Standard of alcohol use and academic performance among students of nursing course of Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brasil

Abstract

This is a quantitative survey conducted with 101 students of Nursing, Federal University of Uberlândia. The objective was to evaluate the pattern of alcohol use among students and their impact on academic life. We used the Identification Test Problems Related to Alcohol (AUDIT) and a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic information, academic performance and attendance at parties, delays and sleep in classrooms. The results were mostly women (87.13%), unmarried (90.10%), Catholic (57.43%), 33.66% students have had failures in subjects, 83.17% students participating in or participated in some extracurricular activity, 45.55% students go once or less in parties, in one month, 87.13% said students sleeping in class the day after he attended a party; 82.18% tend to be late in class, having gone to a party the night before, 29.70% did not consume alcoholic beverages. Positive correlations were found statistically significant between the values of variables and frequency standard to parties and between standard and quantity of failures. With regard to sex, the positive correlation, statistically significant, the pattern indicates that male students have higher standard, while the students have the lowest standard. The results were statistically significant between the values of variables in class and sleeping late, this indicates that, as the values of the variables increase the values of another variable increases, too. It is concluded that there is need for educational programs aimed at prevention of alcoholism.