Evaluating the Relationships Between Demographic, Level of Drug Use and Self Esteem Among Female Students in Kaduna, Nigeria

Starting the early 1990s, the prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use in Nigeria has been increased, especially among college students. Potential adverse effects such as poor academic performance and low self-esteem are known. The research is aimed but it is not understood whether demographics (age, socioeconomic level, educational level, and history of mental illness), level of drug use and self-esteem are related to drug use for female college students. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study of a cross-sectional nature was to determine if there were predictive relationships between level of drug use (as measured by the Drug Abuse Screening Test [DAST], and self-esteem (as measured by the Modified Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [MRSES] in female students in Kaduna in Nigeria. The theoretical framework was provided by the psychology of self-esteem theory, social learning theory, and identity theory. Primary data from a purposeful convenience and snowball sample of 300 female undergraduates (age 18-25) enrolled in three colleges was used to analyze data. The results of the multiple linear regression indicated that history of mental illness (p = .012) and DAST score (p = .000) were related to the MRSES score at statistically significant levels. Because the independent variables (level of drug use) were not related to the dependent variable (self-esteem) at a statistically significant level, the null hypothesis was not rejected. The results from this study could provide justification for college administrators to plan appropriate social, health, educational programs, and policies that could assist college students at risk of nonmedical prescription drug use and guide students in making right health choices and decisions. The research recommends that these investigations could inform the development of educational materials and methods/strategies toward stemming, minimizing and possibly preventing the risk of Non-Medical Prescription Drugs (NMPDU) among college students over the lifetime of their college careers and after.

Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use Among Adults in Their Late Twenties: The Importance of Social Bonding Trajectories

Although weak social bonds are found to be associated with addictive behaviors in cross-sectional studies, few studies have explored the longitudinal impacts of social bonds on nonmedical prescription drug use (NPDU). This study adopted a developmental perspective on social bonds and tested how their different trajectories are associated with NPDU among adults. With panel surveys from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health from 1994 to 2008, this study employed group-based latent trajectory modeling to obtain the different trajectories of social bonds including religious, civic, familial, educational, and marital, and then used them as predictors of NPDU while controlling for potential confounders and the baseline NPDU. The findings show that constant and high-level social bonds significantly reduce the risk of NPDU, except for educational bond. However, for religious, civic, and educational bonds, the “low initial” trajectories are not significantly different from the “high-decrease” trajectories, implying that strong early-life social bonds do not prevent NPDU if such bonds register a recent decline. Weak social bonds constitute significant risk of NPDU for adults in their late twenties, and recent social bonds override the contribution of early-life bonds in most cases. Policy makers may consider strategies to sustain the active and meaningful participation in conventional institutions, and not solely rely on programs that facilitate early-life social integration.

Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use by College Students for Recreational and Instrumental Purposes: Assessing the Differences

Nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is a serious issue on college campuses. We examine the factors affecting instrumental and recreational NMPDU within the same sample, and test the efficacy of learning and strain theories in predicting NMPDU for both instrumental and recreational use. This cross-sectional study utilizes survey data gathered from a convenient but representative sample ( n = 2,466) of students attending a large public university in the Southwestern United States. There is support for learning theory, but not for strain theory, in predicting both recreational and instrumental use. Logistic regression analyses also show that while marijuana smokers, illicit street drug users, and those possessing less of an academic ethic are more likely to partake in NMPDU for both recreational and instrumental purposes, the predictors for recreational and instrumental NMPDU differ in interesting ways with regard to race, gender, binge drinking, living arrangement, and Greek organization membership.