Substance use among undergraduate students at the University of Lagos

Abstract

Background: The increasing prevalence of substance use among young people is a major concern globally and specifically in Nigeria, with significant impacts on individuals, society, and public health. This study assessed the pattern, prevalence and factors associated with substance use among the undergraduate students at the University of Lagos.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a multistage sampling method to select 404 students from the registered full-time undergraduate students. Data was obtained using self-administered questionnaires adapted from the WHO model core questionnaire format. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using IBM SPSS version 23. The level of significance was set at 5% and the confidence interval at 95%.

Results: Most respondents (48%) were between 17-20 years, with a mean age of 20.9+2.44 years, 54.5% were male and 45.5% were in 300 level. Seventy-one percent had good knowledge, 65.4% had positive attitudes towards not using substances, while the prevalence of substance use was 36.7%: 23.3%, 10.7% and 2.7% for tobacco, drugs and alcohol respectively. Energy drinks (with its significant caffeine content) were the most commonly consumed drug-containing substance (62.8%). Peer pressure was the leading reason for substance use (65.1%). Age, gender, level of education and tobacco use were predictors of drug use.

Conclusion: Knowledge and a positive attitude towards not using substances did not significantly influence practice. Smokers were more likely to use drugs. Health education is required to correct the perceived health benefits of energy drinks while peer influence can be harnessed to curb the menace.