Prescription Stimulant Use

Abstract

This study examines whether GPA affects the rate at which students use nonmedical prescription stimulants for academic purposes. A web-based survey was sent to students at a public northeastern university via email and social media. Data from 362 completed surveys were collected and analyzed using Qualtrics. A statistically significant correlation was found between my independent variable, GPA, and dependent variable, use of nonmedical prescription stimulants (p-value 0.00). Alcohol use and nonmedical stimulant use show positive, linear correlations. The study found that binge drinking and non-medical stimulant use were highly associated. The more one drinks alcohol to get drunk, the more likely they are to use nonmedical stimulants. I also found a positive linear relationship between binge drinking frequency and moral acceptance of stimulant use for academic purposes. A larger, more representative sample would provide more accurate results