246378 Is drug source a predictor of severity of non-medical prescription drug use among college students? Do source predictors vary by gender

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Anna Wheat, MPH , Radars, Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center - DHHA, Denver, CO
Jonathan Davis, MBA , Radars, Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center - DHHA, Denver, CO
Chloe Buchholtz, MPH , Radars, Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center - DHHA, Denver, CO
Richard C. Dart, MD, PhD , Radars, Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center - DHHA, Denver, CO
Background: Prescription drug abuse among college students is a growing public health problem.

Objective: To assess the relationship between source of prescription drugs and severity of drug abuse among college student non-medical drug users (NMDU).

Methods: Respondents included in analysis reported taking one or more prescription opioid or stimulant drug(s) non-medically in the prior 3 months on the RADARS® System 2010 College Survey (N=948), a web-based survey asking about college student NMDU. Respondents reporting NMDU were asked to specify drug source(s) (“doctor”, “friend”, “family”, “someone other than friend or family”, “purchased”, “stole”, or “other”) and complete a validated drug abuse screening questionnaire (DAST-10). Logistic regression was used to test the odds of being a more severe drug abuser (defined as a DAST-10 score ≥ 3) associated with each drug source.

Results: For females, compared to those reporting source as “other”, more severe drug abuse was predicted most notably when the source was “friend” (OR 2.7: 95%CI 1.8, 4.2), “purchased” (OR 4.0: 95% CI 2.5, 6.6), or “stole” (OR 5.6: 95% CI 2.3, 13.9) after controlling for age. For males, compared to those reporting source as “other”, severe drug abuse was predicted most notably when the source was “family” (OR 3.4: 95%CI 2.0, 6.1), or “purchased” (OR 2.6: 95% CI 1.5, 4.5) after controlling for age.

Conclusion: There is a relationship between source and severity of drug abuse among college student NMDU.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify sources of abused prescription drugs. 2. Compare different sources of prescription drugs associated with more severe drug abuse among college students. 3. Discuss ways to reduce prescription drug abuse among college students that incorporate the knowledge of how sources may relate to severity of drug use.

Keywords: Drug Abuse, Prescription Drug Use Patterns

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a Master's of Public Health and am affiliated with the RADARS System.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Prescription Drug Abuse: Special Populations and Perceptions
See more of: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs