title: Non-medical use of prescription drugs and its association with socio-demographic characteristics, dietary pattern, and perceived academic load and stress in college students in Puerto Rico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stress can have deleterious effects on health and academic performance. Common stress-relieving activities among college students include the non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD). The aim of this study was to determine the associations between self-perceived academic load and stress, NMUPD (stimulants, depressants, and sleeping medication), and dietary pattern in college students in PR.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire to evaluate academic load and stress, NMUPD, and dietary pattern was used on a representative sample of 275 first- and second-year students from one campus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 27.6% reported NMUPD in the past 6 months, with higher use among students aged 21-30 years (93.4%) than in those aged 31-53 years (6.6%; p=0.062). Those with high levels of stress had higher NMUPD (42.1%) than did those with low (26.3%) or moderate (31.6%) stress levels, after controlling for age and sex (p=0.03). Among those who reported NMUPD over the previous 6 months, 74% reported that such use was effective as a coping strategy, and 35% reported that it helped them to improve academic performance. Although no significant association was found between NMUPD and dietary pattern, 57% of the participants reported that their appetites decreased when they engaged in NMUPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study that has associated self-perceived academic load and stress, NMUPD, and dietary pattern among college students in Puerto Rico. NMUPD's prevalence was 27.6%, which prevalence appeared to be higher in students aged 21-30 years than in those of any other age. High levels of stress were significantly related to high NMUPD in this sample.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Program, Department of Human Development, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Jesmari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.forename: Josué L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.forename: Ideliz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pagán
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabián
authors.forename: Anaisa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Sonia Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Winna T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palacios
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012651:Self Medication / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D055553:Prescription Drugs