Factors influencing drug abuse among students in public secondary schools: a case of Sirende ward, trans Nzoia county, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to investigate factors influencing drug and substance abuse among students in Secondary schools in Sirende Ward, Kiminini Constituency, Trans Nzoia County. Drug and substance abuse is a great impediment to success of any project and as such cause of worry and concern to the society. This study was guided by the following objectives; to establish whether social factors influences drug and substance abuse, to determine whether demographic factors influences drug and substance abuse, to establish whether technological factors influence drug and substance abuse, to investigate whether role economic factors influence drug and substance abuse. The study adopted; Social learning theory of Albert Bandura (1977). The study applied a quantitative approach for data collection. Test-retest reliability formula was used to determine, reliability of the research instruments. Research instruments were administered twice in the neighbouring Waitaluk ward. The choice of this ward was purposive because it shares homogeneous characteristics with Sirende ward. Results of the two tests from Waitaluk ward were equated using the Pearson coefficient, whose range, ranges from 0 to +1. Results were found to be; + 1(One). Thus the research instruments were reliable. The quantitative data was analyzed using inferential statistics. The study drew respondents from students in secondary schools in Sirende ward in Kiminini Constituency Trans Nzoia County. Target population was 2525 and sample size of 335 arrived through Krejcie and Morgan sampling table (1970). It was hoped that the study will/would be useful to the teachers and other education stakeholders and society in general. From the respondents’ reactions, it was found out that no single factor can be solely attributed as a cause of drug and substance abuse, but those factors attributed to cause the vice, compliment and feed each other and as such the society should not ignore or underestimate any of these factors that result or contribute to drug abuse. Further still there are also silent features of Drug abuse, for instance buying drugs by the public across a Chemist’s counter without the Physician’s description. From the study, it was found out that peer pressure is a major contributor to drug abuse.