Beliefs about alcohol use among university students

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare standards of consumption and beliefs about alcohol among university students. There were 255 students who participated in this study. Of all the students, 61 were taking up psychology, 106 were taking up medicine, and 88 were taking up business administration. We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Inventory of Personal Expectations and Beliefs About Alcohol, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as study instruments. Of the total sample, 83.9% consumed alcohol. There was good correlation between the marks in the inventory and the total score in the AUDIT-R (0.519; p < .01); the more positive the beliefs about alcohol and its effects were, the higher the scores in the AUDIT were. Many beliefs are associated with risk behaviors, and identifying them can contribute to prevention strategies and health promotion. Alcohol abuse and its consequences, especially for young people, are important aspects of public health and justify studies such as this one. Action strategies must be wide-reaching and directed toward cultural change. They must serve to foster discussions and take into account the real implications that alcohol use has for public health.