Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students

Affiliations

¹ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: aarria@umd.edu.
² Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: geisner@uw.edu.
³ Counseling and Psychological Services, University at Albany, 400 Patroon Creek Blvd. Suite 104, Albany, NY 12206, USA. Electronic address: dcimini@albany.edu.
⁴ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Health and Wellness, Division of Student Life, University of Washington, 109 Elm Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: jkilmer@uw.edu.
⁵ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: caldeira@umd.edu.
⁶ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: abarrall@umd.edu.
⁷ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: kvincent@umd.edu.
⁸ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: njf2@uw.edu.
⁹ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: yehjih@uw.edu.
¹⁰ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: rhew@uw.edu.
¹¹ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: leecm@uw.edu.
¹² Center for the Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: geetha.subramaniam@nih.gov.
¹³ Center for the Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: dliu@nida.nih.gov.
¹⁴ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: larimer@uw.edu.

PMID: 28735038
PMCID: PMC5614826
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.07.013

Multicenter Study

Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students

Amelia M Arria et al. Addict Behav. 2018 Jan.

. 2018 Jan:76:27-33.

doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.07.013. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: aarria@umd.edu.
² Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: geisner@uw.edu.
³ Counseling and Psychological Services, University at Albany, 400 Patroon Creek Blvd. Suite 104, Albany, NY 12206, USA. Electronic address: dcimini@albany.edu.
⁴ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Health and Wellness, Division of Student Life, University of Washington, 109 Elm Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: jkilmer@uw.edu.
⁵ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: caldeira@umd.edu.
⁶ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: abarrall@umd.edu.
⁷ Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 1234 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: kvincent@umd.edu.
⁸ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: njf2@uw.edu.
⁹ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: yehjih@uw.edu.
¹⁰ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: rhew@uw.edu.
¹¹ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: leecm@uw.edu.
¹² Center for the Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: geetha.subramaniam@nih.gov.
¹³ Center for the Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: dliu@nida.nih.gov.
¹⁴ Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: larimer@uw.edu.

PMID: 28735038
PMCID: PMC5614826
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.07.013

Abstract

Introduction: College students are at higher than average risk for nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS). A commonly identified motive among students who engage in NPS is to improve grades. Several research studies have observed that NPS most likely does not confer an academic advantage, and is associated with excessive drinking and other drug use. This study documents the proportion of the general college student population who believe that NPS will lead to improvements in academic performance.

Methods: This study gathered online survey data from a large, demographically diverse sample of college students to document the prevalence of perceived academic benefit of NPS for improving grades and to examine the association between such belief and NPS.

Results: Overall, 28.6% agreed or strongly agreed that NPS could help students earn higher grades, and an additional 38.0% were unsure. Students with a higher level of perceived academic benefit of NPS and more frequent patterns of drinking and marijuana use were more likely to engage in NPS, even after adjustment for a wide range of covariates.

Conclusions: The results underscore the need for interventions that simultaneously correct misperceptions related to academic benefit and target alcohol and marijuana use to reduce NPS.

Keywords: Academic achievement; Alcohol use; Marijuana use; Motives for nonmedical use of prescription stimulants; Undergraduates.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: No conflicts declared.

Figures

**Fig 1. Predicted and observed probabilities of engaging in nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS) at least once during the past six months, by perceived academic benefit of NPS (N=6929)**
*Note*. Model predicted probabilities are adjusted for the effects of alcohol use, marijuana use, school, gender, race, and ethnicity.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Advokat C. What are the cognitive effects of stimulant medications? Emphasis on adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 2010;34(8):1256–1266. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.03.006. - DOI - PubMed
1. Arria AM, Caldeira KM, O'Grady KE, Vincent KB, Johnson EP, Wish ED. Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among college students: Associations with ADHD and polydrug use. Pharmacotherapy. 2008a;28(2):156–169. doi: 10.1592/phco.28.2.156. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Arria AM, Caldeira KM, Vincent KB, O'Grady KE, Cimini MD, Geisner IM, Fossos-Wong N, Kilmer JR, Larimer ME. Do college students improve their grades by using prescription stimulants nonmedically? Addictive Behaviors. 2017;65:245–249. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.07.016. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Arria AM, O'Grady KE, Caldeira KM, Vincent KB, Wish ED. Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and analgesics: Associations with social and academic behaviors among college students. Journal of Drug Issues. 2008b;38(4):1045–1060. doi: 10.1177/002204260803800406. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Arria AM, Wilcox HC, Caldeira KM, Vincent KB, Garnier-Dykstra LM, O'Grady KE. Dispelling the myth of “smart drugs”: Cannabis and alcohol use problems predict nonmedical use of prescription stimulants for studying. Addictive Behaviors. 2013;38(3):1643–1650. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.10.002. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Actions

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students

Affiliations

Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical