DISCRIMINATORY EXPERIENCES AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FLORIANOPOLIS, SOUTHERN BRAZIL, 2013
DISCRIMINATORY EXPERIENCES AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FLORIANOPOLIS, SOUTHERN BRAZIL, 2013
Monday, 18 August 2014
Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)
INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of studies on discrimination and patterns of alcohol consumption conducted outside the United States of America, focusing on the youth population and addressing different types of discriminatory experiences, in addition to racially motivated events. This study aimed to investigate the association between experiences of discrimination and its perceived reasons with patterns of alcohol consumption among university students from Southern Brazil.
METHODS: A representative sample (n = 1,264) of undergraduate students from Southern Brazil answered a self-completed questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics (age and sex), course (medicine, engineering etc.), course stage, access to the institution, mental health outcomes, experiences of discrimination (yes/no), their reasons (race, social class, sex, etc) and patterns of alcohol consumption. The associations between discrimination and alcohol consumption were adjusted for socio-demographic factors in ordinal logistic regression models, through which effect modification by common mental disorders, course stage and age was also explored.
RESULTS: The response rate was 81.0%, 65.8% (CI95% 57.4-73.4) of the students reported that they had been discriminated against for any reason, and 77.0% (CI95% 77.3-79.7) reported consuming alcohol. Just over half of the students reported discrimination for two or more reasons. For the whole sample, there was no association between discrimination, their reasons, and the pattern of alcohol consumption. However, the odds of consuming alcohol or showing alcohol-related problems was statistically significantly greater among those who reported discrimination (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, CI95% 1.0-3.4) or multiple reasons for being discriminated against (OR 2.3, CI95% 1.3-4.3) during the period of completion of the undergraduate course, when compared with freshmen not reporting discrimination.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the effects of discrimination on the pattern of alcohol consumption manifest themselves at a critical period of the university life, specifically during the completion of the undergraduate studies.
METHODS: A representative sample (n = 1,264) of undergraduate students from Southern Brazil answered a self-completed questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics (age and sex), course (medicine, engineering etc.), course stage, access to the institution, mental health outcomes, experiences of discrimination (yes/no), their reasons (race, social class, sex, etc) and patterns of alcohol consumption. The associations between discrimination and alcohol consumption were adjusted for socio-demographic factors in ordinal logistic regression models, through which effect modification by common mental disorders, course stage and age was also explored.
RESULTS: The response rate was 81.0%, 65.8% (CI95% 57.4-73.4) of the students reported that they had been discriminated against for any reason, and 77.0% (CI95% 77.3-79.7) reported consuming alcohol. Just over half of the students reported discrimination for two or more reasons. For the whole sample, there was no association between discrimination, their reasons, and the pattern of alcohol consumption. However, the odds of consuming alcohol or showing alcohol-related problems was statistically significantly greater among those who reported discrimination (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, CI95% 1.0-3.4) or multiple reasons for being discriminated against (OR 2.3, CI95% 1.3-4.3) during the period of completion of the undergraduate course, when compared with freshmen not reporting discrimination.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the effects of discrimination on the pattern of alcohol consumption manifest themselves at a critical period of the university life, specifically during the completion of the undergraduate studies.