Original Research
Epidemiology of substance use among secondary school learners in Atteridgeville, Gauteng
Submitted: 24 August 2011 | Published: 01 February 2012
About the author(s)
S V Moodley, University of Pretoria, South AfricaM J Matjila, University of Pretoria, South Africa
M Y H Moosa, Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Abstract
Objectives. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence rates and age of initiation of substance use among learners attending secondary schools in Atteridgeville, and the factors, if any, associated with cannabis use.
Methods. This was a cross-sectional study. A cluster sampling technique was employed. Twenty-two of the total of 191 grade 8 - 11 classes in the nine Atteridgeville secondary schools were randomly selected, with all 895 learners in the selected classes being invited to participate. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Statistical analysis was conducted using the survey estimation commands in STATA 10.0.
Results. The lifetime prevalence rates for the three most commonly used substances were 51.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 41.5 - 61.5%) for alcohol, 25.2% (95% CI 17.1 - 33.3%) for cigarettes and 13.2% (95% CI 8.3 - 18.2%) for cannabis. Alcohol was also found to have the lowest mean age of initiation at 14.6 years (standard deviation 2.0). Based on CRAFFT screening scores, 30.3% (95% CI 24.5 - 36.1%) of learners met the criteria for possible problem substance use. Following multivariate analysis, the factors found to be significantly associated with lifetime cannabis use were age, gender, lifetime cigarette use, lifetime alcohol use, the number of illicit drug users among the learners’ five closest friends, and an older sibling with a history of illicit drug use.
Conclusion. The results of the study suggest that substance use among learners in Atteridgeville is widespread and that a comprehensive intervention strategy is required.
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Crossref Citations
1. Pattern of substance use and substance use disorder in adolescent learners at public secondary schools in Gaborone, Botswana
Anthony A. Olashore, Saeeda Paruk, Taboka Maphorisa, Boitshepo Mosupiemang, Saeed Ahmed
PLOS ONE vol: 17 issue: 9 first page: e0268961 year: 2022
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268961