Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding legal and illegal substances by nursing students from Cartagena

• Published in: Investigación y educación en enfermería 2013-01, Vol.31 (1), p.63-69
• Main Authors: Montalvo Prieto, Amparo, Castillo Ávila, Irma Yolanda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: actitudes y práctica en salud; alcohol drinking; alumnos de enfermería; atitudes e prática em saúde; attitudes; conhecimentos; conocimiento; consumo de bebidas alcohólicas; consumo de bebidas alcoólicas; drogas ilícitas; estudiantes de enfermería; health knowledge; nursing; practice; smoking; street drugs; students; tabagismo; tabaquismo
• ISSN: 0120-5307; 2216-0280; 2216-0280

Objective. This article sought to describe knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the use of legal and illegal substances by nursing students from Cartagena (Colombia). Methodology. This was a descriptive study conducted on a probabilistic sample of 689 students matriculated in three nursing programs. The study used the Predisposing Factors instrument associated to the use of psychoactive substances by Cepeda, Aldana, and Ossio. Results. The mean age of the participants was 20.5 years, 91.9% were women, 92.4% belonged to socio-economic levels 1 to 3, 87.5% were single. Of the 12 psychoactive substances (PAS) consulted, eight were considered by over 90% of the students as harmful to health. A total of 94% considered that the brain is the organ most affected by drug consumption. The students considered production (80.4%), trafficking (79.4%), and use of substances (80.0%) as problems of great importance; and they agreed with investing financial resources for prevention, rehabilitation, and follow-up programs for the population affected (89.1%). They expressed that use of PAS is mainly influenced by friends (26.9%) and by family problems (26.7%). The highest life prevalence of legal PAS use were: alcohol (77.6%) and cigarettes (17.6%); along with marihuana for illegal PAS use (1.8%). Conclusion. Knowledge of nursing students on legal and illegal PAS is not satisfactory, although they have favorable attitudes for their prevention and control. Use of PAS by the students, although not of great magnitude, is a problem deserving attention from organisms in charge of university welfare programs. Curricular contents should be enhanced on the phenomenon of PAS use of future nursing professionals. Key words: health knowledge, attitudes, practice; students, nursing; alcohol drinking; smoking; street drugs. Objetivo. Describir los conocimientos, actitudes y practica frente al consumo de sustancias licitas e ilicitas de los estudiantes de enfermeria de Cartagena (Colombia). Metodologia. Estudio descriptivo realizado en una muestra probabilistica de 689 estudiantes matriculados en tres programas de enfermeria. Se utilizo el instrumento Factores predisponentes y asociados al consumo de sustancias psicoactivas de Cepeda, Aldana y Ossio. Resultados. La edad promedio de los participantes es de 20.5 anos; el 91.9%, mujeres; el 92.4% pertenece a los estratos 1 a 3; 87.5%, solteros. De las 12 sustancias psicoactivas (SPA) consultadas, mas del 90% de los estudiantes consid