ASSESSING ALCOHOL ABUSE IN A SAMPLE OF NIGERIAN UNDERGRADUATES

PREDICTIVE EFFECTS OF PEER PRESSURE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

The rate at which alcohol is abused in Nigeria is quite alarming. This study assessed peer pressure and self-esteem as predictors of alcohol abuse among undergraduates of the institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria. Two hundred and Forty-five (245) participants took part in this study. They constituted 117(47.8%) males and 128(52.2%) females, who were selected through simple random sampling. Their ages ranged from 17-31 years, with a mean age of 22.7 and standard deviation of 3.74. The instruments utilized for data collection were Alcohol Use Disorder Test, Index of Peer Relation, and Self-Esteem Scale. The design adopted in the study was a predictive design while multiple Linear Regression was adopted as a Statistical tool for data analysis. Three hypotheses were tested and the result revealed that the first hypothesis which stated that peer pressure will significantly predict alcohol abuse among undergraduates was accepted at F (2,242) = 16.391, Beta= -.345 P<.05. The second hypothesis which stated that self-esteem will significantly and negatively predict alcohol abuse among undergraduates was rejected at F (2,242) = 16.391, Beta = -.005, P> .05. The third hypothesis which stated that peer pressure and self-esteem will jointly predict alcohol abuse among undergraduates was accepted at F (2,242) = 16.391, R square = .119, P< .05. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended for urgent public health preventive intervention and enlightenment on the consequences of alcohol abuse on the health of the abuser.