Abstract / Summary
Substance use behaviour among nursing students is another vital public health issue, which can affect students’ perception and interpretation of substance use behaviour. The level of misinterpretation and perceived risk regarding substance use behaviour can contribute to students’ attitudes. This study was conducted to determine the level of misinterpretation and perceived risk of substance use behaviour among nursing students and its predictors. A descriptive cross-sectional study among 320 nursing students through a non-probability purposive sampling method was adapted. The data were gathered using a socio-demographic questionnaire, a structured misinterpretation scale, and a perceived risk scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as the Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman’s correlation, Chi-square, & linear regression were employed in analysing the data. Moderate misinterpretation was found among 52.8% of participants, while 47.2% had severe misinterpretation. On the other hand, for perceived risk, 60.0% of students had high perceived risk, and 40.0% had moderate perceived risk. There was no significant relationship observed with socio-demographic factors ( p > 0.05). A moderate correlation existed between variables ( r = 0.427, p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed that misinterpretation significantly and positively predicted perceived risk (β = 0.427, p < 0.001), accounting for 18.2% of the variation in perceived risk (R² = 0.182; F = 70.822, p < 0.001). There were moderate to severe degrees of misinterpretation and perceived risk in relation to substance use among nursing students. Misinterpretation had a significant influence on perceived risk, accounting for 18.2% of its variance.