JACEILDE MENDES NUNES
Departamento de Enfermagem da Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (Unimontes), Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
LUDMILLA RODRIGUES CAMPOLINA
Hospital Universitário Clemente de Faria da Unimontes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
MARIA APARECIDA VIEIRA
Departamento de Enfermagem da Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (Unimontes), Montes Claros, MG, Brasi
ANTÔNIO PRATES CALDEIRA
Departamento de Saúde da Mulher e da Criança da Unimontes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.

Abstract:

Background: Alcohol abuse, even occasionally, among college students has the potential to pose a major public health problem. Objectives: To identify the prevalence of alcohol consumption among health college students as well as the prevalence and factors associated with binge drinking in this population. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a representative sample of health college students of a public university in the North of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A structured questionnaire, including questions validated for self-assessment, which ensured con!dentiality of responses, was used. :e association between variables was examined using the chi-square test, assuming a signi!cance level of 5% (p < 0.05). :e magnitude of the association was measured with the prevalence ratio (PR). Results: Four hundred and seventy-four questionnaires were analyzed. :e prevalence of drinking alcoholic beverages among the sample of the study was 71.5% (n = 339) and the one of binge drinking 15.6% (n = 74). Male sex (PR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.59 to 3.73) and not reporting a religious a>liation (PR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.09) were signi!cantly associated with the practice of binge drinking. Discussion: :e observed rates of alcohol consumption and binge drinking are signi!cantly high and require speci!c strategies from managers of educational institutions to get this problem under control.

Keywords:Alcohol drinking, students, health occupations, epidemiology.