Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among University Undergraduates

Year 2024, , 125 - 133, 25.01.2024

Veronica Makinde

https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1361143

Abstract

The study investigated how many university students in private, state, and federal institutions abuse chemical substances. It also compared the three types of institution to know where abuse of substances is more prevalent. The population for the study were all university undergraduates from Ekiti State. The sample is made up of 450 respondents’ selected using simple randomization and purposive sampling technique with 115 participants from private institutions, 165 from state owned institutions and 170 participants from federal institutions. A Google Form questionnaire tagged Prevalence of Substance Abuse Scale (PSAS) was created, validated and used for data collection. Results; No significant difference could be determined in terms of gender on the prevalence of substance abuse among undergraduate students (F(1, 448) = 0.581, p <.05). A significant difference was detected in terms of age (F (3, 447) = 0.088, p < .05). It revealed a non-significant effect on the prevalence of substance abuse among undergraduates across different universities (private, state, and federal) (F(2, 447) = 0.084, p < 0.05).
It was suggested that universities should have an active counselling centre with trained counsellors to help people who struggle with substance abuse. Counsellors should work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to hold events like awareness campaigns, seminars, and workshops to enlighten students about the negative effects of substance abuse.

Keywords

Substance abuse, Undergraduates, Prevalence, Counselling

Ethical Statement

an approval on ethical consideration was collected from the Centre for Research and Development (CERAD) Ethics Assessment Committee of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science, and Technology Ikere Ekiti.

References

• Alozai, U. U., & Sharma, S. (2022). Drug and Alcohol Use. In Drug and Alcohol Use (StatPearls). StatPearls. [PubMed]
• Anyama, S.C. Jimoh, M. (2022). 31 Perceived Influence of Drug Abuse on Undergraduates’ Suicidal Tendencies in the University of Lagos. International Journal of Educational Research, 10(1), 131–138.
• Anyanwu, O. U., Ibekwe, R. C., & Ojinnaka, N. C. (2016). Pattern of substance abuse among adolescent secondary school students in Abakaliki. Cogent Medicine, 3(1), 1272160. [CrossRef]
• Essien, C. . (2010). Drug Use and abuse among students in tertiary institutions: the case of Federal University of technology, Minna. Journal of Research in National Development, 8(1), 35–42. [CrossRef]
• Fox, H. C., Morgan, P. T., & Sinha, R. (2014). Sex differences in guanfacine effects on drug craving and stress arousal in cocaine-dependent individuals. Neuro psychopharmacology, 39 (6), 1527–1537. [PubMed]
• Ho, A. M. C., Geske, J. R., Bakalkin, G., Winham, S. J., & Karpyak, V. M. (2019). Correlations between sex-related hormones, alcohol dependence and alcohol craving. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 197(August 2018), 183–190. [PubMed]
• Jacob, O. A. and Adegboyega, L. O. (2017). Title: Perceived Causes and Incidences of Deviant Behaviour Among Secondary School Students in Kwara State. Journal of Science, Technology & Education (JOTE), 5(2), 11–22.
• Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Miech, R. a, Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2015). Monitoring the Future results on drug use: 1975-2013: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use, 2013. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan.
• King’ori, I. W. (2020). Counselling Services and Management of Drug Abuse among Students in Bahati Division, Kenya. In New Horizons in Education and Social Studies Vol. 1 (Vol. 1, Issue October, pp. 128–134). Book Publisher [CrossRef]
• Makinde, V. I., Dada, O. V. K.-, & Babatunde, C. A. (2020). Curbing the Rising Tide in Social Vices among Nigerian Undergraduates: The Role of Women in Academia. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 9(8), 292–296. [CrossRef]
• Mangerud, W. L., Bjerkeset, O., Holmen, T. L., Lydersen, S., & Indredavik, M. S. (2014). Smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use among adolescents with psychiatric disorders compared with a population based sample. Journal of Adolescence, 37(7), 1189–1199. [PubMed]
• Manzoor, U., Ali, A., Ali, S. L., Abdelkarem, O., Kanwal, S., Alotaibi, S. S., Baazeem, A., Baiduissenova, A., Yktiyarov, A., & Hajar, A. (2023). Mutational screening of GDAP1 in dysphonia associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: clinical insights and phenotypic effects. Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 21(1), 1–11. [PubMed]
• National Institute on Drug Agency. (2020). Sex and Gender Differences in Substance Use. [PubMed]
• Ofuebe, J.I, Adama, G.N, Nwankwo, B.C., Isiaku, W.B, Omeje, G.N., Agu, F.U and Nweke, P. (2020). Effect of Drug Abuse and Health Risks Among Undergraduates of Federal Universities in Nigeria. Global Journal of Health Science, 12(8), 107. [CrossRef]
• Omoyemiju, M. A. (2022). Availability and Accessibility of Counselling Resources to Students and Staff Members of Tertiary Institutions in Osun State , Nigeria. 12(1).
• Onah, C. (2023). Research Paper Substance Abuse among Students : The Intervening Roles of Peer Pressure and Depression in Nigeria Substance Abuse among Students : The Intervening Roles of Peer Pressure and Depression in Nigeria. January.
• Onoyase, A. (2019). An Evaluation of the Prevalence of Substance Abuse among Students of Higher Education Institutions in Benue State, North- Central Nigeria: Implications for Counseling. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 11(3), 39. [CrossRef]
• Oparaduru, J. O., & Okoye, P. C. N. (2022). Menace of Drug Abuse in Nigerian Schools: Need for Trauma-Informed Counselling. Journal of Professional Counselling, 5(2), 199–211.
• Smith, K. (2014). Gender Differences in Primary Substance of Abuse across Age Groups. In The CBHSQ Report. SAMHSA. [PubMed]
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2018). Drugs and age (World Drug Report) (pp. 1–59). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). https://doi.org/10. 18356/dbd47a51-en