Social Determinants of Alcohol use in Peruvian University Students

Background. For many adolescents, college or university is the place where they learn to drink alcohol. Studies among college students generally reveal a high level of alcohol consumption as well as a high level of problematic use, particularly binge drinking. To address this problem it is important to investigate the determinants of alcohol use of university students. In this paper, we examine the relationship between (problematic) alcohol use of Peruvian students and factors in the social environment, particularly gender, SES, parental drinking and peer drinking. Purpose: The study aims to document the prevalence of alcohol use and problematic alcohol use among Peruvian university students, and to investigate the role of gender, SES, parental drinking and peer drinking as determinants alcohol consumption and problematic alcohol use Methods. A correlational study was performed involving 558 male and 523 female students enrolled at one public and two private universities in Lima, Peru. Socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and alcohol use by peers and parents were measured using ad hoc questionnaires. Alcohol consumption and problematic alcohol use were measured via an adaptation of Windle’s (1996) Alcohol Consumption Survey. Discriminant analysis was used to assess the contribution of social determinants to (problematic) alcohol use. Results. With 82.2% regular drinkers (89.1% males, 74.8% females), the results confirmed the prevalence of alcohol consumption found in the international literature. Male students reported significantly more problematic drinking (35%) than females (19.2%). Consumption was more prevalent on weekends. Students from higher SES used more alcohol and displayed more problematic drinking than students from lower SES. Male and female peer drinking also contributed to the frequency of alcohol use, and male friends’ drinking to problematic consumption. Parental drinking influences the general consumption but does not predict the frequency or amount of drinking. Conclusions: Social factors, particularly gender, SES, parental drinking and peer drinking, are related to students’ alcohol consumption and problematic drinking, and should e considered in the development of prevention programmes