: Conocer el patrón y características del consumo de alcohol entre los universitarios de derecho y de medicina de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), así como el impacto de la campaña del Ayuntamiento de Madrid: “Beber no es vivir™.
Material Y Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal mediante cuestionario autoadministrado en las Facultades de Derecho y Medicina de la UCM a 261 alumnos de 1.°, 3.°, 5.° y 6.° durante el curso 1999-2000.
Resultados: El 72,4% se definieron como bebedores ocasionales y un 12,7% como habituales. Se iniciaron en el consumo a los 14-15 años. Mayoritariamente, el patrón de consumo es de fin de semana, en lugares públicos. El test de CAGE resultó positivo en el 25% de los encuestados. Se declaran más consumidores habituales los de derecho que los de medicina, pero el consumo en gramos de alcohol medio semanal es mayor en estos últimos. La tendencia de consumo es inversa, creciente de 1.° a 6.° cursos en medicina y decreciente de 1.° a 5.° cursos en derecho. El consumo en mujeres es muy inferior al de los varones, aunque el porcentaje relativo de bebedores excesivos en cada sexo es similar. El impacto de la campaña del Ayuntamiento de Madrid es escaso.
Conclusiones: Se precisa un abordaje multidisciplinario, social, educativo y sanitario, coherente con la problemática del consumo de alcohol entre los jóvenes. La información de la morbimortalidad vinculada al alcohol, la identificación precoz del consumo excesivo y la ayuda al joven con problemas es responsabilidad entre otros, de Atención Primaria.
: To know the patterns and characteristics of alcohol consumption among law and medicine students at Complutense University, Madrid. To know the impact of the Madrid City Council campaign “Drinking is not living™ (“Beber no es vivir™).
Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study by self-administered questionnaire at law and medicine Schools at Madrid University with 261 students in the first, third, fifht and sixth years in the 1999-2000 school year.
Results: 72.4% of students defined themselves as occasional drinkers and 12.7% as regular drinkers. The age of initiation was 14-15 years. The main consumption pattern was on week-ends, at public places. The CAGE test was positive for 25% of surveyed students. More students at the law school than at medicine school reported themselves to be regular drinkers but the mean weekly alcohol consumption in grams was higher among medical students. The trend of consumption was reverse, upwards from the first to the sixth year in the medicine school and downwards from first to fifht year in the law school. The consumption among women was well below that among men although the relative percentage of excessive drinkers for each gender was similar. The impact of the Madrid City Council campaing was low.
Conclusions: A multidisciplinar approach including social, educational and health issues regarding alcohol consumption among youths is required. The information on morbi- mortality associated with alcohol, early identification of excessive consumption and helping the youth with problems is responsibility, among others, of Primary Care physicians.
