KNOWLEDGE DIFFERENTIALS AND PATTERNS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG RURAL AND URBAN SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

The growing involvement of adolescents in alcohol consumption is a public health concern in Nigeria. However, the rural - urban differentials in the knowledge and pattern of use of alcohol among secondary school adolescents have not been well investigated. The study was therefore aimed at assessing the knowledge differentials and pattern of alcohol consumption among secondary school adolescents in Ido (rural) and Ibadan North West (urban) Local Government Areas, Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive cross - sectional survey. A four - stage random sampling technique was used in selecting 237 adolescent students from four rural and 263 students from four urban secondary schools. A questionnaire, which included a 14-point knowledge scale and questions on pattern of alcohol use, was used for data collection. Knowledge scores of ≤ 7 and ≥ 8 were considered low and high knowledge respectively. Descriptive statistics, Chi square and t-test were used for data analysis with the level of significance set at 5%. Mean age of rural respondents and their counterparts in urban settings were 14.2 + 2.3 years and 14.5 ± 2.0 years respectively. Almost half of respondents in urban (49.1%) and 50.2% in rural schools were males. Overall mean knowledge score of the respondents was 5.5 ± 3.2. Mean scores of rural and urban respondents were 5.8 ± 3.4 and 5.2 ± 3.1 respectively. There was no significant association between respondents' knowledge and ever use of alcohol among both urban and rural respondents. Many rural (53.3%) and urban (52.9%) respondents lived in neighborhoods where alcohol was sold. Mean knowledge scores (rural 60.0 ± 3.4, urban 5.4 ± 3.1) of respondents who lived in areas where alcohol was sold was not significantly different from the mean score (rural 5.5±3.3, urban 5.0±3.0) of those who were not living in such areas. Significantly, more urban respondents (60.8%) than their rural counterparts (54.2%) had ever taken alcohol. However, more rural (55.6%) than the urban (47.8%) respondents were current consumers of alcohol. Alcoholic beverages consumed were traditional drinks (rural - 36.3% urban - 43.7%). Wines (rural - 23.6%; urban - 28.1%); beer (rural -19.0%; urban - 20.9%). spirits (rural - 29.9%; urban - 36.1%). There was no significant relationship between sex and use of alcohol among respondent in each of the two setting: urban (male - 46.9%; female - 53.1%), rural (rural male - 52.2%; female-47.1%). More urban respondents (42.2%) than their rural counterparts (24.3%) had been drunk within the year preceding the study. Adolescents’ knowledge of alcohol was generally low and the prevalence of alcohol abuse cuts across the adolescents in both rural and urban settings. Health education interventions, which include peer education and counseling, are needed to address these concerns.