The role of family relations, spirituality and entertainment in moderating peer influence and drug use among students of eight universities from five countries in Latin America and three from the Caribbean

O papel das relações familiares, espiritualidade e diversão como moderadores entre a influência de pares e o uso de drogas entre estudantes de oito universidades de cinco paises da América Latina e três do Caribe

El papel de las relaciones familiares, espiritualidad y diversión como moderadores entre la influencia de pares y el uso de drogas entre estudiantes de ocho universidades de cinco países de America Latina y tres del Caribe

This study is a multi-centric investigation on the role of family relations, spirituality and entertainment in moderating the relationship between peer influence and drug use (licit and illicit) among students from eight universities from five countries in Latin-America and three from the Caribbean. The sample was composed by 2198 university students from faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities/Health Sciences. Drug use was the dependent variable and the level of peer influence (number of friends who use drugs) was the independent variable. The results showed that problematic family relationship, high number of party-based entertainment and high number of friends on drugs use (peer influence) increased the odds of youths using illicit drugs. The only interaction statistically significant for licit and illicit drug use was party-based entertainment and friends on drugs. The use of licit drugs presented large variability among universities in the sample, potentially influenced by cultural/religious aspects.

Drug abuse; University; Family; Cultural factors; Peer group