Esegbue, PU, Enemuwe, IM, Awunor, NS and Okumagba, MT ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1818-594X (2026) Prevalence and predictors of drug abuse among university students in Delta State, Nigeria. Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care (JCMPHC), 38 (1). pp. 1-13. ISSN 0794-7410 (Print), 1115-4608 (Online) (doi:10.4314/jcmphc.v38i1.1)

PDF (VoR) 54329 OKUMAGBA_ Prevalence_And_Predictors_Of_Drug_Abuse_Among_University_Students_(VoR)_2026.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (655kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Background: Drug abuse among undergraduates has increased and is now considered a major public health problem in Nigeria. This study assesses the prevalence and predictors of drug abuse amongst university students in Delta State, Nigeria.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2023 among 1134 university students in Delta State, using multistage sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire to assess the prevalence and predictors of drug abuse. All undergraduate students from three accredited universities were included in the study. Data analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26). Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
Results: The mean age of participants was 20.9 ± 2.89 years, and the prevalence of drug abuse was 27.4%. The significant factors associated with drug abuse were religion (p=0.001), faculty of study (P = 0.007), parental status (P= 0.001), and marital status (P<0.001). However, having only the mother alive (AOR= 2.62; 95%CI: 1.25-5.48), both parents alive (AOR=2.64; 95%CI:1.39-4.97), and being in the faculty of basic medical sciences (AOR=6.96; 95%CI:1.14 - 42.54) were the only significant predictors of drug abuse.
Conclusion: This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of drug abuse among respondents, and the major reasons for drug abuse were stress, curiosity, and peer pressure. It is therefore recommended that targeted interventions to reduce negative parental influences, peer pressure and stress among students should be regularly implemented in universities to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Delta State, drug abuse, predictors, prevalence, substance use, university students
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2026 14:13
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/54329

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads