Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages among Nursing Students

Objective: Alcohol use among college students has become a growing concern in recent years, and this research was developed specifically to identify alcohol consumption among nursing students. Method: It is a cross-sectional study conducted at a private university in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), with 161 students who answered a self-administered questionnaire containing socio-demographic information, questions selected from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and other aspects related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Results: A high proportion of the nursing students interviewed (67.7%) reported being drinkers, with 32.1% being in the binge-drinking category. Nearly half (45.9%) are at risk of developing problems related to alcohol consumption. There is concern about drinking among the nursing students who participated in the study, as they are future professionals who inevitably will serve as educators and motivators for the adoption of healthy behavior on the part of the population. Conclusion: Therefore, policies and programs are needed to prevent excessive alcohol consumption among nursing students.