Aim:

To describe characteristics of alcohol consumption and to identify patterns of consumption among dental students from University San Sebastián, Concepción.

Method:

This is an exploratory, non-experimental, descriptive and cross sectional study with a sample of 601 students (65 % of students). Two questionnaires were applied during the second semester of 2015. The first: A structured questionnaire designed to collect data on alcohol consumption and its characteristics. The second: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The association of the dependent variable "alcohol" with the independent variables "age", " gender", "geographic location of origin" and "semester" were evaluated by a binomial logistic regression. Then, the data observed in subjects who reported drinking alcohol were evaluated. The significance level used in all cases was a<0.05.

Results:

15 % is a risk consumer, and 18% is a harmful consumer or have a possible dependence. In students who drink, the variable family income is associated with the time of year of consumption and alcohol-related problems.

Conclusion:

There is a higher prevalence of male consumption and a high consumption of alcoholic beverages in both genders at any time of the year. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is independent of family income.

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