Factors associated with the use of benzodiazepine and opioid prescription drug in the student population: a cross-sectional study.

The misuse of benzodiazepines and opioid medications is frequent in students. To improve our understanding of this behavior, we aimed to identify factors associated with separate and concomitant use of these substances. Anonymous self-reported questionnaires were e-mailed to students enrolled at a French university between March and July 2021, covering: sociodemographic characteristics, academics, psychoactive substance use, ADHD symptomatology (adulthood and childhood), and psychiatric/psychological or addiction follow-up. Factors associated with the use of benzodiazepines and opioid medications included female sex (OR = 1.41 [1.08; 1.86]) and OR = 1.38 [1.06; 1.79], respectively), older age (OR = 1.65 [1.04; 2.6] and OR = 2.17 [1.4; 3.36], respectively), current psychiatric/psychological follow-up (OR = 6.53 [5.18; 8.24] and OR= 1.5 [1.12; 2.0], respectively), ADHD symptomatology (OR= 2.33 [1.71;3.16] and OR= 1.61 [1.15; 2.24], respectively), polyconsumption (tobacco use for benzodiazepine users, OR = 1.38 [1.04; 1.82]; alcohol use OR = 1.67 [1.17; 2.39] and tobacco use OR = 1.62 [1.23; 2.14] for opioid users). These factors were even more strongly associated with the concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioid medications: older age (OR = 3.64 [2.22; 5.99]), female sex (OR = 1.54 [1.1; 2.14]), grade repetition (OR = 1.7 [1.14; 2.54]), psychiatric/psychological follow-up (OR = 4.51 [3.35;6.06]), ADHD symptomatology (OR = 5.3 [3.69; 7.63]), polyconsumption (tobacco use OR = 2.05 [1.39; 3] and cannabis use, OR = 2.07 [1.97; 4.16]. The factors associated with the use of benzodiazepines and prescription opioids identified in this study could lead to the development of targeted prevention methods.

Could psychostimulant drug use among university students be related to ADHD symptoms? A preliminary study.

We aimed to explore if psychostimulant use among student could be linked to attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using a self-administered questionnaire sent by email to French students in 2021. Participants were asked about their psychostimulant use and the presence of ADHD symptoms using the Wender Utah Rating Scale and the Adult Self-Report Scale. Among the 4431 respondents, the prevalence of psychostimulant use was concerning and significantly associated with ADHD symptoms. This association could be related to undiagnosed ADHD or to psychobehavioral impairments induced by psychostimulant use underlining the need of ADHD screening and targeted prevention measures.

An overview of the use of psychoactive substances among students at the University of Lille during the COVID-19 health crisis: Results of the PETRA study.

OBJECTIVES: Students represent a population at risk for substance abuse. That risk may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to describe substance abuse among students and to compare consumption according to the university field. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was sent by email to all students at the University of Lille, France, between March and July 2021. This anonymous questionnaire included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, university courses and the use of psychoactive substances (frequency, reasons, routes of administration) since the first university year. RESULTS: Among the 4431 students who responded (response rate 6.1%), eighty percent declared having used alcohol since the first university year, 34% cannabis, 15.4% benzodiazepines, 14.7% opioid drugs, 7.5% cocaine, 6.8% nitrous oxide and 6.5% MDMA. More than 20% of the users of cannabis, benzodiazepines, amphetamines and cocaine reported having already felt dependent. Recreational use was described by more than 10% of benzodiazepine or opioid drug users. Nitrous oxide use was significantly more frequent in the health and sport field (p < 0.001). Tobacco, benzodiazepine, cannabis and MDMA uses were significantly more frequent in the humanities and social sciences/art, language and literature fields (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Prevention measures focusing on alcohol, cannabis, illicit psychostimulants, nitrous oxide and prescription drugs are required in the student population.

Pharmacovigilance monitoring of a cohort of pregnant women vaccinated against influenza A(H1N1) variant virus in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France.

OBJECTIVE: During the 2009-2010 influenza A variant virus (A(H1N1)v) pandemic in France, a national pharmacovigilance program was set up to monitor vaccinated, pregnant women, especially the reactogenicity of the vaccine and its impact on the outcome of pregnancy and on the newborn. Here, we present the results for the cohort of pregnant women constituted in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. STUDY DESIGN: Vaccinated pregnant women were included in the study by the region's vaccination centers between November 2009 and April 2010. RESULTS: Eight hundred and six pregnant women were included and 781 were followed up until delivery. The risk of adverse events after vaccination and the maternal, fetal and neonatal medical conditions in our cohort did not appear different from the risk observed in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that A(H1N1)v vaccination of pregnant women did not have an adverse impact on the pregnancies' course and outcome.

[Prevention of whooping-cough cross transmission in maternity hospital]. / Prévention de la transmission croisée de la coqueluche: évaluation des connaissances et des organisations dans les maternités.

INTRODUCTION: Reports of pertussis have been increasing since 2008 in North of France. A large part of reported cases involved healthcare workers (HCWs) in nurseries and maternity hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine HCWs' knowledge regarding pertussis and its cross-transmission in the maternity hospitals in North of France. METHODS: This study was conducted in the 38 maternity hospitals set in North of France. Head midwives and nurses, infection control teams and occupational health practitioners were asked through a self-administered questionnaire survey to assess there knowledge regarding pertussis: vaccination, diagnosis, cross-transmission control. RESULTS: 36 on the 38 maternity hospitals' staffs returned the survey. Most of the respondents viewed pertussis as a serious and highly transmissible illness but 30% of them considered it a paediatric illness. Only a minority of the participants knew the last recommendations for pertussis vaccination in HCWs (37%) and in adults (16%). Only a few maternity hospitals staffs have set a formal organization to prevent and control pertussis cross-transmission. CONCLUSION: Awareness about pertussis vaccination and its cross-transmission control needs to be increased among maternity hospital staffs. A close liaison between HCWs, occupational health, infection control teams and biologists is necessary to prepare operational procedures to control pertussis cross transmission.