Prevalence Of Psychoactive Substance Use Among Students In Aswan University

Abstract

Background: Substance abuse among youth is a worldwide epidemic that can have a negative impact on health, family, society, and educational and professional life. University students make the transition from the restricted life monitored by parents to a more self directed life influenced by the university environment. Hence, the risk of substance use is increased in university environments. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychoactive substance use among students in Aswan University. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from 2019 to 2021 . on 1440 students were selected from different collages aged > 19 years old. Data were collected using by Substance misuse questionnaire of Egypt in an Arabic version and socioeconomic status scale.

 Results: The study showed males 1035 (71.9%) while females 405 (28.1%), males represented the majority (80%) of psychoactive substance users. Tobacco and cannabinoids such as hashish are the most commonly used substances by (60.8%and 17.59%) respectively, followed by poly drug use (10.55%) and pills (9.5%), while alcohol came at last (1.5%). The main causes of using psychoactive substance mentioned by users were; the curiosity (52.76%), family problems (27.14%) and insomnia (20.1%). Conclusion: Smoking cigarettes and using hashish were the most common practices and pills as Tramadol was the psychoactive substances of choice reported by them.