Predictors of drug abuse among students of selected tertiary educational institutions in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Increase in the number of youths involved in drug abuse in Nigeria, portends a negative trend for the future of the country. This study investigated the factors that influence drug abuse among undergraduates in Owerri. The respondents were 2322 (858 males and 1464 females) students selected from five tertiary institutions in Owerri capital territory, Imo State, Nigeria. Some of the factors assessed were types of residence, sponsor of education, drug availability, cost of drugs and personality traits. A researcher developed questionnaire was used to gather data from respondents. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design while data was analyzed with frequency and binary logistic regression model statistics using SPSS version 21. The findings showed that tramadol was the most abused drug and Polytechnique students were the most involved in drug abuse. The result of the analysis also showed that gender, sponsor of education, drug availability, cost of drugs and peer group significantly predicted drug abuse. Based on the findings, this study recommends that government and the management of tertiary institutions in Imo, should develop strategies to control availability of drugs on campuses and around school environs, restrict undergraduate students’ access to psychoactive substances and increase advocacy against substance use especially within the Polytechnique institutions.