[Factors associated with drug use among adolescent students in southern Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
To assess factors associated with drug use among adolescent students from schools providing secondary education.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in 1998. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was answered by a proportional sample of 10-19-year-old students, enrolled in primary (5th grade and further) and secondary classes in all public and private schools of the urban area which providing secondary education. Schools were visited up to three times in order to reach absent students. Results were expressed as prevalence ratios (PR).


RESULTS
2,410 students were interviewed, losses amounting to 8%. The prevalence of drug use (except alcohol and tobacco) in the last year was 17.1%. After confounder control, associations remained between drug use and parents' divorce (PR=1.46; 95% CI: 1.18-1.80), poor relationship with father (PR=1.67; 95% CI: 1.17-2.38), poor relationship with mother (PR=2.71; 95% CI: 1.64-4.48), open-minded father (PR=1.36; 95% CI: 1.08-1.72), drug user in household (PR=1.61; 95% CI: 1.17-2.18), abuse (PR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.27-2.07), having been mugged or robbed in the previous year (PR=1.38; 95% CI: 1.09-1.76) and absence of religious practice (PR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.07-1.59).


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggests associations between several family characteristics and drug use by adolescents, providing useful information for a complete understanding of this problem in Brazil.
Tavares
Beatriz Franck
BF
Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. bft@terra.com.br
Béria
Jorge Umberto
JU
Lima
Maurício Silva de
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012067:Religion; D012923:Social Class; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*