Influence of peer pressure and Facebook in favorable attitudes to drug use in Mexican university young people

Abstract

Health problems related to drug use constitute a priority area of action for health professionals, particularly for community care professionals. The objective was to analyze the predictive influence of peer pressure and exposure of drug content on Facebook on attitudes and illicit drug use. The design of the study was descriptive correlational, in a sample of 375 university students of Tamaulipas, México. The results showed that 31.2% (95% CI [26, 35]) used drugs at some time in their lives; marijuana was the most consumed drug. Predictive influence of peer pressure (β = .315, p <.001) and exposure of illicit drug consumption contents on Facebook (β = .517, p = .010) on attitudes were identified. The predictive influence of attitudes whit illicit drug use were also identified (β =, 042 p <, 001). It is concluded that the higher the pressure of peers and the greater exposure of illicit drug content on Facebook, the greater the attitudes that favor the consumption of illicit drugs. Likewise, greater attitudes favorable to the illicit drugs increase the likelihood of illicit drugs in university students.