Prevalence, Patterns and Factors Associated with Substance Use among Secondary School Students in Enugu South Local Government Area, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Adolescents make up a significant proportion of the Nigerian population. They are especially vulnerable to the exposure and usage of illicit substances/ drugs due to various socio-economic factors. Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with substance/drug use among secondary school students in Enugu South Local Government Area in Enugu state, Nigeria. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 450 secondary school students who were selected using multistage sampling. Data was collected using a semi-structured, pre-tested, self-administered, questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 27 to determine statistical significance at p< 0.05. Results: A total of 450 secondary school students in both government and private schools within Enugu south L.G.A. filled and submitted the form with a response rate of 97.8%. In our study, the mean age of respondents was 15.3 ± 1.2 SD years, with females making up a greater percentage (60.7%) of the sample.  Lifetime prevalence of substance use was 46.0%. 23.0% of the respondents admitted to using these substances within a period of 12 months, while 14.0% of the respondents did so in a period of 30 days. Palm wine was the most commonly used substance (36.7%), followed by caffeine containing beverages like: Coffee (36.4%), Black bullet (25.3%) and 'Kolanut' (20.2%). 27.3% of the respondents used Cough syrups while 20.0% used beer. Significant statistical associations were made between substance abuse and older age (p=0.002), male gender (p=0.037), class level (p=0.032), higher monthly pocket money (p=0.007), and also lower socioeconomic status (p=0.033). Conclusion: In Enugu South, substance use is common among secondary school pupils and is influenced by environmental and socio-demographic factors. Health, community and educational interventions and strategies targeting adolescents should be implemented to curtail this fast-growing trend.