Undergraduate health profession students attitudes toward illicit substance users in Jordan

BACKGROUND: The use of illicit substances is a critical international issue that must be addressed by healthcare systems worldwide. Today, the problem of illicit substance use is increasingly becoming a burden on healthcare systems in both developed and developing countries. The aims of this study were: (1) to describe the attitudes of health major undergraduate students (the study participants) toward illicit substance users; (2) to describe the discriminatory behaviors among the study participants toward illicit substance users; and (3) to examine the relationship between the attitudes and the actual discriminatory behaviors of the study participants. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to investigate the attitudes and behaviors of health professional undergraduate students enrolled at university in Jordan. RESULTS: Students who were younger and identified as female were generally more positive toward illicit substance users versus those students who were older and identified as male. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study supported the literature that students who were younger and identified as female were generally more positive toward illicit substance users versus those students who were older and identified as male. It is therefore important to determine whether the type of courses in health majors available for undergraduate students affects their attitudes toward illicit substance users.