Factors Influencing Substance Use among Adolescents in a Higher Secondary School in Thimphu, Bhutan
Keywords:
Adolescent substance use, family drug use, peer drug use, peer connectedness, substance use refusal self-efficacy, school commitmentAbstract
Abstract
This predictive correlation study aimed to examine adolescent substance use and its influencing factors including peer drug use, family drug use and misbehaviors, perceived substance refusal self-efficacy, peer connectedness, school commitment and impulsivity. Data were collected from 420 students studying in grade 9-12, in one of the higher secondary schools in Thimphu, Bhutan. The sample was selected through a multi-stage random sampling. Demographic questionnaire, Community That Care Youth Survey, Drug Taking Confidence Questionnaire, Positive Peer Influence Questionnaire and Barratt Impulsive scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used for data analyses.
The study results found a moderate level of substance use (M=24.40; SD=8.40). Common drug use included tobacco, cigarette and alcohol. Peer drug use, family drug use and misbehaviors, perceived substance refusal self-efficacy, school commitment, peer connectedness and impulsivity accounted for 66 % of the variance in substance use (R2 = .66, F6, 413 = 131.74, p <.001). Peer drug use was the strongest predictor (β=0.48), followed by substance use refusal self-efficacy (β=-0.22), family drug use and misbehaviors (β=0.14), school commitment (β=-0.13) and peer connectedness (β=-0.10). Impulsivity did not significantly predict substance use. The study findings shed additional light on adolescent substance use and its influencing factors. In preventing and reducing substance use, peer drug use, perceived substance use refusal self-efficacy, family drug use and misbehaviors, peer connectedness and school commitment should be considered.
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