Alcohol and tobacco consumption associated factors among college students: A review

Aim: Alcohol and tobacco consumption, common among college students, may lead to future health and social problems. We aim to identify the factors associated with those consumptions among college students. Method: A literature review was performed using PRISMA recommendations. Records were selected through PubMed and Scopus. Through inclusion and exclusion criteria, data from the selected studies were analysed through meta-syntheses. Results: Twenty studies were included in the analysis. Tobacco consumption was associated with having smoker friends, sedentary behaviours and male sex. Drinking was associated with having parents/friends who drink, having smoker friends and male sex. Conclusion: This review contributes to identify the consumption factors, allowing health care workers to develop and improve the effectiveness of possible interventions for this population, such as health education programs or psycho-educational interventions, aiming to decrease consumptions behaviours, by targeting the students who are at risk.