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Substance use and academic performance among university students: systematic review and meta-analysis
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Substance use and academic performance among university students: systematic review and meta-analysis
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Journal Article
Substance use and academic performance among university students: systematic review and meta-analysis
2025
Overview
Background
Substance use is a widespread concern among young adults and is particularly significant among college students. Substance use in this population is associated with several academic, physical, mental, and social difficulties. This systematic review and metanalysis explores whether there is an effect of the legal and illegal substance and alcohol consumption behaviors on academic achievement among university students.
Methods
The databases searched were MEDLINE, CINHAL, Scopus, ERIC, and PROSPERO, updated in January 2025. The risk of bias was assessed using the Edwards score. We used a random-effects model. The protocol of this review was registered in the Open Science Framework.
Results
The systematic review included 21 studies, while the meta-analysis included four studies. In a sample of 1,219 subjects in the control group and 350 legal and illegal substances consumers, there is a negative and significant association of substances consumption on academic achievement [SMD = − 0.61 (95% CI − 0.84 to − 0.38;
p
= 0.008). In a subgroup analysis, a sample of 2,479 subjects in the control group and 7,134 alcohol consumers, there is a non-statistically significative association of alcohol consumption on academic achievement [SMD = − 0.24 (95% CI -0.51 to 0.04;
p
= 0.073).
Conclusions
Despite the limitations of this study, this systematic review provides quantitative evidence on the relationship between legal and illegal use of substances among university students and academic achievement. Specifically, we found a significant medium association of substance use in general and a small effect for alcohol consumption on academic achievement.
Clinical trial number
Not applicable.
Publisher
BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
Subject
/ Academic Performance - statistics & numerical data
/ Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
/ Drinking
/ Drug use
/ Failure
/ Females
/ Humans
/ Medical Subject Headings-MeSH
/ Students - statistics & numerical data
/ Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
/ Substance-Related Disorders - psychology
/ Surveys
/ Theory of Medicine/Bioethics
/ Theses
/ Tobacco
