Academic Stress Related to Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption in Rural High School Students

Abstract

Introduction: academic stress is a physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral activation response to academic stimuli and events. It can indirectly affect health by promoting unhealthy behaviors, such as increased consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

Objective: the aim of this study is to determine the relationship between academic stress and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among rural high school students.

Method: a sample of 163 rural high school students was selected using stratified simple random sampling without replacement. The instruments used were SISCO, AUDIT, and EECT, which measure levels of stress, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use, respectively. The study employed a non-experimental, cross-sectional, prospective, and correlational design.

Results: 33% of students exhibited a profound level of academic stress; 47.2% reported consuming alcoholic beverages, with 5.5% showing probable addiction; 27.6% participants identified as active smokers, and 4.9% reported daily consumption. A negative relationship was found between academic stress and alcohol consumption, while a positive relationship was observed between academic stress and tobacco use.

Discussion and conclusions: research indicates an absence of a significant relationship between academic stress and alcohol consumption; however, a relationship exists between academic stress and tobacco use among high school students. No significant correlation was found between academic stress and alcohol consumption; conversely, a positive correlation was identified between academic stress and tobacco use.