Dataset Information

Use and Propensity to Use Substances as Cognitive Enhancers in Italian Medical Students.

ABSTRACT: International media has paid attention to the use of substances by healthy subjects to enhance cognitive performance. Medical students are liable to use cognitive enhancers (CE) with the aim of improving academic performance. The study explored use and attitudes toward the use of CE in Italian medical students. The authors anonymously surveyed 433 medical students of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia with an ad hoc 36-items questionnaire. CE were broadly defined as any substance taken with the purpose of improving cognitive functions, from readily available beverages and substances, such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, and supplements to prescription only medication, such as psychostimulants and modafinil. Response rate was 83.8% (n = 363). While the majority of the students (74.7%; n = 271) said that they had used substances to improve cognitive functions, only 2 students (0.6%) reported the use of prescription-only medications in the last 30 days. Main reasons for not taking prescription-only drugs were concerns about safety and side effects, reported by 83.3% of students (n = 295). A positive attitude toward use was held by 60.3% (n = 219) subjects. The surveyed Italian medical students used many substances as CE, but this did not seem to apply significantly to psychostimulants. A multivariable analysis showed that the following variables were related to the propensity to use substances as CE: male gender, self-reported memory impairment, concerns about worsening of cognitive performance, lifetime use of at least one illegal substance, use of any substance (both legal or illegal) in the last 30 days.

SUBMITTER: Pighi M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6266090 | biostudies-other | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Use and Propensity to Use Substances as Cognitive Enhancers in Italian Medical Students.

Pighi Marcella M Pontoni Giancarlo G Sinisi Arianna A Ferrari Silvia S Mattei Giorgio G Pingani Luca L Simoni Elena E Galeazzi Gian Maria GM

Brain sciences 20181109 11

International media has paid attention to the use of substances by healthy subjects to enhance cognitive performance. Medical students are liable to use cognitive enhancers (CE) with the aim of improving academic performance. The study explored use and attitudes toward the use of CE in Italian medical students. The authors anonymously surveyed 433 medical students of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia with an ad hoc 36-items questionnaire. CE were broadly defined as any substance taken w ...[more]

PMID: 30423911

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Project description:BackgroundCognitive enhancers (CE) are often used to improve memory, alertness and cognitive capacity. These products are commercially and pharmaceutically available. Due to high academic pressure, university students are at risk of CE misuse. However, data regarding this issue are limited, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).AimsTo assess the prevalence of CE intake; evaluate students' knowledge of these substances; and identify student characteristics associated with CE usage.MethodA cross sectional study based on a validated online survey that was distributed using university-licensed software (Qualtrics) as a direct web link via email and social media to all Medical, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing and Engineering students enrolled in six UAE universities. Associations between student characteristics and CE use were investigated using the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression. Reasons for CE use, temporal patterns of use, details regarding purchase and types of CE used were compared by gender.ResultsOne quarter of students had used CEs. There was a clear difference between users and non-users in terms of gender (p<0.001). CE users were disproportionately represented by students from either UAE or other Arab countries (p<0.001), and by students of Medicine, followed by Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Engineering (p<0.001). CE use increased with year of study, reaching the highest level in the fourth year (p<0.001), which for most programmes is the final year. Modafinil was self-administered, especially in males, for concentration and alertness; B12 was typically taken by female students for academic performance and concentration; and high-dosage caffeine compounds were ingested to improve alertness levels. Use of the internet for both obtaining information and purchasing CEs was frequently reported. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender, nationality, and year of study were associated with CE use among UAE university students.ConclusionsUniversities need to address the prevalence of CE use amongst their students by providing effective support programs.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Four percent of the world's population suffers from depression, which is a major public health issue. Medical students are at risk, as their depressive symptoms (DS) prevalence is reported to be approximately 27% worldwide. Since few data on Italian medical students exist, this study aimed to estimate their DS prevalence and assess risk and protective factors. METHODS:The PRIMES was a multicentre cross-sectional study performed in 12 Italian medical schools. Questionnaires were self-reported and included 30 sociodemographic items and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). The primary outcome was the presence of DS (BDI-II score?14). The main analyses were chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regressions with a p-value<0.05 considered significant. RESULTS:The number of collected questionnaires was 2,513 (117 BDI-II incomplete). Females accounted for 61.3% of the respondents, and the median age was 22 years (IQR = 4). The prevalence of DS was 29.5%. Specifically, 14.0% had mild depression, 11.1% had moderate depression, and 4.5% had severe depression. The main risk factors for DS were age, being female, bisexual/asexual orientation, living with partner/housemates, poor economic status (worsened by living far from home), less than 90 min of weekly exercise, relatives with psychiatric disorders, personal chronic disease, judging medical school choice negatively, unsatisfying friendships with classmates, competitive and hostile climate among classmates, thinking that medical school hinders specific activities and being worried about not measuring up to the profession. Protective factors included family cohesion, hobbies, intellectual curiosity as a career motivation and no worries about the future. CONCLUSION:Italian medical students are at high risk of reporting DS, similar to the global population of medical students'. Medical schools must make efforts to implement preventive and treatment interventions by offering counselling and working on modifiable factors, such as lifestyle and learning climate.

Dataset Information

Use and Propensity to Use Substances as Cognitive Enhancers in Italian Medical Students.

Publications

Use and Propensity to Use Substances as Cognitive Enhancers in Italian Medical Students.

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