Drug Abuse Perception and Associated Variables among Secondary School Students in Duhok City

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, illicit drug abuse is becoming a serious public health problem worldwide specifically in Iraq, affecting the entire community. This study aimed to determine the secondary school students' perception in Duhok City about drug abuse and its association with their demographic characteristics. Methods: A descriptive (cross-sectional) study which is conducted from September 2022 to January 2023 utilizes an assessment approach in order to determine the secondary school perception of drug abuse at nine boy secondary schools in Duhok City. A probability sample was adapted to select students from each secondary school to reach (135) students. Data were collected through the direct interview technique using the questionnaire as a tool for data collection, which is constructed through the extensive review of the related literature that consisted of two assessment parts. The first one is concerned with the assessment of the secondary school student's demographic characteristics and the second part of the assessment tool is concerned with assessing the student's perception of drug abuse. Data were analyzed through the application of frequency, percentage, cut-off points, and Fisher Exact test. Such analyses are computed by using the SPSS, IBM program version 23. Results: The findings indicate that approximately half of the students who participated in the present study have good perceptions about each of the general perceptions of drug abuse and perception of physical, behavioral, and Psychological warning signs of such abuse. While they have an average perception of the factors that increase vulnerability and alteration of brain function due to drug abuse. Conclusion: According to the study results and discussion, more than fifty percent of secondary school students had a high perception of drug abuse.