Table of Contents
Title page i
Approval page ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgments v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables                                                 viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
Background to the Study 1
Statement of the Problem                                                                             7
Purpose of the Study                                                                                          8
Research Questions 8
Hypotheses 8
Significant of the Study 9
Scope of the Study 10
CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature
Conceptual Framework                                                                                        11
Substance abuse                                                                         11
Adolescent 15
Demographic characteristics                                                 16
Theoretical framework                                                                19
Empirical Studies                                                                                  21
Summary of Literature Review                                        23
CHAPTER THREE: Methods
Research Design 25
Area of the Study 25
Population for the Study                                                                         25
Sample and Sample Techniques                                                                       25
Instrument for data Collection                                                               26
- Validity of the instrument                                                                             26
- Reliability of the instrument                                                             26
Method of Data Collection                                                                       27
Method of Data Analysis                                                                           27
CHAPTER FOUR: Result and Discussion
Results of the Findings                                                                             28      Â
Summary of the Findings                                                                         53
Discussion of the Findings                                                               56
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary 60
Conclusions 63
Recommendations                                                                                         64
Limitation of the Study                                                                            64
References 65
Appendices
Letter of Introduction
Questionnaires
Reliability of the Instrument
Analysis of the Major
Findings
List of tables
- Types of substance abuse
- Extent of substance abuse among out-of-school adolescents.
- Types of substance abuse of adolescents based on gender
- Types of substance abuse according to age
- Types of substance abuse according to level of education
- Types of substance abuse according to Religion Affiliation
- Types of substance abuse according to occupation
- Substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to gender
- Extent of substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to age
- Extent of substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to level of education
- Extent of substance abuse of OSA according to Religion affiliation
- Extent of substances abuse of OSA according occupation
- Summary of t-Test analysis of No significant difference in male and female out-of-school adolescents regarding substance abuse
- Summary of ANOVA Testing the Null Hypothesis of No significant Difference of substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to age.
- Summary of ANOVA Testing the Null Hypothesis of No significance Difference in substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to level of education
- Summary of ANOVA Testing the Null Hypothesis of No Significance difference in substance abuse of out-of-school Adolescent according to Religion affiliation
- Summary of ANOVA Testing the Null Hypothesis of No Significance difference in substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents according to occupation.
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to
determine the demographic characteristics of out-of-school adolescent substance
abusers in Aba South L.G.A, Abia State. To achieve this purpose, eight research
questions were formulated and null hypotheses postulated and tested for
significance of .05 level. Quantitative data were collected from 343
out-of-school adolescent substance abusers. The data collected were analyzed
using frequency distribution percentages and means to answer the research
questions while chi-square, ANOVA and t-Test was used to test the hypotheses.
Results of the study revealed that majority of out-of-school adolescents took
panadol, beer, coffee and one-third indicated they took white gin, cigarette,
cocaine, heron, snoff, opion, glue and paint. Out-of-school adolescents abused
substance to some extent ( = 2.0). Also, results indicated that majority
of male out-of-school adolescents consumed substance more than their female
counterparts. The adolescents with no formal education, primary and secondary
education consumed substance more than the adolescents with tertiary education.
Furthermore, the result showed that prevalence of substance abuse was higher in
out-of-school adolescent conductors, drivers and hawkers than in adolescent
apprentices, traders and civil servants respectively. In reference to
differentials in substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents no significant
difference was found based on occupation. However, a significant difference was
found in substance abuse of out-of-school adolescents based on gender, age,
educational level and religion affiliation. Based on the findings, conclusions
were drawn and it was recommended among others that parents and health
educators should work in collaboration with the ministries of health and
education to educate the children and adolescents about drug use, abuse and its
effects.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the study
Since the early times, leaves and plants have been used to heal and control diseases. The use of drugs does not constitute any danger, because drugs correctly administered have been a blessing. Sambo (2008) viewed that “chronic use of substance can cause serious, sometimes irreversible damage to adolescent’s physical and psychological development. The use of substance could be beneficial or harmful depending on the mode of use.
Substance as applied in drug use refers to drug that could bring about a change in the biological function through its actions (Okoye, 2001). It is considered as a chemical that modifies perceptions, cognition, mood, behaviour and general body function (Balo-gun, 2006). Substance could thus be considered as chemical modifiers of the living tissues that could bring about physiological and behavioural changes (Nnachi, 2007).
Substance abuse is a major public health problem all over the world (UNODC, 2005). The use and abuse of substances by adolescents have become one of the most disturbing health related phenomena in Nigeria and other parts of the world (NDLEA, 1997). Substance abuse is now one of the frequently occurring adjustment disorders in adolescents, young adults and general population. In fact, substance use disorders are the most prevalent form of psychiatric disorder in the United States (Rivers & Shore, 2002). Although all age groups are affected by this pervasive difficulty, adolescents and young adults are particularly affected. There were over 9,000 admissions for substance abuse related primary diagnosis out of 9,371 patients at US Acute Care Hospitals in the year 2000 (Chisom & Keller, 2006). Johnson, Bachman and O’malley (2003) found that 93 percent of those survived among over 6000 senior secondary schools had tried alcohol at least once in their lives. Furthermore, an estimated 20 percent of the total yearly cost of health care in the United State is spent on the effects of drug and alcohol use (Detweiler, 2008).
Substance abuse is a serious problem across all lines of race, culture, educational and socio-economic status, leaving no group untouched with its devastating effects. Nigeria is not excluded. A substantial proportion of the adolescent population use drugs or alcohol to the extent that their health and inter-personal relationship are adversely affected (Johnson, Bachman & O’malley, 2003). Violence involvement accounts as one of the risk factors for substance abuse (Scal, Ireland & Borom, 2003). In Nigeria there is now high rate of violence all over the states and Abia State particularly has remained a state with high rate of kidnapping since 2010 resulting to loss of lifes, decline in business and even health. This may be connected with substance abuse.
Substance abuse is the improper use of drugs to the degree that the consequences are defined as detrimental to the society, (Robber, Igbo & Amigwom, 2002). It is a pattern of behaviour that displays many adverse results from continue use of a substance. Okoroije (2000) defined substance abuse as the use of drugs for personal satisfaction and comfort, to a feeling of well being. Those substance of abuse may have been obtained on the street for medication purposes or prescribed by fraudulent means. NAFDAC (2000) as cited by Haladu (2003) explained the term substance abuse as excessive and persistent self-administration of a drug without regard to the medically or culturally accepted patterns. It could also be viewed as the use of a drug to the extent that it interferes with the health and social function of an individual. World Book Encyclopedia (2004) defined substance abuse as the non-medical use of a drug that interferes with a healthy and productive life. In this present study, the definition of substance abuse made by Robber, Igbo and Amigwom, (2002) was adopted as the operational definition, that is the improper use of drugs to the degree that the consequences are defined as detrimental to the society.
Substance that are abused according to Briggs (2000) have been classified into stimulants, hallucinogen, narcotics, tobacco, caffeine and sedatives. Saadatu (2006) pointed out drugs that are mostly abused to include Indian hemp, alcohol and amphetamine, (may be mixed with ribbon blue).
Substance abusers are persons who are involved in the improper use of drugs (Robber, Igbo & Amigwom, 2002). Olatunde (2009) states that Nigerian adolescents take drugs such as amphetamines and pro-plus as aid for success in examination. He postulates that those who take drugs as aids for studies toward examinations are those with poor academic records, a history of instability and family/ social problems while others, he commended; use drugs to increase their self confidence, heighten pleasure, cope with feelings of depression and inadequacy, and to facilitate communication.
Andreas (2006) stated that substance such as alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse are really prevalent among children and adolescents in the United States. He further pointed out that the use and misuse of these substance usually occur because of different reasons within the society in which these children and adolescent belong. Certain influencial factors to adolescents’ substance abuse; include; family and peer influence, individual characteristic including behaviour and personality (Johnson, Bachman & O’malley, 2003). All age groups are affected by this pervasive difficulty, adolescents and young adults are particularly heavily affected (Saadatu, 2006).
Adolescent are young people of chronological age and those who are physiologically old enough to have experienced puberty but not sufficiently matured to have developed the physical stability of adult life ( Agunlana, 1999). The term adolescent is derived from the latin word meaning ‘to grow up’ or to grow into maturity. Adolescent is a person who is in the transition to acquire biological features peculiar to the adult group (Okoro, 2004). Nwoarali (2004) defined adolescent as a person who is within the period of transition from childhood to adulthood and the adolescent’s age range fall between the ages 10 and 19 years. WHO (2010) defined adolescent as a person between the ages of 10 and 19 years. The adolescents pass through changes leading to physical maturity, poor judgment, risk taking, strong peer influence and idealism. In this study, adolescent is defined as a person who is within the period of transition from childhood to adulthood with age range falling between 15 and 19.
Eke (2004) observed that if the beginning of adolescent can be defined, the definition of its end is not really tidy and that the difficulty arises from the gross variability in the commencement of biological features of adulthood namely; menstruation in girls, and perhaps breaking of the voice in boys (Bakare,2002). Adolescence is a time of metamorphosis from childhood to adulthood associated with dramatic physical growth and development as well as experimentation and acquisition of behaviour that carry high risks, mobility and mortality (Turagabeci, Nakamura & Takana, 2008). This is in line with one of the main causes of adolescents substance abuse as pointed out by Haladu (2003) curiosity to experiment the unknown facts about drugs this motivates adolescents into substance use. The adolescents attitude depends on the behaviour of the individual as a person, for there are some whom their attitude may lead to stealing prostitution, truancy, lateness to school, drop-out of school to mention but few.
The term out-of-school adolescents does not refer only to adolescents who are outside of age appropriate level of education (that is lower secondary or upper secondary level), rather the term denotes adolescents who are definitely out of school, meaning that they are not enrolled in any lower secondary or any other level of education most typically at the primary level (UN, 2009; UNICEF, 2002 & WHO, 2009). UNICEF (2009) defined out-of-school adolescents as adolescents who are definitely out of school. In this study, the UNICEF’S (2002) definition of out-of-school adolescents will be adopted as the operational definition (adolescents who are definitely out of school).
Among the findings made on educational indicators and data analysis (EDA) unit of UNESCO on out-of-school adolescents, Michael and Peter (2012) observed that adolescents from more disadvantaged families, those whose mothers were unemployed, or who had low educational levels or low family incomes, were likely to experience a primary care out of their own home resulting to increase in problem behaviour among young adolescents, particularly drug and alcohol use and school misconduct. In other words, consistent monitoring from parents and members of the community appears particularly protective for youths and adolescents at disadvantage. A number of studies have suggested that there are risk factors which can lead adolescents to the abuse of drugs. Johnson, Bachman and O’mally (2003) described three basic categories of risk factors; demographic, social and behavioural.
Demographic is defined as a concept pertaining to characteristics of the population, such as race, sex, age, household size and population growth density (Houghton,2007). Demographic characteristics is defined by Rob (2009) as current statistical characteristics of a population including gender, age, status, location. There are significant differences between male and female substance abusers. The prevalent of substance abuses in the male adolescents is higher than in the female (Lamptey, 2002).
Findings made from the study on analysis of alcohol consumption among in-school youths by Mtomga,(2002) indicate that factors such as age, gender, level of education influence alcohol consumption among adolescents. In this study, demographic is seen as those characteristics of a population such as age, gender, religion affiliation, level of education, occupation and marital status.
Gender is seen by Basson (1991) as a psychological term describing behaviour and attributes expected of individuals on the basis of being born either male or female. Lamptey (2002) indicates that there is greater involvement of males in drug- related offences than females. There was significant differences between abusers and non abusers with regard to gender status.
Age is another demographic characteristics of out-of-school adolescents who are substance abusers. Age is defined as the number of years that a person has lived or a thing has existed (Abel, 1990). The age period of highest prevalence of abusers as well as the highest quantity of intake for each of the relevant substances occur between the mid-teens and mid- twenties. The highest age range of the first substance abuse by the abusers in the study on socio-demographic characteristics of substance abusers is between 15 and 24 years (Lamptey, 2002). Furthermore, the study compared the marital status of parents of abusers and non- abuser, it shows that the death of one or both parents renders a youngster more vulnerable to substance abuse. The educational level of the out-of-school adolescent may be considered to have link to their substance abuse since exposure has some thing to do in the life of an individual. Piaget (1980) stated that intellectual development takes place as a result of the interaction existing between two important psychological processes called ‘assimilation’ (the ability of the individual to make or pattern the external environment to fit into his own internal cognitive structure or scheme.)
