[Prevalence of alcohol consumption among medical students at the Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile].
BACKGROUND
Teenagers and university students are an especially vulnerable population towards unhealthy alcohol consumption.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the actual consumption of alcohol among medical students at the Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile (UCM).


METHODS
A cross sectional study of students who entered medical school between years 2004 and 2010.We applied CAGE questionnaire along with questions about frequency of alcohol consumption.


RESULTS
From a universe of 317 students, 216 (age range 17-27 years, 54% females) answered the survey (68.8%), 64.2% admitted to consume alcohol and 6% had alcohol dependence. Seventy three percent of the alcohol drinkers were males.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of alcohol consumption in medical students of the UCM is significantly lower than the prevalence in students of another University surveyed in 2005 (74%) and it is similar to the national statistics. Alcohol consumption was higher in men that in women.
Departamento Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile. mnelly89@gmail.com
María
M
Latorres
Andrea
A
Huidobro
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult