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College students have been recognized as a risk group for substance use. Nevertheless, coherent risk factors for stimulant use remain to be elucidated. The objective of this paper is to identify risk factors associated with the recreational use of MDMA, cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. An online questionnaire was distributed among colleges in Berlin. A sample of 12,914 college students participated, of which 9,382 met the inclusion criteria. Past-month prevalence was 7.0% for MDMA, 6.7% for amphetamine, 5.8% for cocaine and 0.1% for methamphetamine. Associated factors included male gender, "other" gender, homosexual and bisexual orientation, open relationship status or being single, engaging in sexual risk-taking behavior, having a psychiatric diagnosis, tobacco use, drinking alcohol and an increased number of (illicit) substances consumed in the past month and in life. Berlin college students showed a substantially higher prevalence of stimulant use compared to both the general population and college students in other cities. Certain parameters, e.g., polydrug use, were particularly high in this group. The results can be used in further development of prevention efforts. However, conclusions about causality are limited by the cross-sectional nature of this study, highlighting the necessity for longitudinal studies in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem-drinking among university students is common and poses serious health-related risks. Therefore, identifying and addressing associated factors is important. A large cross-sectional online-survey with 12,914 university students from Berlin was conducted from November 2016 to August 2017. Relative-risk- and correlation-analysis was used to identify factors associated with problem-drinking and regular heavy-drinking. Independent t-tests compared impulsivity and personality traits, chi-square-tests compared drinking motives between risk- and non-risk-drinkers. Male gender, tobacco-smoking, illegal substance use, impulsivity and various sociodemographic and psychosocial variables were significantly related to problem/heavy-drinking. Extraversion was a risk, conscientiousness and agreeableness were protective factors. Drinking-motives did not differ significantly between risk- and non-risk-drinkers. Generally, the main drinking-motives were to feel elated, relax and social purposes. The identified markers and related problem behaviors may serve as a tool to enhance the identification of student subgroups at risk for problem/heavy-drinking, and hence improve targeted health-intervention-programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that university students are at high risk of using licit and illicit substances and that there has been an increase over the last decade in substance use among university students in Berlin, Germany. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between personality and substance use among university students in the city of Berlin. A sample of 8778 students from 17 Berlin universities completed an online questionnaire. Short versions of the Big Five Inventory and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale as well as the SOEP-scale (German socioeconomic panel) for the concept of locus of control were used to assess personality traits. Four different user groups and six specific substances were studied using multinomial logistic and logistic regression models. Participants regularly using substances scored higher on impulsivity and openness and lower on conscientiousness compared to the other user groups. Further, they scored higher on extraversion and external locus of control compared to participants not using substances or exclusively drinking alcohol. Out of the personality dimensions examined, the relationship between substance use and impulsivity was strongest and had the highest effect size (medium) in our sample. Despite increasing prevalence among the high-risk group of university students in Berlin, universities have not yet sufficiently adopted prevention programs. These programs should be adapted to meet the needs of the target group which may be complemented with the findings of the study (e.g. emotional regulation training and goal management training). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]