Comparative study of the lifestyle and risk perception of addictions in high school and nursing students

Abstract

High school and university students have similarities and differences in their lifestyle and perception of risk of addictions, which affects their academic life. The objective is to analyze the differences and coincidences between the lifestyle and the risk perception of addictions in high school and nursing students. It is a descriptive and transversal type study. Population: 1600 (Sample: 160) nursing students of four different semesters, and 1200 (Sample: 150) high school students. Among the main results we found that in the correlations that were compared in both populations, similarities were found in lifestyle and in the perception of risk of addictions, the only difference being, the consumption of medicines without medical prescription to have a good time and belong to a group of friends was more prevalent in in high school students. As conclusions, it would be expected that Nursing students had a better quality of life and a higher perception of the risk towards addictions, since they know the repercussions of the consumption of addictive substances and the importance of eating healthy and sleeping well, doing frequent checkups, however, it was found that they consume addictive substances for fun, to have a good time, to belong to groups of friends as well as students of high school level, and both accept that consuming addictive substances cause family, social, work, and health deterioration.