title: Use of alcohol and other drugs among Brazilian college students: effects of gender and age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the frequency of drug use among Brazilian college students and its relationship to gender and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide sample of 12,721 college students completed a questionnaire concerning the use of drugs and other behaviors. The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST-WHO) criteria were used to assess were used to assess hazardous drug use. A multivariate logistic regression model tested the associations of ASSIST-WHO scores with gender and age. The same analyses were carried out to measure drug use in the last 30 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for other sociodemographic, academic and administrative variables, men were found to be more likely to use and engage in the hazardous use of anabolic androgenic steroids than women across all age ranges. Conversely, women older than 34 years of age were more likely to use and engage in the hazardous use of amphetamines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are consistent with results that have been reported for the general Brazilian population. Therefore, these findings should be taken into consideration when developing strategies at the prevention of drug use and the early identification of drug abuse among college students.
authors: Psychiatry Department, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Arthur Guerra de
authors: AG
authors: Andrade
authors: Paulina do Carmo Arruda Vieira
authors: Pdo C
authors: Duarte
authors: Lucia Pereira
authors: LP
authors: Barroso
authors: Raphael
authors: R
authors: Nishimura
authors: Denis Guilherme
authors: DG
authors: Alberghini
authors: Lúcio Garcia de
authors: LG
authors: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult