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Dec 31, 2025Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Determinants of Substance Abuse Prevalence among Rural Youths in SouthEast Nigeria
Abstract
The study empirically analyzed the determinants of drug abuse prevalence among rural youth in South East Nigeria. Specifically, it identified the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, determined the prevalence, and examined perceived factors influencing drug use. The study was guided by the hypotheses, which stated that there was no significant relationship between selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and the prevalence of drug abuse across the States. Data were obtained from 360 rural youths randomly selected across Abia, Enugu, and Imo States (120 per state) using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean scores, and Ordinary Least Square Regression Analysis, Results showed that most of the respondents (56.10%) were within the 21-25 years of age group, majority were males (81.10%), majority (81.90%) were single and had secondary education (51.90%) as their highest level of education. The majority (55.00%) had no formal employment. The prevalence of drug abuse ranged from moderately high to high (mean = 3.20–3.45), with drug use as widespread among rural youth, which was high (mean = 3.45) and rising cases (mean = 3.51). Major contributing factors included peer pressure ( ̅ = 3.31), unemployment ( ̅ = 3.31), curiosity ( ̅ = 3.23), and stress ( ̅ = 3.22). OLS results showed that the F-statistics across the models were significant (Prob. F = 4.74 to 5.94), confirming the overall fitness of the models. Out of the eleven (11) variables estimated, only 6 variables (age, gender, marital status, education, source of income, and awareness about drug abuse) significantly influenced the prevalence of drug abuse among rural youth in the study area the study concludes that drug abuse remains prevalent among rural youth, driven by peer influence, unemployment, and social factors. Strengthening community-based, government-supported, and youth-focused awareness campaigns, drug education, and local employment creation is essential to curb the growing menace.
