KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NNEWI NORTH L.G.A, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Knowledge, Perception, Substance AbuseAbstract
Background: Adolescence is a transition period with notable changes in physical, development, social interaction and cognitive abilities. The use and abuse of substance is a significant public health problem in our environments which the adolescents are one of the susceptible groups. The initiation of substance abuse is most critical during adolescent stage. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge and perception of substance abuse among senior secondary school students in Nnewi North L.G.A, Anambra State. Materials and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was used for the study. Three (3) research objectives, questions and one hypothesis were used with the sample size of 288 senior students, a structure questionnaire was used to collect data. Frequency, percentages and Chi-square to test the hypothesis at P < 0.05 were used to analyzed data using Statistical Software Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. Results: Showed the mean age of participants was 15.90 years with a range of 13-21 years. Most of the students 80.90% have good knowledge of substance abuse, 90.63% of the students have positive perception of substance abuse. The most significant factors in substance abuse were the use of substances by friends and colleagues (P < 0.001), due to demonstration on the use of substances on social media (P< 0.002), due to poor parental monitoring (P < 0.009) and due to broken homes and parents’ divorce (P < 0.012). Students in the study area revealed a high level of knowledge of substance abuse and showed a positive perception on substance abuse. Conclusion: It is crucial to educate these adolescents about substance abuse because they are the most susceptible group in the society. It is recommended to increase awareness of substance abuse to be included in teaching and ensure implementation in the secondary school curriculum, eradicating and condemning abuse of substances through mass media, speaking in schools, organizing workshops and seminars as well as government formulating policies and strategies to mitigate and control cases of substance abuse in schools, homes, communities and society
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