title: Attitude to substance abuse: do personality and socio-demographic factors matter?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance abuse is a serious global problem that is affected by multiple psychosocial and socio-demographic factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the leading factors in positive attitude and tendency toward substance abuse in terms of personality, socio-economic, and socio-demographic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, 200 college students (105 females and 95 males) residing in Damghan University dormitory in northeast of Iran were recruited by random sampling from March to July 2013. The participants were instructed and asked to complete the NEO FIVE-factor Inventory, the attitude to substance abuse scale, and the demographic questionnaire. Then data were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression employing PASW 18.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Being male sex and neuroticism had a significant positive role in predicting positive attitude toward substance abuse in university students. In addition, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and socio-economic status had a significant negative role in predicting tendency toward substance abuse (P < 0.001). Extraversion had no significant role in prediction of positive attitude to substance abuse (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower agreeableness, decreased conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, diminished openness, low socio-economic status, and male sex might make university students more inclined to substance abuse. Thus, it is reasonable to show the importance of these factors in tailored prevention programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rahimian Boogar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Semnan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sayed Mosa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tabatabaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Semnan Branch, Researches and Sciences Azad University, Semnan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Jalileh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tosi
keywords: Attitude; Personality; Population Characteristics; Substance-Related Disorders