Gender and Socio-economic Differences in Substance Use Among Academics in Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State of Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol4.iss3.520Keywords:
Substance use, university academics, gender, socioeconomic status, NigeriaAbstract
The use of substance by university academics in recent times is a cause for concern especially due to the negative implications of its misuse. The social climate in the university is gradually changing in spite of its setting which is meant for educating and reforming individuals, as new forms of social organizations have evolved wherein academics get involved in indiscriminate substance use as a result. This research was undertaken to investigate the reasons why academics engaged in substance use and to find out the difference in its use, based on gender and socio-economic status of the respondents. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprised 833 academic staff. A total of 113 academics who were randomly selected from six out of twelve faculties in the university participated in the study. Three Research questions and two research hypotheses were generated to guide the study. A researcher designed instrument named ‘University Academics’ Substance Use Questionnaire’ was used to generate data, and analyzed using mean scores, standard deviations and the t-test. Results indicated that a higher number of male than female academics engaged in substance use due to emotional and psychological reasons; and that alcohol, tobacco and caffeine were the most frequently used substances. The predisposing factors to substance use were amongst others, early parental and cultural initiation. The t-test also showed statistically significant differences in substance use based on gender and socio-economic status of the respondents. Based on the findings, recommendations were made.
Downloads
References
Abasiubong, F., Udobong, J.A.; Idung, A.U.L Udoh, S.B. & Jombo, H.E. (2014).
A comparative study of pattern of substance use in two Nigerian cities located
in the Southern and Northern Nigeria African Research Review, 8(2), 51-67.
Adelekan, M.L., Makanjuola, A.B., Ndon, R.J.E., Fayeye, J.O., et al. (2002). Five-
yearly monitoring trends of substance use among secondary students in
Ilorin, Nigeria, 1988-1993. West African Journal of Medicine, 20(1), 28-35.
Akindutire, I.O. & Adegboyega, J.A. (2012). Psychoactive substance consumption
and awareness of health effects among students in tertiary institutions in
Ekiti State, Nigeria. West Africa Journal of Emerging Trends in
Educational Research and Policy Studies, 3(3), 257-262.
Awoyinfa, J.O. (2012). An investigation into the incidence of alcohol usage and
abuse among female students of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. West
Africa Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy
Studies, 3(2), 174-178.
Eaton, N.R., Markon, K.E., Krueger, R.F., Skodol, A.E. et al (2012). An variant dimensional
liability model of gender differences in mental disorder prevalence: Evidence from a
national sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121, 282-288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024780
Endriulaitiene, A., Seibokaite, L., Prannckeviaene, A. et al. (2015). Personality or
acculturation-What matters for substance use of Lithuanian emigrants.
European Scientific Journal, 11(17), 56-73.
ESPAD (2003). The European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs, 1995, 1999
and 2003. Coordinated by the Swedish Council for Information on alcohol and other
drugs (CAN) and Council of Europe (Pompido Group). Available online
http://www.espad.org/merhod.html
Fosados, R., McClain, A., Ritt-Olson, A., Sussman, S. Soto, D. et al. (2007). The
influence of acculturation on drug and alcohol use in a sample of adolescents .
Addictive Behaviours, 32(12), 2990-3004.
Galea, S. .(2002).The social epidemiology of substance use. Available
http://files.figshare.com/The Soial RpidemiologyofSubstanceUse.pdf
Retrieved 11th September, 2015).
Gureje, O., Degenhardt, L., Olley, B., Uwakwe, R., Udofia, O. et al. (2007). Adescriptive epidemiology of substance use and substance disorders in Nigeria DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.04.010
during the early 21st century. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 91(1), 1-9.
[ Idoniye, O.B., Festus, O.O., Asika, E.C.A. et al. (2012). A comparative
biochemical analysis of local gin (Ogogoro) from different parts of Nigeria
and imported gin (Dry gin) -Toxicogenic, carcinogenic and some political
implications. Science Journal of Medicine and Clinical Trials, 2012(179), DOI: 10.7237/sj mct/179.
Johnston, L.D., O;Malley, P.M.,, Bachman, J.G. & Schulenberg, J.E. (1975). Moonitoring
the future national survey results on Drug use, 1975-2010, II, College students and
adults aged 19-50. Ann Arbor, M.I.: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan; 2011.
Makanjuola, A.B., Daramola, T.O. & Obembe, A.O. (2007). Psychoactive
substance use among medical students in Nigerian University. WorldPsychiatry, 6(2), 48-50.
Malouff, J.M., Thorsteinsson, E.B. & Schutte, N.S. (2006). The five-factor model
of personality and smoking: A meta-analysis. Journal of Drug Addiction,
(1), 47-58.
McQueen, A., Getz, J.G. & Bray, J.H. (2003). Acculturation, substance use and
deviant behavior : Examining separation and family conflict as mediators.
Child Development, 74(6), 1737-1750. DOI: 10, 1046/j.1467-8624,
00635.x.
Okpataku, C.I., Kwanashie, H.O., Ejiofor, J.L., Olisah, V.O. et al (2014). Prevalence and
Socio-demographic risk factors associated with psychoactive psychiatric out-patients of
a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.Nigerian Medical Journal, 55(6), 460-464.
Pokhrel, P., Herzog, J.A., Sun, P., Rohrbach, L.A. & Sussman, S. (2013).
Acculturation, social self control and substance use among Hispanic
adolescents. Psychology of Addictive Behaviours, 27(3), 673-686.
DOI:10.1037/a0032836. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032836
Rote, S.M. & Brown, R.L. (2013). Gender differences in alcohol and drug use
among Hispanic adults: The influence of family processes and acculturation.
Journal of Addictive Diseases, 32(4), 354-364, DOI:
1080/10550887.2013.859452.
Silventoinen, K., Hammar, N., Hedlund, E., Koskenvuo, M., Ronnemaa, T. et al.
(2007). Selective international migration by social position, health behaviour
and personality. European Journal of Public Health, 18(2), 150-155.
Taylor, E. (2008). Socioeconomic factors and illicit drug demand. Available online PPE
-10, Rerieved 11th September, 2015.
Terracciano, A., Lockenhoff, G., Crum, R.M., Bienvenu, O.J. 7 Costa, P.T. (2008).
Five-factor model personality profiles for drug users. BMC Psychiatry, 8(22),
DOI: 10.1186/1471-244x-8-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-8-22
WHO (2004). Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence,
Switzerland, Tushita Graphic Visuals.
William, A. & Wilkins, T. (2007). Adolescent substance abuse in Kaplan Sadock’s synopsis
of Psychiatry, Behavioural Science/Clinical Psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 10, 1214-
Yusuf, F.A. (2010). Factors influencing substance abuse among undergraduate DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v4i4.69233
students in Osun State. African Research Review, 4(17), 330-340.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Daisy Inyingi Dimkpa, Lydia Amonia Wilcox
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyrights for articles published in IJIER journals are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author for more visit Copyright & License.
How to Cite
