TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Prevalence of drug use among students in mainland China: A systematic review and meta-analysis for 2003-2013
JO  - Drug and alcohol dependence
A1  - Jia, Zhongwei
A1  - Jin, Yuanyuan
A1  - Zhang, Lingling
A1  - Wang, Ziyun
A1  - Lu, Zuhong
SP  - 201
EP  - 206
VL  - 186
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: In response to calls to reassess and reform international drug policy, we estimated the prevalence of drug use among students in China from 2004 to 2013 through a systematic review and meta-analysis. <br><br>METHODS: We systemically identified and reviewed published studies on illicit drug use and abuse of sedative-hypnotics among students in China. We estimated the prevalence of drug use among students using a meta-regression model. The trends in drug use and any geographic differences were assessed using multilevel models, and the association between drug use and sedative-hypnotics abuse was also examined. <br><br>RESULTS: The pooled prevalence of illicit drug use and sedative-hypnotics abuse in students was 2.10% (95% CI: 1.80-2.50) and 6.10% (95% CI: 5.10-7.20). A significant decrease in the prevalence of illicit drug use was observed in 2009-2013 (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.25-0.32). Students in higher grades showed a higher prevalence of both illicit drug use and sedative-hypnotics abuse than those in lower grades. Provincial differences in illicit drug use (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.24-5.73) and sedative-hypnotics abuse (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.05-1.79) were identified. The geographical area of illicit drug use was observed to be expanding. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Prevalence of drug use among students is twice as high as in the general population of adults in China, indicating that drug use is becoming an urgent public health issue among the younger population. Further investigation among school students is needed.<br><br>Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0376-8716
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.12.047
ID  - ref1
ER  -