Prevalence and Gender Disparity in Substance Use and Abuse among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu East Sub-county, Kisumu, Kenya

Abstract

: Substance use and abuse is a serious problem in Kenya. Kisumu County leads in substance use and abuse among 12–25-year-olds. There is, however, a dearth of studies on the prevalence and gender disparity in adolescents’ use and abuse of substances in secondary schools in Kisumu East Sub- County. This study investigated the prevalence and gender disparity in adolescents’ substance use and abuse in public secondary schools in Kisumu East Sub- County, Kisumu. The study found the prevalence of substance use and abuse among secondary school’s adolescents in the study area to be 38.2%. The paper established the most abused substances to be sleeping pills, bottled beer and local brews. It further found out no significant gender difference in the adolescents’ use and abuse of substances. The study concluded that there is a high prevalence of substance use and abuse in the study area, and that this prevalence defies gender considerations. The reviewed literature indicates that there is a high prevalence of substance use and abuse among adolescent students worldwide. Some of the literature shows that there are no significant gender differences in substance use and abuse. Other studies, however, demonstrate that male students use and abuse substances more than females. Thus, it is uncertain whether substance use and abuse is mainly a male problem. The current study, therefore, aims at determining substance use and abuse prevalence and whether there is gender disparity in substance use and abuse among adolescent students in the area of study. that by of the with a mean of 1.82 and a standard deviation of 0.978. This shows average use.