Prevalence of alcohol consumption among secondary school students in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Consumption of alcohol by secondary school students is a major public health concern globally, but its prevalence is not known in secondary schools in Port Harcourt. Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with alcohol use among secondary school students in Port Harcourt. Methods: This was a cross sectional school based study conducted in Port Harcourt in March 2014. A 20 itemed structured, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 1080 senior secondary 1 to 3 students from 10 public secondary schools selected through Multistage Sampling technique. Questions asked covered drinking of alcohol, frequency of drinking and being drunk in the past 30 days before the survey. Other behaviours sought were smoking of cigarette, use of cocaine and going out in the evening for fun. Sociodemographic was also sought. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: 1080 students participated in the study, mean age 16.09±6SD and male to female ratio of 0.9: 1. Prevalence of current drinking of alcohol was 30.6% and 38.1% of current drinkers were also drunk in the past 30 days, with 17.2 % being very frequently drunk. The behaviour which showed a strong association with drinking of alcohol, being drunk and the frequency of being drunk was going out in the evening for fun and recreation. Gender showed a positive association with drinking of alcohol, as more males drank alcohol with in the past 30 days compared to the females (p=0.000). Smoking of cigarette in the past 30 days and truancy were positively associated with being drunk, while academic grades showed an inverse relationship with consumption of alcohol. Majority of those who drank alcohol (42.6%) were experimenting with alcohol, though 5.4% drank due to addiction. Majority (39.3%) bought their drinks from stores and supermarkets. The most Common problems experienced by the drinkers were fatigue, alcohol made them behave in ways they later regretted and it hurt their relationships. Conclusion: Alcoholism is a serious problem with secondary school students in Port Harcourt. It is linked with truancy, poor academic achievement and other substances use. The most serious health and social problem experienced by the drinkers is addiction.

Alcohol consumption and awareness of its effects on health among secondary school students in Nigeria

“…Finally, our findings also showed that male and female students had similar levels of awareness of the following effects of alcohol on human health, as no significant differences were found: excessive alcohol intake can affect coordination, interfering with balance and the ability to walk; heavy alcohol use can result in alcohol dependence; alcohol use can make people with depression feel worse; and erectile dysfunction is a side effect of alcohol abuse in men. These outcomes support previous studies, [ 1 , 9 ] which show that alcohol increases the risk of numerous diseases and all injury outcomes. According to the WHO, [ 2 ] alcohol consumption is now the world's third largest risk factor for disease and disability, with almost 4% of all global deaths attributed to alcohol.…”

“…Through in-person interviews with Nigerian adults, previous research by Gureje et al [ 3 ] revealed that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol consumption was 56%. A recent study by Alex-Hart et al [ 9 ] showed that the prevalence of current alcohol consumption among a sample of Nigerian secondary school students was 30.6% and that 38.1% of current drinkers had also been drunk in the past 30 days, with 17.2% being drunk very frequently.…”

Pattern of Alcohol Use among Undergraduate Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria

“…While 46.2% of undergraduate students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo state, Nigeria still drink alcoholic beverages, although the level and rate of consumption differs. This result disagrees with [10], whose study revealed that the predominance of current alcohol use among a sample of Nigerian optional school students was 30.6%, and that 38.1% of current consumers had likewise been drunk in the previous 30 days, with 17.2% being drunk most of the time. Although, this study agrees with [7], who's investigation among 292 out-of-school male youths in an urban territory of Central Nigeria (aged 11 to 20 years) found that in excess of 33% (38.7%) of the sample had taken alcohol at any rate once in their lives.…”

“…Furthermore, through a face-to-face interviews with some Nigerian adolescents, past research by [9] uncovered that the lifetime pervasiveness of alcohol use was 56%. In addition, a report by [10] demonstrated that the predominance of current alcohol use among a sample of Nigerian optional school students was 30.6% and that 38.1% of current consumers had likewise been drunk in the previous 30 days, with 17.2% being drunk most of the time. Despite the major health problem that arises from drinking of excessive alcohol; for example, cancer [11], pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, malignancies, mental horribleness, and injury [12], students still indulges in the drinking of alcohol.…”

The prevalence of alcohol consumption during early adolescence: a cross-sectional study in an eastern province, Thailand

“…However, using the anonymous self-report, confidentiality guaranteed (Althubaiti, 2016) and large sample size as validated instrument for assessment as well as informing participants about the objective and giving them much time before answering (Eman, 2005) the questionnaire can minimize this possibility. Previous studies have shown that the prevalence of alcohol consumption was higher among boy than girls (Alex-Hart, Opara, & Okagua, 2015;Assanangkornchai et al, 2010;Chaveepojnkamjorn, 2012;MacArthur et al, 2012;Pengpid & Peltzer, 2012;Phuphaibul, Nuntawan, & Loveland-Chery, 2011;Pichainarong & Chaveepojnkamjorn, 2010;Sam-angsri et al, 2010;Simoes, Batista-Foguet, Matos, & Calmeiro, 2008). In this research study, conversely, girl participants were more likely to engage in alcohol use than boys.…”