Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait, Kuwait.
Med Princ Pract. 2013;22(5):458-63. doi: 10.1159/000350609. Epub 2013 Apr 27.
To estimate the prevalence of illicit use of substances and identify the factors associated with illicit drug use among male students in the state-run Kuwait University and private universities in Kuwait.
The study was a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 1,587 male students from both private universities (n = 869) and the public (n = 718) Kuwait University in Kuwait. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Overall lifetime prevalence of substance use was computed with 95% confidence interval. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing substance use, which was adjusted for potential confounders.
The total lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use was 14.4% and the most frequently used illicit substance was marijuana (11%). The substance use in general varied significantly (p ≤ 0.001) between private (18%) and public (10%) universities. Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that drug use was positively associated with age, poor academic performance, high family income, being an only child, divorced parents, and graduation from a private high school.
Drug use among male university students in Kuwait was high and requires attention and appropriate intervention. The factors identified with drug use in this study could be utilized to develop appropriate public health policies and preventive measures that may improve the health status of the student population.
估计物质滥用的流行率，并确定科威特公立大学和私立大学男学生中与非法药物使用相关的因素。
本研究是一项横断面调查，对科威特两所私立大学（n = 869）和一所公立（科威特大学，n = 718）的 1587 名男性学生进行了抽样调查。使用自填式问卷收集数据。使用 95%置信区间计算物质使用的总体终生患病率。使用逻辑回归确定影响物质使用的因素，对潜在混杂因素进行了调整。
非法药物使用的总终生患病率为 14.4%，最常使用的非法物质是大麻（11%）。总体而言，私立（18%）和公立（10%）大学之间的物质使用情况存在显著差异（p ≤ 0.001）。多变量逻辑回归模型显示，药物使用与年龄、学业成绩不佳、家庭收入高、独生子、父母离异以及毕业于私立高中呈正相关。
科威特男大学生的药物使用率很高，需要引起关注并采取适当的干预措施。本研究中确定的与药物使用相关的因素可用于制定适当的公共卫生政策和预防措施，以改善学生群体的健康状况。
