Prevalence and factors of alcohol use among secondary school students in Ghana: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUNDGlobally, the harmful use of alcohol is the cause of 3 million (5.3%) deaths. The prevalence of alcohol use among students has been increasing and there is, therefore, the need to explore the situation and solutions to tackle it. The study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of alcohol use among public secondary school students.METHODOLOGYA cross-sectional study was carried out among 848 students from two districts in Ghana who completed a set of questionnaires on alcohol use. Chi-square tests were carried out to determine associations between demographic characteristics and alcohol usage; and gender and age of onset of alcohol use. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of alcohol use.RESULTSOf the 848 study participants, 437 (51.5%) were females. The prevalence of alcohol use was 22.2%. The mean (SD) age of first alcohol use was 13 (2.1) years. Predictors of alcohol use were male gender 3.561 (p=0.003), friends 4.435 (p<0.001) and parents’ 5.302 (p<0.001) use of alcohol.CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of alcohol use among students in this study was high, with many students consuming alcohol at an early age. There is a need for effective health education interventions targeted at secondary school students to reduce alcohol use.