University students' perceived norms of peers and drug use: a multicentric study in five Latin American countries.
This cross-sectional study compared perceived peer drug use and actual drug use in a sample of Latin American university students. Students from nine universities in five countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras and Peru) completed a questionnaire that addressed the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. Analysis focused on comparing perceptions to actual drug use. The findings largely, but not completely, confirmed the idea that students overestimate peer drug use. The unexpected findings were those relating to alcohol. While students generally overestimated peer use of tobacco, marijuana and cocaine, they accurately estimated or underestimated peer use of alcohol. Apart from the anomalous findings with regard to alcohol, this study shows that perceived drug use relates to actual drug use in Latin America as it does elsewhere. The results also support the suggestion that interventions using normative feedback would be useful to strengthen drug use prevention programs aimed at youth in Latin America.
Bustamante
Inés V
IV
Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración Carlos Vidal Layseca, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru. ibustama@jhsph.edu
Carvalho
Ana Maria Pimenta
AM
de Oliveira
Elias Barbosa
EB
de Oliveira Júnior
Hercilio Pereira
HP
Santos Figueroa
Syntia Dinora
SD
Montoya Vásquez
Erika Maria
EM
Cazenave
Angelica
A
Chaname
Eva
E
Medina Matallana
Luz Stella
LS
Ramirez Castillo
Julia
J
D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult