Prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among students of medical sciences in central Iran

Introduction
Alcohol use among medical students is a serious problem that has many adverse effects to health. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among Iranian students of medical sciences.

Material and methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 681 students in Kashan University of Medical Sciences (a university in centre of Iran) from 16th August to 17th October 2019. The sample size was allocated through stratified random sampling based on the number of students in each faculty. A valid researcher-made questionnaire was used to measure the alcohol use in individuals, families, close friends and to collect demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was applied for statistical analysis.

Results
Participants in this study (313 male and 368 female students) had a mean age of 26 years (SD = 2.4). The results showed that 4% of students (7.1% in men and 1.4% in women) consume alcohol. Alcohol use among students was associated with alcohol use among family, close friends and tendency to use alcohol in the last year and living in a dormitory (p < 0.05).

Discussion
Cultural and family background, attitudes of peers and condition of residency are the most significant factors leading to alcohol use among students of medical sciences in Kashan Medical University.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that there is an urgent need to plan for prevention of alcohol use and promotion of lifestyle components with a focus on cultural, academic and social factors.