not reduction in use without abstinence appears to be associated with decreased adverse drug use consequences.

Recreational drug use among primary care patients: implications of a positive self-report.

Should recreational drug use raise clinical concern? We examined the association between weekend-only recreational drug use at baseline (yes vs no) and any increase in recreational drug use frequency or severity over 6 months among primary care patients who screen positive for drug use. In the weekend-only recreational drug use group (52/483 [10.8%]), 54% (28/52) started using drugs on weekdays. Compared with use not limited to weekends, weekend-only use was associated with lower odds of increasing drug use frequency (AOR 0.48, P = 0.03) and lower odds (non-significant) of increasing severity (AOR 0.56, P = 0.07). Although weekend-only recreational drug use appears prognostically less severe, the findings nonetheless suggest that continued episodic monitoring may be clinically wise.