Correlates of Tobacco and Marijuana Use among Urban Dwellers in Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco and marijuana use is a public health challenge all over the world and especially in Sub Saharan Africa. The combination of low socioeconomic status and substance use can be described as a social and economic disaster for many poor families of Africa. While majority of studies concentrated on cigarette smoking, few studies in Nigeria has been conducted on non-smoke forms of tobacco. The burden of marijuana abuse is also rising in the Nigeria. Similar to cigarette smoking, cannabis use is more common among males. Knowledge of the pattern of tobacco and cannabis use in the community is important considering the public health implications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tobacco (cigarette smoking and snuff) and cannabis use among adults in an urban communities Enugu, southeast Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in urban slum settlements in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, southeast Nigeria. Using a semi structured questionnaire, we collected data selected socio-demographic characteristics, including tobacco use and cannabis use in the last 30 days. The study was conducted between August and December 2013. For database management and statistical analyses, we used the SPSS version 23. Results: The total number of individuals recruited in the study was 1572; 844 (52.8%) females and 728 (45.5%) males with a male to female ratio of 0.9:1. Tobacco was used by a total of 270 (17.2%) individuals within the last 4 weeks and marijuana by 23 (1.5%) of the population. Overall, 280 (17.8%) used either one or both tobacco and marijuana. While snuff was predominately used from 60 years and above, cigarette smoking peaked at 30 - 39 years and marijuana use peaked at a younger age of 20 - 29 years. Cigarette smoking positively correlated with male gender (male 1, female 0) and alcohol use (Yes 1, No 0). P < 0.01 in both cases. Snuff use in addition to positively correlating with gender and alcohol use, it also positively correlated with history of diabetes (Yes 1, No 0). Marijuana use correlated with male gender and use of alcohol. Conclusion: The prevalence of cigarette smoking (5.5%), snuff (11.6%) and marijuana use (1.6%) was found in an urban settlement in Enugu. Predictors of tobacco use were older age, male gender and alcohol use. Public health intervention programs should reemphasize the health-related issues associated with these substances and the need to quit using them.