Knowledge of alcohol related harm and pattern of consumption among rural and urban secondary school adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The growing involvement of adolescents in alcohol consumption is a public health concern in Nigeria. This study assesses the  knowledge differentials and alcohol consumption pattern between rural and urban adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria. A descriptive  crosssectional survey was conducted using a four-stage random sampling technique to select 237 and 263 students from four rural and urban secondary schools respectively. A 14-point knowledge scale questionnaire on patterns of alcohol use was used for data collection. Knowledge scores of ≤ 7 and ≥ 8 were considered low and high respectively. Chi square and t-test were used for data analysis with the level of significance set at 5%.  overall, mean knowledge score of the respondents was 5.5 ± 3.2; the mean score of rural and urban respondents were 5.8 ± 3.4 and 5.2 ± 3.1, respectively. The findings also showed that more urban respondents (60.8%), than their rural counterparts (54.2%) had ever taken alcohol. Adolescents’ knowledge of alcohol was generally low, and the prevalence of alcohol abuse cut across both residential settings. Health education interventions, including peer education and counselling, need to address the prevailing alcohol abuse concerns among these adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol-related knowledge, Alcohol consumption patterns, Alcohol exposure