Alcoholic Beverages and the Health of Young Persons: How Do Undergraduate Students in Remo, Southwest Nigeria See It?

Abstract

Background: Young people were hitherto assumed to be very healthy until various lifestyle-related illnesses were reported among them. Excessive alcohol intake, often driven by a wrong perception of its consequences, is associated with several diseases and nutritional disorders. This study, therefore, assessed the perception of alcoholic beverages and their associated factors among undergraduate students in the Remo area of Ogun State.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 undergraduate students in the Remo Area of Ogun State, southwest, Nigeria, selected via multi-stage sampling. Data was collected using a validated, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 23.0. Relevant descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated, with p<0.05.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 20.12±2.2 years. About 98% of respondents were full-time students. Alcoholic beverages were perceived to be stress relievers (55.1%); social drinks (57.1%); aphrodisiacs and performance enhancers (71.5%); promoters of male-female bonding (43.9%). Less than 5% were willing to recommend them to friends.

Conclusion : Perception of alcohol consumption was good (83%) among respondents. It was associated with a history of alcohol consumption and religion. Adequate and targeted nutrition education should be made available to undergraduate students of tertiary institutions on the ills of excessive alcohol consumption.