Study of associated factors and prevalence of illegal psychoactive substance use among students of a university in Colombia

Introduction: The use of illegal psychoactive substances is an increasing issue in university students. Most studies have obtained a frequency of consumption of 30% in this population. Objective: To establish the frequency and factors associated with the use of these types of substances among the students of a university in Colombia. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The population was a representative sample of 343 students. An anonymous survey about psychoactive substance consumption and associated factors was administered. Results: 31.5% of students referred consumption at some point in the past 12 months, being marihuana the most prevalent substance with a reported consumption of 64.8%. The mean age of first time consumption was 17.04±2.12, particularly marihuana with a frequency of 61.1%. All associated factors considered showed a significant relationship with consumption in the past 30 days, the past year, and sometime in life Likewise, family problems were the factor with the highest prevalence ratio (PR=15.467, consumption during the past year), followed by peer pressure (PR=7.847). Conclusions: The use of illegal psychoactive substances among university students seems to be considerable, suggesting interventions with emphasis on the most involved programs