Peer-relationships and prevalence of drug and substance abuse amongst youth in Kenya

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue VIII, August 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705

Peer-relationships and prevalence of drug and substance abuse amongst youth in Kenya

Lida Mbuya Nyaoke¹, Moses Otieno, PhD^2
1MA Project Planning and Management, University of Nairobi, Kenya
²Senior Lecturer PhD, University of Nairobi, School of Continuing and Distance Education, Kenya

ABSTRACT
Drug and substance abuse is a major public health issue globally with serious socio-economic burden especially among the young population between the ages of 18 to 30 years enrolled in various institutions of higher learning. The objective of this study was to establish how peer-relationships influence the prevalence of drug and substance abuse amongst youth in institutions of higher learning in Mombasa County. The study adopted descriptive research design and data collected using questionnaire from a sample size of 340 respondents selected through simple random sampling from a target population of 2977 students from KMTC-Port Reitz Campus, Mombasa polytechnic University and Nairobi University while analysis involved descriptive statistics. Findings showed that peer grouping, exposure to drug by friends, low self-esteem and exposure to drug by sexual partner influenced drug and substance abuse amongst youth in institutions of higher learning in Mombasa County. The study recommends that parents need to ensure that children form appropriate bonds and learn age appropriate behaviors by being positive role models and showing their children the negative aspects of substance abuse. Further, projects should be set up to ensure that determinants of the prevalence of drug and substance abuse amongst youth in Mombasa County are addressed and consequently eradicated.

Keywords: Education factors, Prevalence of drug abuse

Introduction

Substance abuse is a major public health issue globally causing serious social and economic burden to the society. The national co-morbidity survey in USA found that annual prevalence for drug misuse and drug dependence excluding alcohol is 3.6%, with lifetime prevalence at 11.9% while in specific 19% of the students use cannabis (Kessler, McGonagle & Shanyang 2011). The cost of addictive illness to Americans is currently $144 billion per year in health care and job loss (Galanter & Kleber 2009). In Europe as well as India, the scenario is almost the same. In Bangladesh, drug related problems are gradually becoming a burning issue in context of social, economic and medical perspective with an estimation given by the Department of Narcotic Control of Bangladesh revealing that about 1.5 million people are involved drug abuse such as excessive alcohol, tobacco and cannabis (DNC, 2005).

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