ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG FIRST AND SECOND-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NOVI SAD

Zorana Ostojić; Dušan Čanković; Snežana Ukropina; Sonja Čanković; Tanja Tomašević; Ivana  Radić

Zorana Ostojić 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0282-9499
Dušan Čanković 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0567-8668
Snežana Ukropina 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8217-5215
Sonja Čanković 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7582-0415
Tanja Tomašević 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6882-4119
Ivana Radić 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1889-2978

Keywords: alcohol drinking, binge drinking, peer influence, smoking, illicit drugs

Abstract

Alcohol is the most consumed psychoactive substance worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption among university students in Novi Sad and the association of socioeconomic characteristics and psychoactive substance use with alcohol consumption.

The study was a cross-sectional survey of University of Novi Sad students in 2019, as part of the project “Health behaviours of students: benefits and risks” funded by the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research. The research involved 664 students from thirteen faculties. The study instrument was an online questionnaire, and alcohol consumption was classified by daily intake units. The association of socioeconomic characteristics and psychoactive substance use with alcohol use was analyzed using the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.

Two of five students drank alcohol more than once a month (43.2%), and only 15.5% reported that they had never drunk alcohol. Half of the students (50.2%) reported binge drinking, with a higher prevalence among men than women (64.2% vs. 44.1%) (p < 0.001). Approximately 4% (3.8%) of students believed that peer influence led them to drink more alcohol than they otherwise would have, with a higher prevalence among young men than women (7.0% vs. 2.4%) (p < 0.001). The prevalence of heavy drinking and binge drinking was higher among smokers and illicit drug users (p < 0.001).

The prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among university students in Novi Sad is high. Peers have a negative influence on student alcohol use. Heavy drinking and binge drinking were more prevalent among smokers and illicit drug users.

Author Biographies

Zorana Ostojić, 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Doctor of medicine

Dušan Čanković, 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Associate professor

Snežana Ukropina, 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Assistant professor

Sonja Čanković, 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Associate professor

Tanja Tomašević, 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Assistant professor

Ivana Radić, 1 Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 2 Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

Associate professor

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