What type of study is this?

This is a Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study study.

September 10, 2025

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

Key Points

Substance use is prevalent among secondary school students, with 46% reporting lifetime use.
Older age and male gender showed significant associations with increased substance use among respondents.
Higher monthly pocket money and lower socioeconomic status were also linked to substance use among students.
Health and community interventions are needed to curb the fast-growing trend of substance use in adolescents.

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.

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