Abstract:

Abstract This is a quantitative study carried out between 2017 and 2018 at a state public university in the state of Bahia. It aimed to evaluate the practice of binge drinking among university students. A self-administered questionnaire and descriptive and inferential analysis were used. 150 university students participated, 52% of the women and 48% of the men who reported drinking alcoholic beverages, with a mean age of 23.2 years (sd±3.6). There was an association between drinking to alleviate anxiety and the practice of binge drinking (p=0.01); for moderate use of alcohol, it was reported not feeling anything or feeling drowsy after drinking, while for those who made used it heavily, the feeling was of joy (p<0.0001). In the typical consumption pattern of binge drinking, 41% were women and 59% were men. The statistically significant differences were: regarding males – having suffered or caused damage to others (p=0.04); as for the female gender – having social benefits (p=0.0001) and hiding from parents that they abused alcohol (p=0.01). The observed risk factors: gender, early onset of alcohol use, university admission and peer influence. The protective factors: being married and being religious. The university needs to understand its role in this scenario, including cultural activities and offering access to knowledge about risks and the reduction of alcohol consumption among university students.

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