Factors Influencing Alcohol Abuse Among Secondary School Students In Narok South Subcounty, Kenya

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing alcohol abuse among secondary school students in Narok South sub County, Kenya. The following research objectives guided the study; To establish the influence of drinking parents and alcohol abuse by secondary school students, to examine the influence peer pressure on alcohol abuse amongst secondary school students, to determine the influence of family economic status on alcohol amongst secondary school students and to determine influence of Maasai community perception on use of alcohol on alcohol abuse among secondary school students in Narok South Sub county. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study comprised of a target population of 39 secondary schools, 265teachers and 39 principals. A total of 8 schools, 8 principals, 31 class teachers and 368 students who took part in the study. Data was collected by the use of questionnaire and interview guides. The collected data was systematically organized in a manner that facilitated analysis. Raw data was combined into themes and then summarized into frequency tables and percentages. The coding of categorized data was done according to the various themes stipulated by the question items. Data was then put in tabular forms for analysis by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics consisted of tabulation of frequencies and percentage distribution, measures of central tendency and standard deviations. The analyzed data was presented in tables of frequency and percentage distribution, bar graphs and pie charts. From the study, the following findings were made: is a significance relationship between peer influence (p<0.05) and students’ alcohol abuse(p<0.05), there is a significant relationship between availability of financial resources and students alcohol abuse (p<0.05), there is no relationship between cultural practices and usage of alcohol by students, lack of parental involvement in their children’s lives influence alcohol abuse to a great extent,peer pressure influence students’ alcohol abuse, there was a significant relationship between community perception on use of alcohol and students’ alcohol abuse as indicated by 59.2% of the respondents. The study recommended that there was need for teaching school children about the inherent dangers of taking alcohol, Guidance and counselling, Teaching about drug use and abuse as a subject, Conducting seminars and debates and establishing strict school rules and incorporation of parents in school counselling sessions especially those with special expertise in the area of alcohol use and abuse. It was suggested another research to be done to cover other effects of alcohol abuse among students in Narok South Sub County.