| dc.description.abstract | Alcohol and drug
abuse in Kenya, like
in other countries,
permeates every sphere of the
society and
threatens the very fabric of nationhood. Effective response to the challenge of
drug abuse
and
mitigation of the negative effects of
drug
use
relies
mainly
on accurate
information on the
extent and pattern of various drugs
and substances
abuse by different
population segments. The
aim of this study was to determine the effects of men‟s alcohol
and drug abuse on women at the house hold level. The study focus
es on the women at
household level in Mukuru slums of Embakasi Nairobi County. The objectives of the study
are to determine the magnitude of alcohol and drug abuse at the household level, to
document the social, health and economic effects of alcohol and drug abuse among women
and
to find out coping strategies of women for alcohol and drug abuse within the family
unit.
The study adopted an exploratory design which employed qualitative and quantitative
research methods, the study sample was 80 household, the main method of data collection
being a
standardized questionnaire which, was administered to women in the 80
households. Focused group
discussions were
used to generate more
data on abroad
overview of the
ADA situation in the study area giving respondents an opportunity to share
their experiences
in detail. Findings of the study indicate that the magnitude of alcohol and
drug abuse is high in the study area, with a majority of the respondents admitting that it is a
big problem both at community and family level. The findings also show that there are
social, economic and health effects emanating from the use of alcohol and drugs ranging
from gender based violence, misused family resources, exposure to HIV and STI
infections, high burden of disease, loss of eye sight and even death. Women have also
adopted copping strategies for dealing with the ADA situation,
the study indicates that a
big percentage of the respondents
turning to prayer and spiritual guidance to cope with the
prevailing circumstances. The
study recommends that,
more studies should be done on the
effects of ADA and how it affects women, then, establish specific interventions directed to
the women who abuse alcohol and those who live with partners who abuse alcohol to help
them cope. The study also recommends that treatment and rehabilitation programs across
the board should be gender mainstreamed so that both men and women benefit equally
from programs put in place | en_US |
