Uni Students’ Prescription Drugs Misuse Happens in the Week
Prescription drug misuse by university students happens more often during the week and when they are at home by themselves, according to a recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
In the longitudinal study, university students at a large US university were surveyed, and asked about their prescription drug use and whether they used the medications not as intended by the doctor, such as changing the allowed dosage and frequency of when the medication was taken, or using someone else’s prescription medication.
Southern Methodist University associate professor Chrystyna D. Kouros said the study she co-authored revealed potential differences in the way university students misuse prescription drugs when compared to studies of how they use other substances. “Whereas other studies have shown that alcohol use, and to some extent marijuana use, is most likely to occur in social situations with peers and on the weekends, we found that the context of prescription drug misuse appears to be different,” Kouros said. “In our study, college students were more likely to endorse misusing prescription medication in moments when they were alone and at home. They were also more likely to misuse prescription medications during the week versus the weekend, and earlier in the day instead of the evening.”
The study focused on four classes of prescription drugs: pain relievers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilisers. Researchers used a technique called ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to query the participating 297 students to record their behaviour in daily life. EMA involves repeated sampling of subjects’ current behaviours and experiences in real time, in their natural environments. Students were prompted by an iPod Touch four times a day to answer a brief survey. Students could also make a report if they were about to misuse a prescription.
The study suggests there might be different motivating factors underlying misuse of prescription drugs compared to other substances, Prof Kouros said.
“Current college-based prevention and intervention programs, thus, may need to be tailored or revised to also capture prescription drug misuse,” she added.
Source: Southern Methodist University
