Knowledge of Consequences and Sociodemographic Variables as Predictors of Drug Abuse Among Secondary School Students in Semi Urban, Nigeria

Introduction Drug abuse is a major public health concern globally. This study assessed the level of drug abuse and knowledge of secondary school students on the consequences of drug abuse. It also determined whether the knowledge about the consequences and sociodemographic variables predicts the level of drug abuse. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized. This study was conducted among 440 senior secondary school students in four selected secondary schools in a semi-urban area in Oyo State, Nigeria. The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST 10) and Knowledge of the Consequences of Drug Abuse (KCDA) were used to collect the data. Frequency and percentages were used to summarize the sociodemographic variables, the knowledge of the consequences of drug abuse, and the level of drug abuse. Multivariate regression analysis at p<0.05 was done to ascertain the prediction of drug abuse. Results Out of 440 students that participated in the study, 283 (64.3%) were females, and 308 (70.0%) were between 13 and 15 years of age. More than half of the students were at the moderate level of 298 (67.7%) of drug abuse. whoAge (β = 0.171; p = 0.036) and class (β = 0.684; p = 0.025) predict drug abuse. Knowledge about the consequences of drug abuse as impaired judgment and decision making (β = 0.504. p = 0.031) , mental illness (β = 2.145; p = 0.012), and death (β = 1.165; p = 0.023) also predict the drug abuse among the students. Conclusion The students abused the drug at a moderate level. Age, class of the students, and knowledge about the consequences of drug abuse, including impaired judgment and decision-making, mental illness, and death are predictors of drug abuse. Therefore, there is need to create more awareness on the consequences of drug abuse among secondary school students. Moreover, age-specific programmes and class-level interventions should be designed and implemented to address adolescent drug abuse.