Alcohol use and its impact among university students in Uganda; Case study: Your Hostel, Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi

Abstract

Alcohol is a common and avoidable cause of morbidities and mortalities among students and the general population globally. The use of alcohol is on the increase, both in quantity and prevalence, in developing countries including Uganda. Thus it is very important to explore the use extensively among students, especially in universities. We investigated the use of alcohol among students from different faculties in UMU, Nkozi living in Your Hostel. This was a cross sectional study in which 123 students were randomly selected to participate. The instruments were made up of a socio-demographic questionnaire for student alcohol use surveys. Data was analysed using SPSS-17. There was significant correlation for number of drinks with alcohol compared to how often one had found that they were not able to stop drinking once they had started , failed to do what was expected of them and remembered what happened the night before they were drinking and a significant correlation for friends often speaking about drinking with other variables such as friends tended to drink a lot ,friends often made others stay out drinking and lastly one having felt pressurized to go out and drink by friends. While students are aware of the harmful effects of alcohol, they have difficulties stopping its’ use. The rates of lifetime and current alcohol use among university students are high. Appropriate measures and interventions have to be instituted to address these issues. Key words: Alcohol use and impact, university students, Uganda.