title: Predicting students' intention to use stimulants for academic performance enhancement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The non-medical use of stimulants for academic performance enhancement is becoming a more common practice among college and university students.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of students' intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of enhancing their academic performance. Based on an extended model of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, we examined the predictive value of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, psychological distress, procrastination, substance use, and alcohol use on students' intention to use stimulants to improve their academic performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 3,589 Flemish university and college students (mean age: 21.59, SD: 4.09), who participated anonymously in an online survey conducted in March and April 2013. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the relationships among the study variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicate that subjective norm is the strongest predictor of students' intention to use stimulant medication, followed by attitude and perceived behavioral control. To a lesser extent, procrastinating tendencies, psychological distress, and substance abuse contribute to students' intention. Conclusions/ Importance: Based on these findings, we provide several recommendations on how to curtail students' intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of improving their academic performance. In addition, we urge researchers to identify other psychological variables that might be related to students' intention.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ponnet
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walrave
authors.forename: Wannes
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heirman
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Hal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances
keywords: academic performance enhancement; college students; intention to use stimulants; non-medical prescription drug use; stimulant medication abuse