PREVALENCE OF AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO CONSUMPTION AMONG PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATES

ABSTRACT We assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with alcohol consumption and smoking among Physical Education undergraduates of the city of Brasília, Brazil. This epidemiological, cross-sectional study was conducted with 903 second-semester students during the academic year of 2016. We used a self-administered questionnaire on health-related life habits. Of the 903 participants, 57.4 % were female and 42.6% were male; mean age was 24.4±5.0 years. Sixty-eight point eight percent of students consumed alcohol, 37.3% of them at least once per month, with no differences between sexes (p=0.435). Ninety-two point seven percent of females and 91.7% of males reported that the habit of consuming alcohol had been acquired before entering university. Twenty-nine point one percent of participants reported being smokers, of which 7.0% only smoked at parties or on weekends. There was a higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (69.8%) and smoking (31.2%) among students who lived with their parents or relatives. Based on our findings, we propose that the dissemination of information on the harmful effects of excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking may contribute to the prevention of health and social damages caused by these habits.