Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37528398›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2023

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol use and risky drinking among undergraduate students in Johannesburg, South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

Cassandra Chen, Mafuno G Mpinganjira, Asha Motilal, Sandile Matukane, Relebohile Letsoalo, Tyler McKee, Zakithi Ntombela, Limuwani Mbulaheni, Taveer Hargovan, Joel M Francis

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trajectories of Alcohol-Related Problems Among First-Year Nursing Students: Nature, Predictors, and Outcomes.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026
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  5. The influence of parents' history of alcohol use on their university-going children's drinking habits: A comparative study of students' drinking habits.The South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Cassandra Chen *School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mafuno G Mpinganjira *Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. mafunompinganjira@gmail.com.
Asha MotilalSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sandile MatukaneSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Relebohile LetsoaloSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Tyler McKeeSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Zakithi NtombelaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Limuwani MbulaheniSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Taveer HargovanSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UUME, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Joel M FrancisDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlcohol use and risky drinking are significant public health problem globally. Young people, including university students, are among the most affected populations. We conducted the study to determine the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use and risky drinking among undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using an anonymous, self-administered online survey in REDCap. The survey questionnaire consisted of socio demographic, and alcohol use questions using the risky drinking identification screening tool (AUDIT-C). We performed descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with alcohol use and risky drinking. The p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

resultsThe response rate was 15.7%. Most participants were female (69.6%) and majority of the participants were White (38.1%). The prevalence of lifetime use of alcohol was 79.1%, and among the lifetime users; 70.2% reported alcohol use in the last 12-months, 37.1% reported alcohol use in the last 30 days. The prevalence of risky drinking was 54.8% among lifetime drinkers. Factors significantly associated with current alcohol use were siblings alcohol use (aOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.02-3.15) and parents alcohol use (aOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.39-4.80), white race (aOR = 5.70, 95% CI: 3.12-10.41), and always or daily exposure to alcohol marketing in the media (aOR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.07-10.24). Factors associated with risky drinking were: Indian/Asian race (aOR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.09-7.31), White race (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.14-4.04), and exposure to alcohol marketing in the media as follows, most of the time (aOR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.29-9.04) and Always/daily exposure (aOR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.07-10.24).

conclusionThe reported alcohol use and risky drinking were common amongst undergraduate students at Wits university. There is an urgent need to design, pilot and adapt targeted interventions for this population group.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingStudentsAdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSouth AfricaUniversitiesAlcohol abuseAlcohol useAlcohol use disorderRisky drinkingSubstance abuseYouth.

Identifiers

PMID37528398
PMCPMC10394774
OpenAlexW4385455599

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.