Illict Drug Use and Academia in North Kosovo: Prevalence, Patterns, Predictors and Health-related Quality of Life

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2018 Jul 17

PMID 30011284

Citations 3

Authors

Tatjana Gazibara

Marija Milic

Milan Parlic

Jasmina Stevanovic

Dragoslav Lazic

Gorica Maric

Darija Kisic-Tepavcevic

Tatjana Pekmezovic

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to estimate the prevalence and patterns of illicit drug use in a sample of University students from North Kosovo, to assess factors associated with illicit drug use and to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among students according to illicit drug use.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Student Public Health Center, where 514 University students were enrolled from April to June 2015 in North Kosovo. Participants completed the general socio-demographic and behavioral questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the SF-36 questionnaire for HRQoL assessment. Data on lifetime illicit drug use were self-reported.

Results: As much as 16.0% of students reported ever illicit drug use. The most frequently used drugs were marijuana (9.3%) and bromazepam (7.6%). Factors associated with ever illicit drug use were: being smoker and alcohol user, having chronic diseases and having higher depressive symptoms score. Ever illicit drug users reported all domains of HRQoL as worse.

Conclusion: These results could serve as a tool for implementation of preventive strategies and University policies to promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors. Measurement of HRQoL could also be used as indicator of the effect of interventions designed to reduce and/or prevent illicit drug use at institutions of higher education.

Citing Articles

Multi-Substance Use Behaviors: Prevalence and Correlates of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Use among University Students in Finland.

El Ansari W, Salam A Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(12).

PMID: 34198520 PMC: 8296251. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126426.

Prevalence and Socio-Demographic, Academic, Health and Lifestyle Predictors of Illicit Drug/s Use among University Undergraduate Students in Finland.

El Ansari W, Salam A, Suominen S Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(14).

PMID: 32679701 PMC: 7400316. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145094.

Tobacco smoking and health-related quality of life among university students: Mediating effect of depression.

Milic M, Gazibara T, Pekmezovic T, Tepavcevic D, Maric G, Popovic A PLoS One. 2020; 15(1):e0227042.

PMID: 31914158 PMC: 6948726. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227042.

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