[Prevalence of alcohol consumption among medical students at the Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile].

BACKGROUND Teenagers and university students are an especially vulnerable population towards unhealthy alcohol consumption. AIM To assess the actual consumption of alcohol among medical students at the Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile (UCM). MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross sectional study of students who entered medical school between years 2004 and 2010.We applied CAGE questionnaire along with questions about frequency of alcohol consumption. RESULTS From a universe of 317 students, 216 (age range 17-27 years, 54% females) answered the survey (68.8%), 64.2% admitted to consume alcohol and 6% had alcohol dependence. Seventy three percent of the alcohol drinkers were males. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of alcohol consumption in medical students of the UCM is significantly lower than the prevalence in students of another University surveyed in 2005 (74%) and it is similar to the national statistics. Alcohol consumption was higher in men that in women.