O-44 Substance Use among university students in Barbados during the COVID-19 pandemic

Methods: The American College Health Association (ACHA) National College Health Assessment III (NCHA) was administered as a cross-sectional survey between October 2021 and March 2022. Five successive email invitations were sent to all currently enrolled students at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Results: A majority of students, 77.6 % (95% CI [.74, .81]) of students reported having used alcohol (e.g., beer, wine, liquor). 31.6 % (95% CI [.28, .35]) reported use of cannabis products (e.g., marijuana, weed, hash, edibles, vaped cannabis). 17.6 % (95% CI [.15, .21]) used tobacco or other nicotine products (e.g., cigarettes, e-cigarettes, Juul or other vape products, water pipe or hookah, chewing tobacco, cigars). The lifetime alcohol use rate for females was 79 %, 95 % CI [.75, .83]; for males, the rate was 73 %, 95 % CI [.65, .80]. 33% of males, 95 % CI [.25, .41], and 31 % of females, 95 % CI [.25, .41], reported ever using cannabis. For tobacco, lifetime usage rates were 22 % for males, 95 % CI [.16, .30], and 16 % for females. 95 % CI [.13, .20]. ASSIST Rates of moderate risk for problematic substance use were highest for cannabis (11.4 %), followed by alcohol (8.9 %), tobacco (5.2 %), sedatives (2.0 %), and opioids (0.8 %). Furthermore, 6.7% of students reported experiencing two or more negative outcomes after drinking alcohol. 8% of students reported doing something they later regretted, while the rate of engaging in unprotected sex was 9.1%.).

Conclusion: The rates of substance use and associated health consequences suggest that the UWI should seek to review and reinforce policies on substance use, promote preventative strategies, and increase awareness and accessibility of mental health services.