Social media use and alcohol consumption among students in Uganda: a cross sectional study

Edwinah Atusingwize; Maria Nilsson; Annika Egan Sjölander; John C Ssempebwa; Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye; David Musoke; Evelina Landstedt

doi:10.1080/16549716.2022.2131213

Social media use and alcohol consumption among students in Uganda: a cross sectional study

Glob Health Action. 2022 Dec 31;15(1):2131213. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2022.2131213.

Authors

Edwinah Atusingwize^{1

2}, Maria Nilsson¹, Annika Egan Sjölander³, John C Ssempebwa², Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye⁴, David Musoke², Evelina Landstedt⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
² Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
³ Department of Culture and Media Studies, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
⁵ Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Globally, alcohol use significantly contributes to the disease burden. Alcohol consumption in Uganda is related to several health consequences among young people, including university students. Social media is commonly used by students to share academic information and create social networks. Among young people in high-income countries, previous studies have also shown that social media use can have negative health outcomes related to alcohol use, and associated problems. To date, similar studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries are largely missing.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of and associations between social media use and alcohol consumption among university students in Uganda.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study among 996 undergraduate students at Makerere University. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Alcohol use in the previous 12 months was the dependent variable. The independent variable was social media use categorised as general use, alcohol-related use, and social media lurking/passive participation. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were reported.

Results: Nearly all students (97%) used social media and 39% reported alcohol use. Regular alcohol use was significantly associated with moderate (OR = 2.22, CI: 1.35-3.66) and high level general social media use (OR = 2.45, CI: 1.43-4.20). Regular alcohol use was also associated with alcohol-related social media (OR = 6.46, CI: 4.04-10.30), and alcohol-related lurking (OR = 4.59, CI: 2.84-7.39). Similar, although weaker associations were identified for occasional alcohol use.

Conclusions: Approximately four in ten students reported alcohol use in the past year, and almost all students used social media. Alcohol-related social media use was associated with occasional and regular alcohol use, with stronger associations for regular use. These findings may guide further research and present an opportunity for potential alcohol control interventions to improve health among young populations in low- and middle-income countries.

Keywords: Social media; Uganda; alcohol; lurking; university students.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethanol
Humans
Social Media*
Students
Uganda / epidemiology
Universities

Substances

Ethanol

Grants and funding

Umeå University Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Erling Persson’s Family Foundation (EP). Part of this study (data collection activities) was funded by Makerere University School of Public Health under the Small Grants Programme, [Grant Number: MakSPH-GRCB/19-20/02/02].