OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of exposure to psychoactive substances in public students of basic education and its association with sociodemographic characteristics.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted from March to September 2015, involving 1,009 students of the basic and high school education in 20 public schools in the municipality of Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. The data have been compiled using questionnaires previously applied in national studies of the Brazilian Center for Psychotropic Drugs. The variables have been dichotomized for later logistic regression using the Chi-square test to analyze associations between experimentation with psychoactive substances and other sociodemographic variables; odds ratio and confidence intervals have also been calculated. The level of significance adopted was 5%.RESULTS: We have identified that 69.6% of the students have experimented alcohol and 12.4% cigarettes. Age (? 15 years) has shown a significant association with experimentation with alcohol (p < 0.001) and cigarettes (p = 0.02), acting as risk factor in both cases (OR = 2.34 and 1, 78, respectively), but it acted as a protective factor for the use of inhalants (p = 0.03 and OR = 0.58) and weight loss medication (p = 0.006 and OR = 0.44). Religious practice had a significant association with experimentation with alcohol (p = 0.01), functioning as a protective factor (OR = 0.56).CONCLUSIONS: We have concluded that the psychoactive substance most experienced by students was alcohol, followed by cigarettes, and chance for experimentation increases after the age of 15. Religious practice, in turn, acts as a protective factor for experimentation with alcohol.OBJETIVO: Analisar a preval?ncia de exposi??o a subst?ncias psicoativas em estudantes do ensino b?sico de escolas p?blicas e sua associa??o com caracter?sticas sociodemogr?ficas.M?TODOS: Trata-se de um inqu?rito transversal realizado de mar?o a setembro de 2015, envolvendo 1.009 alunos do ensino fundamental e m?dio em 20 escolas p?blicas de Aracaju, S?o Crist?v?o e Nossa Senhora do Socorro. Os dados foram compilados por meio de question?rios aplicados anteriormente em estudos nacionais do Centro Brasileiro de Drogas Psicotr?picas. As vari?veis foram dicotomizadas para posterior regress?o log?stica com aplica??o do teste Qui-quadrado para analisar associa??es entre a experimenta??o de subst?ncias psicoativas e outras vari?veis sociodemogr?ficas, e calculada a raz?o de chances e seus intervalos de confian?a. O n?vel de signific?ncia adotado foi de 5%.RESULTADOS: Identificamos que 69,6% dos estudantes t?m experimentado ?lcool e 12,4% cigarro. A idade dos alunos (? 15 anos) mostrou associa??o significativa com a experimenta??o de ?lcool (p < 0,001) e cigarros (p = 0,02), atuando como fator de risco em ambos os casos (OR = 2,34 e 1,78, respectivamente), mas atuando como fator de prote??o para o uso de inalantes (p = 0,03 e OR = 0,58) e rem?dios para emagrecer (p = 0,006 e OR = 0,44). A pr?tica religiosa apresentou associa??o significativa com a experimenta??o de ?lcool (p = 0,01), funcionando como um fator de prote??o (OR = 0,56).CONCLUS?ES: Conclui-se que a subst?ncia psicoativa mais experimentada pelos estudantes foi o ?lcool, seguida do cigarro, e que a chance de experimenta??o aumenta a partir dos 15 anos. A pr?tica religiosa, por sua vez, atua como fator de prote??o ? experimenta??o do ?lcool.
Adolescent Adolescent Behavior