Prevalence and Factors Associated with Alcohol Consumption Among Secondary School Students in Nekemte, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern among adolescents and young adults. Adolescence is an important period of human growth. Alcohol consumption during this age will lead to a variety of problems: health, social, economic, etc. Further, research studies have shown that alcohol consumption, both at normal and above normal levels, will lead to a wide range of health problems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors for alcohol consumption among secondary school students in Nekemte town, East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia, in 2022.

Methods

A school-based cross-sectional research design approach is used. The data is collected using a structured and self-administered questionnaire. Through systematic random sampling, 291 out of 15,798 students ranging from 9 through 12 grades are chosen. The students selected from each school are proportional to their total strength.

Results

The study is conducted on 291 participants with a mean age of 17.5 ± 1.5 years. Of them, 49.8% are males, and the remaining 50.2% are females. It revealed that 27.84% of participants consume alcohol: 30.3% males and 25.3% females. Age (AOR: 2.755, 95% CI: 1.307–5.809), Urban location (AOR: 1.674, 95% CI: 0.962–2.914), Smoking (AOR: 0.426, 95% CI: 0.104–1.740), Chewing Khat (AOR: 2.185, 95% CI: 0.539–8.855), Having friends who drink (AOR: 1.740, 95% CI: 0.918–3.300), and having a family member who drinks alcohol. All these categories are significantly (p<0.05) associated with alcohol use.

Conclusion

The effects of alcohol consumption and its risks of mental illness, chronic illness, and social problems in adulthood are not completely understood by school students. Alcoholism can be eradicated using educational, preventive, and motivating measures. Special attention should be given to young people and their coping mechanisms against alcohol use.

Keywords:

• alcohol use
• secondary school students
• prevalence
• associated factors

Abbreviations

WHO, World Health Organization; DALYs, Disability-Adjusted Life Years; NCD, Non-communicable diseases; AOR, Adjusted odds ratio; COR, Crude odds ratio; ETB, Ethiopian Birr; SPSS, Statistical Package for Social Sciences; FMHACA, Food, Medicine, and Health Care Administration and Control Authority.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

This study obtained ethical approval from Wollega University’s Institute of Health Sciences review board. The study was conducted following the Declaration of Helsinki’s ethical principles. Participants in the research were informed of its goal. Parents or legal guardians provided their with informed consent for participants under the age of 18 on their behalf. Personal information was omitted to ensure the confidentiality of all the data. Overall, this study followed ethical standards and procedures, and all individuals gave their informed permission before taking part.

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the School of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, and Wollega University for their financial assistance, without which this research would not have been feasible. We would also like to express our profound gratitude and special thanks to the study participants, data collectors, and colleagues.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The Wollega University Institute of Health Sciences in Nekemte, Ethiopia, provided financial assistance for this study. The study’s design, data collection, analysis, result interpretation, and preparation of the paper for publication were all done independently of the funder.