title: Prevalence of cognitive enhancer use among New Zealand tertiary students.
abstract: Cognitive enhancers (CE) such as methylphenidate, amphetamines and modafinil are becoming more commonly used in non-medical situations. This study explored the prevalence and motivations for CE use in a New Zealand university.
  
  
  
  Students from the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine, Law and Accounting at a university in New Zealand were invited to complete a paper-based questionnaire that elicited their views on the prevalence, reasons for use and attitudes towards use of CEs. Questionnaires were distributed at the end of a third-year lecture (August-October 2012). Reasons for use and attitudes towards use was measured using a 7-point Likert scale from strongly agree (1) to strongly disagree (7). Descriptive and prevalence statistics were calculated. Inferential statistics were generated to explore the overall associations between CE use and how the respondents had first learnt about CEs, and to investigate reasons for CE use.
  
  
  
  The response fraction was 88.6 % (442/499) and the prevalence of CE use was 6.6% (95% confidence interval 4.5-9.0). Commonly cited reasons for use were to get high [M = 4.43, standard deviation (SD) 2.36], experimentation (M = 4.17, SD 2.36), increase alertness (M = 3.55, SD 2.48), to help concentrate (M = 3.48, SD 2.42), to help stay awake (M = 3.20, SD 2.33), to help study (M = 3.10, SD 2.47) and to concentrate better while studying (M = 3.00, SD 2.43).
  
  
  
  Use of CEs was uncommon in contrast to the prevalence reported in the USA. The reasons for use also varied depending on which CE was used. Students who use CEs have differing attitudes towards their acceptability, which warrants further research about how these attitudes influence their use and attitudes towards academic performance. [Ram S(S), Hussainy S, Henning M, Jensen M, Russell B. Prevalence of cognitive enhancer use among New Zealand tertiary students. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:245-351].
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.|Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanyogita Sanya
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Safeera
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hussainy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077408:Modafinil; D009042:Motivation; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015995:Prevalence; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D008774:Methylphenidate; D000077408:Modafinil
keywords: academic setting; amphetamine; cognitive enhancer; methylphenidate; modafinil; non-prescription stimulant medicine; prevalence and motivation