Factors Associated with Psychoactive Substance Use among In-School Adolescents in Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Adesina, Benjamin Oluwasegun; Adebayo, Ayodeji Matthew; Iken, Oluwatomi Funbi

doi:10.30476/intjsh.2020.83659.1030

Factors Associated with Psychoactive Substance Use among In-School Adolescents in Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Document Type : Research Article (s)

Authors

Benjamin Oluwasegun Adesina ¹

Ayodeji Matthew Adebayo ²

Oluwatomi Funbi Iken ³

¹ BSc, MPH, School of Midwifery, St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital, Wusasa, Zaria, Kaduna State

² MBBS, FWACP, MPH, Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

³ MBBS, FWACP, MSc, Department of Community Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

https://doi.org/10.30476/intjsh.2020.83659.1030

Abstract

Background: The use and abuse of psychoactive substances among adolescents pose serious health problems in society. It is crucial to ascertain the factors predisposing adolescents to this in order to enable action by stakeholders. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with psychoactive substance use among in-school adolescents in Zaria Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in nine secondary schools selected by balloting with a sample size of 639 students. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographics and lifetime/current use of psychoactive substances. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression at P=0.05.
Results: The mean age of respondents was 15.98±1.52 years, 51% were male, and 54.6% were aged 14-16 years. The lifetime and current prevalence of psychoactive substances were 69.3% and 46%, respectively. Kolanut was the most widely used substance with a lifetime and current use prevalence rates of 56% and 37.6%, followed by 14.4%, 12.8%, and 11% of respondents with lifetime use of sedatives, alcohol, and tobacco, respectively. Respondents’ age (OR 2.493 95% CI=1.670-5.185; P=0.001), mothers’ educational level (OR 1.703 95% CI=4.201-5.057; P=0.001), family (OR 3.428 95% CI=9.778–8.856; P=0.023) and friends’ (OR 2.252 95% CI=1.315–3.856; P=0.003) use of psychoactive substances were predictors of substance use.
Conclusions: The study revealed that both lifetime and current use of psychoactive substances among the adolescents were high, especially among the males. Kolanut was the most used psychoactive substance among in-school adolescents, followed by sedatives and alcohol. Age, mothers’ educational level, and parents’ occupation were predisposing factors to psychoactive substance use.

Keywords

In-school adolescents

Psychoactive substances

Lifetime prevalence

Public-private schools

Drug abuse

1. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. World Drug Report 2017. Vienna: United Nations Publication; 2017. ## 2. Oshodi OY, Aina OF, Onajole AT. Substance use among secondary school students in an urban setting in Nigeria: prevalence and associated factors. Afr J Psychiatry. 2010;13(1):52-7. doi: 10.4314/ajpsy.v13i1.53430. PubMed: 20428599. ## 3. World Health Organization. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2015: raising taxes on tobacco. World Health Organization; 2015. ## 4. Faroe DO. Drug abuse among Nigerian Adolescents: Strategies for counselling. Journal of International Social Research. 2012;5(20):341-7. ## 5. World Health Organization. Fact Sheet Psychoactive Substance Use among Adolescents in the Who Region of the Americas; 2009. ## 6. Ani GN. Prevalence of Substance Abuse among Senior Secondary Students in Mainland Local Government, Lagos. Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health. 2014;3(6):1-9. ## 7. Arute JE, Oyita GI, Eniojukan JF. Substance Abuse among Adolescents: 2. Prevalence and Patterns of Cigarette smoking among senior secondary school students in Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy. 2015;5(1):40-47. ## 8. Idris SH, Sambo MN. Psycho-active substance use among in-school adolescents in Zaria, north western Nigeria: what are the triggers? Niger J Med. 2009;18(3):291-4. doi: 10.4314/njm.v18i3.51191. [PubMed: 20120648]. ## 9. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4863. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014. ## 10. Mamman H, Othman AT, Lian LH. Adolescent’s and Drugs Abuse in Nigeria. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare. 2014;4(1):5–9. ## 11. Population Council. Nigeria Population Council 2016 Fact sheet [Internet]. [cited 2020 January 8]. Available from: https://www.popcouncil.org/research/nigeria. ## 12. Manyike PC, Chinawa JM, Chinawa AT, Obu HA, Nwokocha AR, Odetunde OI. Correlates for psycho-active substance use among boarding secondary school adolescents in Enugu, South East, Nigeria. BMC Pediatr. 2016;16(1):78. doi: 10.1186/s12887-016-0615-9. ## 13. Lawoyin TO1, Ajumobi OO, Abdul MM, Abdul Malik JO, Adegoke DA, Agbedeyi OA. Drug use among senior secondary school students in rural Nigeria. Afr J Med Med Sci. 2005;34(4), 355-9. [PubMed: 16752665]. ## 14. Akanni OO, Adayonfo EO. Correlates of psychoactive substance use among Nigerian adolescents. Sahel Medical Journal. 2015;18(4):192-9. doi: 10.4103/1118-8561.176586 ## 15. Anyanwu OU, Ibekwe RC, Ojinnaka NC. Pattern of substance abuse among adolescent secondary school students in Abakaliki. Cogent Medicine. 2016;3(1):1272160. doi: 10.1080/2331205x.2016.1272160. ## 16. Adebayo SA, Oladele OI. Medicinal values of kola nut in Nigeria: implication for extension service delivery. Life Science Journal. 2012;9(2):887-891. ## 17. Asogwa SE. Kola nut and road traffic accidents in Nigeria. American Journal of Public Health. 1978;68(12):1228. ## 18. Yisa IO, Lawoyin TO, Fatiregun AA, Emelumadu OF. Pattern of substance use among senior students of command secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Niger J Med. 2009;18(3):286-90. [PubMed: 20120647]. ## 19. World Health Organization. Fact Sheet Psychoactive Substance Use among Adolescents in the WHO African Region; 2012. ## 20. World Health Organization. Fact Sheet Psychoactive Substance Use among Adolescents in the WHO African Region; 2015. ## 21. Patrick ME, Wightman P, Schoeni RF, Schulenberg JE. Socioeconomic status and substance use among young adults: a comparison across constructs and drugs. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2012;73(5):772-82. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2012.73.772. [PubMed: 22846241]. [PubMed Central: PMC3410945]. ## 22. Janicijevic KM, Kocic SS, Radevic SR, Jovanovic MR, Radovanovic SM. Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Psychoactive Substance Abuse by Adolescents in Serbia. Front Pharmacol. 2017;8:366. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00366. [PubMed: 28659800]. [PubMed Central: PMC5468426]. ##