Prevalence of marijuana use and associated factors among students at a university in the east of Minas Gerais, BrazilThe aim of this article is to investigate the prevalence of marijuana use and associated factors among students at a university in eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with university students from six health courses. The participants completed two questionnaires: the first included sociodemographic questions, and the second contained questions to screen for consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. The association between the variables was analyzed using a logistic regression model. The lifetime prevalence of marijuana use was 19.62%. Students of non-white race/color were less likely to use marijuana (OR: 0.61; 95%CI: 0.37-0.99). Students who lived in a dormitory, with friends, or alone (OR: 2.65; 95%CI: 1.47-4.79), had a bad relationship with their father, or had no relationship (OR: 2.25; 95%CI: 1.28-3.95), and those who did not have a religion (OR: 6.38; 95%CI: 3.38-12.06) were more likely to use marijuana. Marijuana use among students was associated with the following explanatory variables: race/color, form of residence, relationship with father, and religion. These results contribute to indicating a priority group for defining health and damage prevention actions.
Key words:
Cannabis; Students; Universities; Illicit drugs