EFFECTS OF MARRIAGE AND RELIGION ON DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS OF SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN OWERRI METROPOLIS, IMO STATE, NIGERIA.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ejs.927Keywords:
Drug abuse, Marriage, Religion, Students, Tertiary institution.Abstract
Purpose: A huge amount of research and literature has reported the disturbing increase in the rate of drug abuse by youths and the havoc which this phenomenon has wreaked on the lives of individuals and nations across the globe. Against this backdrop of this problem, this study explores the effect of marriage and religion on drug abuse among students of selected tertiary institutions in Owerri metropolis in Imo State, Nigeria.
Methodology: The objectives include to: i. examine the socio-demographic profile of the target population; ii. Determine the most commonly abused drug by the students; and iii. Determine the effects of marriage and religion on drug abuse among the students.
Findings: The study was a cross-sectional research which disproportionately combined qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample size of 2,400 participants, drawn from five tertiary institutions in Owerri Capital Territory, Imo State of Nigeria, was used in the study. Researchers' made Questionnaire was employed for data collection while binary logistic regression model and descriptive statistics were adopted in the analysis of data. Although the study generally did not find any significant relationship between marriage and drug abuse, it established a higher incidence of drug abuse among the divorced and the separated. The study also found out that the rate of drug abuse was higher among adherents of traditional religion than those of Christianity, Islam and other religions.
Recommendation: Based on these findings, the study recommended concerted family and societal efforts to mitigate the incidences of divorce and separation in marriages and to encourage youths to embrace religious organizations that customarily and doctrinally prohibit drug use and abuse.
Downloads
References
Adamson, T. A. et al. (2015). Research article open access. Descriptive national survey of substance use in Nigeria. Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy, 06 (03).
Adeyemo, F. O., Ohaeri, B., Okpala, P. U. & Oghale, O. (2016). Prevalence of drug abuse amongst university students in Binin City, Nigeria. Public Health Research, 6(2), 31-37. https://doi:10.5923/j.phr.20160602.01
Adeyeye, M. C. (2017). Problem of drug/substance abuse in Nigeria: A symposium. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Retrieved from https://www.nafdac.gov.ng.
Agwagie, M. (2016). Drug abuse among Nigeria youths. Retrieved from https://www.vanguard.ngr.com.
Babalola, E. O., Akinhanmi, A. and Ogunwale, A. (2014). Who guards the guards: Drug use pattern among medical students in a Nigerian University, Ann Med Health Sci. Res, 4(3), 397-403
Blair, S and Menarr, M. A. (2016). Gender differences in substance use across marital status. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 5, 1-13. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2016.05.01. Accessed 24 July 2021.
Chinedu, O. S. (2009). Youth and drugs in Nigeria: Challenge for the Nigeria churches, (M.A Thesis). Department of Religion, University Nigeria Nsukka.
Coughlan, S. (2018). Drug used by two in five students. BBC News Education and family correspondent. Retrieved from https://bbc.com/news/education-43892050.
Dalgalarando, P., Soldera, M. A., Filho, H. R. C & Silva, C. A. (2004). Religion and drug use by adolescents. Brazil Journal of Psychiatry, 26(2). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-44462004000200004.
Gobir, A. A. et al. (2017). Prevalence and determinants of drug abuse among youths in a rural community in North West Nigeria. Retrieved from https://www.ajo.info.
Hartney, E. (2020). The different types of psychoactive drugs. Verywellmind. Dotdash publishing family. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com
Idowu, A., Aremu, A. O., Olumide, A and Ogunlaja, A. O. (2018). Substance abuse among students of selected secondary schools of an urban community of Oyo State, South-west Nigeria: Implication for policy action. African Health science, 18(3), 776-785.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: methods and techniques (2nd revised Ed.). New Delhi: New Age International Publishers.
Lodge, B. B. (2021). Family and marital problems caused by substance abuse. Retrieved from blackbearrehab.com.
Madukwe, A. U., Njoku, J. C., Annorzie, H. I., Nwufo, I. And Echeme, J. O. (2016). Using brief therapies in the management of alcohol related problems among male undergraduates in Owerri, Nigeria. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science 16(1): 1-9.
Mamman, H., Othman, A. T. and Lian, L. H. (2014). Adolescents and drug use in Nigeria. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Health cares, 4(2).
Menesco, A. M. & Blair, S. L. (2014). Adolescent substance uses and marital status in adulthood. Journal of divorce & Remarriage, 55(3), 216-238. https://doi:10.1080/10502556.214.887382
Murphy, J. (2018). Rural and urban drug abuse/use and violence in the Pennsylvanian youth survey. Harrisburg: The Centre for rural Pennsylvania.
Nwoba, M. O. (2011). Rudiments of social welfare administration: The Nigeria's experience. Abakaliki: De Oasis Communications and Publishers.
Obasi, O. O. (2014). Understanding society: an introduction to sociology (Rev. Ed.). Treasure Books, Skillmark Media Ltd.
Okafor, P. (2020). Causes and consequences of drug abuse among youths in Kwara State, Nigeria. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 12(1), pp. 147-162. Https://ejournals,library,ualberta.ca/index/php/cjfy
Salous, A. & Omark, A. H. (2010). Substance abuse among adolescents. Rural child health: International Aspects. In E. Bell and J. Merrick, (Eds), Nova science Publishers, Inc, 183-187
Sinha, N. (2018). Effect of marital status on substance abuse- a review. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research. 9(5), 27012-27015. https://doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2018.0905.2168.
This Day Newspaper. (2016). 40% of Nigerian youths engage in substance abuse. Retrieved from https://www.thisdaylife.com.
United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC). (2017). World drug report 2017: Global trends in estimated number of drug users of people with drug user disorders, 2006-2015 Vienna: UNODC.
World Drug Report. (2018). Women and drugs: drug use, drug supply and their consequences. United Nations Publication, Sale No. E. 18.X1.9. Retrieved from: https://www.unodc.org/wdr2018
World Health Organization. (2016). Management of substance abuse. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Management. Management of substance abuse team (NMH.MSD.MSB), 20, Avenue Appia.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Obasi Otuu Oko, Ajaraogu Jude Chimezie, Njoku Juliana Chinwendu, Eke Charles Ngome, Erondu Nnamdi Abangwu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
