OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ITS PREDICTORS AMONG NORTH-WEST uniVerSitY StuDentS MAfiKeng cAMPuS (original) (raw)
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Patterns of substance use and its predictors among North-West University students Mafikeng campus
African journal of drug and alcohol studies, 2016
The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of substance use among university students in South Africa. A cross-sectional study of randomly selected 416 students was conducted. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The result of the study indicated that current alcohol use was reported by 67.5%, Cigarette, 21.4%, cannabis, 17.3% and glue 2.9%. Alcohol consumption was associated with sex, age, religious affiliation, home language, family influence, and substance experimentation. Sex and substance experimentation were predictors of cigarette smoking. Cannabis use was associated with respondent’s sociocultural group and family influence. There is need to strengthen the family structure of homes as present substance use is rooted in family influences. Educational programmes that emphasise the dangers of experimenting with substance to young people may have great potential in minimizing substance use. Keywords: pattern, psychoactive, substan...
BMC Psychology, 2022
Background: Substance use is an important public health concern in many countries across the globe. Among the general public, institutions of higher learning have developed a reputation for inducing new substance use among students. In addition to socio-demographic factors, substance use and abuse among university students often appear to be related to psychological stressors typically related to the demand to adapt to the new environment and the pressures associated with academia. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of, and factors associated with substance use among university students. Methods: This quantitative study employed convenience sampling to recruit university students who were 18 years and older from a university in the Western Cape. The study made use of self-administered online questionnaires, which participants completed via SurveyMonkey. The sample consisted of 2915 students. Descriptive statistics were used to describe and provide the prevalence and overview of the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Associations between variables were explored using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The main findings revealed a substance use prevalence rate of 62.7%. The most prominent substances used by students were alcohol (80.6%), cannabis (46%), and ecstasy (5.3%). The study further revealed clear associations between students' substance use and mental health. Students who reported substance use at university reported higher depression and anxiety scores than those who did not. However, findings reveal no significant association (p = 0.233) between being a substance user and a nonsubstance user and students' respective self-perceived stress scores. Conclusion: Results show the majority of sampled students had started using substances (both alcohol and other substances) only after entering university. The results call into question seminal findings relating to substance use and the university environment. The novel findings of this study could serve as a baseline input to inform policymakers, programme developers, service providers, parents, and other stakeholders who are involved in the design and implementation of more effective awareness, prevention and, needs-based intervention services.
African health sciences, 2011
Substance use among youth is a worldwide epidemic that impacts negatively on the health sector as well as the family and society. Early student life is a time of tremendously high motivation to conform to the behaviours, values, and attitudes that are valued by the youth culture. They observe their peers' behavior and alter their own behaviour with their peers' norms and expectations. This compliance with perceived peer norms can however lead to increased smoking, alcohol and drug use. To determine and analyze risky and health promoting behaviour of health science students at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa. In this paper the association between actual risk and perceived risk for substance is discussed. A self-administered questionnaire containing items from both the NCHRBS and the ACHA-NCHA were administered to 201 health science students at a South African university. When perceptions of typical student behaviour were compared to actual reported behaviour, o...
Journal of Adolescence, 2003
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of illicit drug use, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking behaviour among a sample of high-school adolescents in the Pietersburg area (Central Region) of the Northern Province, South Africa. Participants: Participants in this study were 435 secondary-school adolescent students around the Pietersburg area (Central Region), in the Northern Province. Two hundred and forty-three (56%) participants were female and 192 (44%) were male. They were aged between 15 and 19 years, with the mean age of 17.25 years (s.d.=1.34). Their educational level ranged between standards 7 and 10 (Grades 9-12). Instruments: Participants' demographic variables were determined by use of a questionnaire which covered participants personal characteristics such as age and gender, as well as educational level. Illicit drug use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking behaviour were also measured using the questionnaire. Results: Findings of this study indicate the prevalence rate of 19.8% for illicit drug use, 10.6% for cigarette smoking and 39.1% for alcohol consumption among the participants. Both drug use, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are associated more with males than with females. The majority of the drug users and cigarette smokers indicated that they do so when they are bored, tired or stressed up, or at parties; and most of those who drink alcohol indicated that they do so at parties, weekends, or any other time. The mean age for first drug use is 14.9 years (s.d.=1.77); 14.54 years (s.d.=1.80) for first cigarette smoking and 15.33 years (s.d.=1.91) for first alcohol consumption. Among those who drink alcohol, 24.1% and 14.1% experience unplanned drunkenness and irritability, respectively. Unplanned drunkenness is associated with males, while unplanned irritability (after drinking alcohol) is not associated with any gender. Conclusion: Mental health workers and the law-enforcement agencies should take note of the above findings while planning preventive and therapeutic strategies for the reduction of drug use, cigarette smoking and alcohol use and abuse among adolescents in the area. r
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2016
Introduction: This study determined the prevalence of substance abuse amongst rural secondary school learners in a selected province of South Africa.Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative approach using a descriptive survey design. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire from a total of 338 randomly selected learners, age 14 to 18 years, from 10 secondary schools that make up a rural Vhembedzi circuit in the Limpopo Province. Permission to enter the circuit and the schools was obtained from the circuit manager and parents’ or learners’ informed consent was obtained prior to data collection.Results: The majority of the participants (94% male, 98% female) had never used substances. Most of the learners started using substances between the ages 15 to 20 years. The majority of learners who were using substances were male. Of the respondents, all the female (100%) students reported to have stopped substance abuse. The majority (63% male, 50% female) of the lear...
Substance use by adolescents in cape town: prevalence and correlates
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2003
The work reported in this paper was supported by grants from the World Health Organisation Programme on Substance Abuse, the United Nations Development Programme, the South African Medical Research Council, and the Medical Faculty Research Committee of the University of Cape Town.To document the prevalence rates for use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among high school students in Cape Town, and to investigate whether use of these substances is associated with a set of hypothesized psychosocial correlates.A multistage sampling procedure produced a sample of 2930 students in grades 8 and 11 at 39 high schools in Cape Town, who completed a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire contained items about whether the students had used various substances and that addressed the potential correlates of interest. We calculated prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals and constructed a set of generalized estimating equations of use in the past month of cigarettes, alcohol, or cannabis on the hypothesized correlates.The prevalence rates for previous month (recent) use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis were 27%, 31%, and 7%, respectively. Rates were low for black females. Recent use of each of the substances was significantly associated with the number of days absent and the number of years lived in a city. Repeating a grade was significantly associated with previous month use of cigarettes and alcohol by colored (derived from Asian, European, and African ancestry) students and alcohol use by black grade 8 students (race classifications “colored” and “black” are as defined by the repealed population Registration Act of 1950). Not being raised by both parents was significantly associated with cigarette smoking by black and colored students, alcohol use by colored students, and cannabis use by female students. It was inversely associated with cigarette use by black students.It is necessary to identify the factors that protect black female adolescents from substance use. It is important to address demographic factors such as race classification and gender analytically if one is to avoid obscuring differences among groups.
Alcohol use among students at University of Limpopo, South Africa
Alcohol use is highly prevalent among university students and is a major health concern for universities in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and patterns of alcohol use as well as the motives for alcohol use among health care science students at the Medunsa campus of the University of Limpopo, South Africa. Data was gathered by the use of self-administered questionnaire. The stratified cluster and probability sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of n=142 respondents (female, 60%; n=85) and male 40% (n=57)), with a mean age of 21.7 years. The mean age of the group was 21.3 years. The prevalence of alcohol use among the participants was relatively low, where 23% (n=32) of the sample consumed alcohol. Only 15% (n=22) of the respondents were categorized as light drinkers, 3.5% (n=5) moderate drinkers and 3.5% (n=5) heavy drinkers. Respondents scored the lowest on the peer pressure motive for alcohol use (35.6%) and equal on the personal enjoyment and tension reduction category, both having mean scores of 39%, respectively. The Spearman’s rho revealed statistically significant relationships among the different types of drinking categories and the following drinking motives; to experience a good time (r [32] = -.363, p < .041), to feel good (r [32] = .354, p<.047)., to cheer up (r [32] = .379, p < .032) and to be at ease when blamed (r [32] = .366, p <.039). The findings revealed the prevalence of alcohol use among health care science students at the University of Limpopo (Medunsa campus) to be exceptionally low, while social activity was the primary drinking motive.
Journal of Adolescence, 2004
This paper aims to provide surveillance information about the extent and consequences of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use by adolescents for three sentinel sites in South Africa (Cape Town, Durban and Gauteng province). From 1997 to 2001, data were gathered from multiple sources, including specialist treatment centres, trauma units, school students, rave party attenders, and arrestees. Since the start of surveillance, an increasing proportion of South African adolescents are using AODs. Surveys point to high levels of alcohol misuse among high school students, with alcohol being the most common substance of abuse. Cannabis is the most frequently reported illicit drug of abuse among adolescents. This is reflected in the large proportion of adolescents receiving treatment for cannabis, cannabis-positive arrestees, and cannabis-positive trauma patients. Cannabis smoked together with methaqualone is the second most common primary drug of abuse in Cape Town. Arrestee data highlights the potentially negative effect of adolescent methaqualone use. Cocaine and heroin are emerging as problem drugs of abuse among adolescents in large metropolitan centres. Ecstasy (MDMA) use occurs mainly among adolescents who attend rave parties and clubs. The study points to the need for AOD intervention programmes that target young people and the need for continued monitoring of adolescent AOD use in the future. r
International journal of social sciences, 2017
This small-scale study sought to determine the factors that contribute to use of drugs by male adolescents in South African public secondary schools. The study was conducted in four secondary schools in Zeerust, North West, a province of South Africa. Purposive sampling was employed to select from the secondary schools 12 male adolescents who were prone to substance abuse problems. A qualitative research approach was followed underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm. More specifically, a multiple case research design was used. The study was successful in identifying the most commonly used drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and heroin. These drugs are readily available in the surrounding communities and are affordable to the learners. Social and economic factors are the main factors contributing to the use of drugs among male adolescents. The way in which children are brought up, who they associate with and whether they have access to money to buy the drugs largely c...
University students problem alcohol use
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors in a sample of university students in South Africa. Undergraduate students were recruited conveniently from public campus venues. The sample included 722 university students (57.6% men and 42.4% women), with a mean age of 21.7 years (SD=8.8). Overall 22.2% of the university students were hazardous or harmful alcohol users, 32.2% among men and 8.5% among women. In multivariable analysis among men higher drinking norms, weak beliefs in the importance of limiting alcohol, current cannabis use and poorer subjective health status, and among women higher drinking norms, weak beliefs in the importance of limiting alcohol and current cannabis use were associated with hazardous or harmful alcohol use. High rates of hazardous or harmful use was found and various factors identified that can be used to guide interventions to reduce problem drinking among university students.