Social Factors Contributing to Students’ Substance Abuse in Dire Dawa University

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess Social Factors Contributing to Students‟ Substance Abuse in Dire Dawa University. this study employed descriptive survey design. The study employed descriptive survey research design and stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques to select students and key informants respectively. The data were collected by questionnaire, interview and document review. Questioner and interview respectively collected the data from students and key informants. To analyze the collected data frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, binomial logistic regression and narrative description were applied. The finding of the study revealed that 66.6% of respondents abused substance. Male students (62.8%) were highly abuse substance than female students (37.2%). Besides, khat was highly abused substance (56%). Khat is frequently abused substance (M=4.78, SD= 0.57) followed by alcohol (M=4.23, SD = 0.68) and cigarette (M=4.01, SD =0.81). Higher numbers of the respondents abuse substance (CAGE > 2 = 39%). In addition, the study revel that substance abuse was a leading factor toward illicit drug abuse. Furthermore, the study indicates that among social factors availability of substance in cloth distance around the campus was highly predictor of substance abuse (COR=6.52:95% CI 2.76,6.92) followed by family substance abuse history (COR= 3.07:95% CI 1.74,5.41) social acceptance (COR=3.04:95% CI 4.56,5.21) and, peer pressure (COR=2.30:95% CI 1.79,5.22) among students. The study also revealed there is no significant preference on substance abuse among male and female students ( 2 (1) = 3.514, P > 0.05, one-tailed). whereas café utilization (café or non-café) ( 2 (1) = 10.84, P < 0.05, one-tailed) and place of origin (urban or rural) 2 (2) = 8.41, P < 0.05, one-tailed) has significant preference on substance abuse. Therefore, the study, recommend the city administration and other stakeholders should have to design regulatory law to avoid substance selling out around the campus with cloth distance and further study should have to conduct on illicit drug abuse. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-1-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2022