University Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Substance Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Substance abuse is a major public health issue, particularly among university students. Understanding students' knowledge and attitudes toward substance abuse is important for designing educational and preventive strategies, helping early intervention efforts, supporting mental health services, and ensuring culturally suitable programming.

Objective: This study aimed to assess university students' knowledge and attitudes regarding substance abuse and to identify demographic and educational factors associated with these variables.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 745 university students from various academic disciplines. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing knowledge and attitudes related to substance abuse. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and regression tests.

Results: The sample included 50.5% males and 49.5% females, with the majority aged 18-21 years (58.0%). Most participants had heard of substance abuse (91.7%) and recognized its association with chronic disease (97.3%). Knowledge scores varied significantly on the basis of academic background and prior exposure to awareness programs. Attitudes toward substance abuse were mixed, with a notable proportion of students perceiving potential benefits in certain contexts. A weak, non-significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.068, p = 0.064).

Conclusion: Although students showed generally good knowledge about substance abuse, variations in understanding and attitudes were obvious across demographic and educational subgroups. These findings emphasize the need for targeted, context-specific educational interventions to address misconceptions and improve preventive awareness. Future research should evaluate the long-term impact of such interventions on students' attitudes and behaviors.