THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SELF-ESTEEM AND ALCOHOL-RELATED TOPICS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Alcohol-related problems among university students are becoming a severe problem. There are many reasons behind their motive for consuming alcohol. This study aims to examine the relationship between alcohol-related topics and self-esteem which is considered an essential predictor of consumption. A systematic review was conducted and eight databases were scanned according to the PRISMA Guideline. As a result, 41 studies examining the relationship between alcohol-related topics and self-esteem among university students were analyzed. It was found that the number of studies is increasing and the most preferred scale to measure self-esteem was The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The majority of the studies provided evidence for the claim that alcohol-related-topics and self-esteem are associated. There were also studies that emphasized gender differences. The limitations of the included studies were examined in detail and it is recommended that more studies be conducted for generalizability. Also, it is recommended that conducting meta-analyses and studies in qualitative or longitudinal design may provide in- depth information about the association between alcohol-related topics and self-esteem among university students.