Non-medical prescription stimulant use to improve academic performance among Australian university students: prevalence and correlates of use

Autor: Eric Racine, Jayne Lucke, Wayne Hall, Michael Farrell, Sharlene Kaye, Gary C. K. Chan, Cynthia Forlini, Charmaine Jensen, Bradley Partridge, Matthew Dunn
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Universities
Substance-Related Disorders
medicine.medical_treatment
030508 substance abuse
Poison control
Suicide prevention
Coffee
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
0302 clinical medicine
Risk Factors
Caffeine
Surveys and Questionnaires
Injury prevention
Academic Performance
medicine
Prevalence
Energy Drinks
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Medical prescription
Prescription stimulants
Students
Prescription Drug Misuse
business.industry
Illicit Drugs
lcsh:Public aspects of medicine
4. Education
Public health
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Australia
Human factors and ergonomics
lcsh:RA1-1270
3. Good health
University students
Stimulant
Family medicine
Cognitive enhancement
academic performance
Correlates
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Female
Biostatistics
0305 other medical science
business
Research Article
Zdroj: BMC Public Health
BMC Public Health, Vol 18, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2018)
ISSN: 1471-2458
Popis: Background Some university students consume pharmaceutical stimulants without a medical prescription with the goal of improving their academic performance. The prevalence of this practice has been well documented in the US, but less so in other countries. The potential harms of using prescription stimulants require a better understanding of the prevalence of this practice within Australian universities. Methods An internet survey of 1136 Australian students was conducted in 2015 in three large Australian universities. Students were asked about their personal use of prescription stimulants, attitudes and experiences with prescription stimulants. They were also asked about their use of caffeine, energy drinks and illicit drugs to enhance their academic performance. Results Lifetime self-reported use of stimulant medication to improve academic performance was 6.5, and 4.4% in the past year. Students were far more likely to report using coffee and energy drinks (41.4 and 23.6% respectively, lifetime use) than prescription stimulants to help them study and complete university assessments. Non-medical use of prescription stimulants was strongly associated with a history of illicit drug use. Conclusion The prevalence of nonmedical prescription stimulant use to improve academic performance is low among university students in Australia, especially when compared with their use of coffee and energy drinks.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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