Effect of illicit substance use on academic performance of medical students in Karachi, Pakistan

INTRODUCTION While studies have been performed to determine the prevalence and frequencies of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use in medical and other undergraduate students, there has yet to be a cross-sectional study conducted in Karachi, Pakistan, that correlates the academic performance of medical students with substance use. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study performed among MBBS students (n=354) of six dental and medical colleges in Karachi, Pakistan. Information on tobacco, cannabis and alcohol consumption was collected. We also included questions about Grade Point Average (GPA) and attendance percentages during the past year. The data were analyzed using SPSS Software Version 25. RESULTS Non-users had a mean GPA of 3.06 (95% CI: 2.99– 3.12), while substance users had a mean GPA of 3.00 (95% CI: 2.88–3.12) (p=0.407). With regard to attendance rates, non-substance users had higher mean attendance rates of 78.28% (95% CI: 76.94–79.62) compared to substance users who had a mean attendance of 75.18% (95% CI: 72.32– 78.04) (p=0.034). Non-users had a mean attendance of 78.28% (95% CI: 76.94–79.62). Users had a mean attendance of 75.18% (95% CI: 72.32–78.04) (p=0.034). CONCLUSIONS There was no significant association between substance use and average GPA of MBBS students in Karachi, Pakistan, however a significant association between substance use and attendance was noted.