Prevalence of binge drinking among medical students in Brazil: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: Introduction: Binge drinking consists of an alcohol consumption pattern that is dangerous for the drinkers and for society. Undergraduate medical students are often exposed to stressful situations, increasing the propensity for psychoactive substance use including excessive alcohol consumption. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of binge drinking practiced by Brazilian medical students. Methods: The search was performed in a standardized way, involving two researchers, and by consulting the PubMed/Medline, SciELO and LILACS databases. A meta-analysis was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of binge drinking and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Results: We identified 206 records and included 14 studies in the review. The combined prevalence was estimated by the random effect method. Despite the substantial heterogeneity among the studies, the pooled analysis indicated that binge drinking is practiced by 47% of medical students as a whole, in Brazil (95% CI: 38%; 57%), and by 65% (95% CI: 50%; 78%) and 47% (95% CI: 34% to 59%), considering men and women, respectively. Conclusion: Binge drinking is practiced by almost half of the contingent of our future doctors. These results provide insights as to the choices and decisions that these students make regarding the consumption of potentially dangerous substances for the human health. Despite the high heterogeneity, the magnitude of the binge-drinking problem estimated in this meta-analysis demands an effective involvement of medical schools in Brazil.