The Prevalence of Substance use among in-School and out-of-School Adolescents: A Comparative Analysis in Anambra State, Nigeria

Aim: The use of various substances is very common among the populace. These agents are readily abused by adolescents and youths who are introduced to these substances at an early age in life. This thus leads to abuse and misuse that eventually has a catastrophic outcome to the society at large.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of substance use among in-school and out-of-school adolescents; a comparative analysis in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional comparative study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in schools, parks and markets of Onitsha municipal area of Anambra State, Nigeria, from September 2019-April 2020.

Methodology: A total of 250 in-school and 250 out-of-school adolescents aged 10-19 years, within Onitsha municipal area was sampled through the use of a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire, that was adapted from a WHO designed instrument on drug use among non-student youths. Frequency distributions were developed, while associations between variables were tested using t-test, fisher’s test, and chi-square.

Results: The results showed that most participants were males with mean ages of both sexes being 16.7 among the in-school and 16.1 in the out-of-school. There was statistically significant difference in alcohol consumption between in-school compared to out-of-school, p=0.001; and cigarette smoking, p=0.001. However, inhalants use was more among in-school compared to out-of-school, though not statistically significant. The overall prevalence of substance use was 58.4%, with 80.4% among the out-of-school compared to 36.4% with the in-school participants.
Conclusion: Substance use is common among in-school and out-of-school adolescents. The prevalence of substance use was significantly higher among out-of-school compared to in-school adolescents. Parents should teach their children the dangers of substance abuse while Schools and governments should ensure inclusion of such in the curriculum.