Connection between risk factors arising from licit and illicit drug consumption and academic prognosis in first year nursing students from two latinoamerican universities.

Abstract

El objetivo del estudio fue comparar los factores de riesgo del consumo de drogas y el pronóstico académico en estudiantes de nuevo ingreso de la carrera de enfermería en dos universidades latinoamericanas. El diseño fue no experimental, de tipo transeccional, descriptivo-correlacional, se aplicaron dos instrumentos: el Test de Pronóstico académico (APT) de Bennett y la prueba DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory) de la OEA/CICAD. Los hallazgos evidenciaron que el pronóstico académico fue diferente en ambos países, y los factores de riesgo mas relevantes para el consumo de drogas fueron la recreación y el uso del tiempo libre para estudiantes de ambas universidades. Se encontró que la presencia de un razonamiento abstracto es un factor protector del consumo de drogas, se concluye en la necesidad de crear programas preventivos, basados en el enfoque de habilidades psicosociales, que desarrollen en los estudiantes la capacidad de pensar y tomar decisiones como una habilidad para la vida que les permitiría resistir las presiones de grupos propias de la edad.ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare risk factors associated with licit and illicit drugs use and academic prognosis of first year nursing students from two Latin American universities. The research design was non-experimental, transectional, and correlational-descriptive. Two questionnaires were used: Academic Prognosis Test (APT) by Bennett and Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) test by OEA/CICAD. The outcome indicates that the academic prognosis was different in both countries, and the most relevant risk factors associated with licit and illicit drugs abuse were recreation and free time use in students from both universities. It was found that abstract reasoning ability is a drug consumption protective factor. It is concluded that it is relevant to create preventive programs, based on psychosocial skills that make students develop thinking abilities and decision making as a life skill that helps them to withstand pressures from peer groups