Abstract:
ntroduction: The use of substances such as alcohol, khat leaves and tobacco have long been
recognized as one of the leading causes of human suffering and become one of the rising major
public health and socio-economic problems worldwide. Even though substances use occurs in all
segments of all societies, it is more spreading in an alarming rate among the young generation.
Objective: To assess substance use and associated factors among high school students of
ShahsemenTown.
Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 606 randomly
selected high school students in Shashemene Town, Southeast Ethiopia, in April 2016. The
sample size was calculated by a single population proportion formula and allocated
proportionally for the schools based on the number of students. A pretested structured
questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.
Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the
predictors of substance uses.
Result: The overall prevalence of substance use among the respondents was 377(62.2%). The
life time prevalence of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking ,and khat chewing, among the study
participants were 16.7%, 34.8% ,and 29.7% respectively. Sexes of the respondents, substance
uses status of the respondents‘ father, mother, and friends had significantly associated with
substance uses status of the respondents. Respondents whose father, mother, and friend use
substances were seven times (AOR [95% CI] 7.08 [3.21-15.61]), sixteen times (AOR [95% CI]
16.89 [4.77-59.84]), and four times (AOR [95% CI] 4.38 [1.89-10.13]) more likely to use
substances respectively compared to the respondents father, mother, and friend who were not use
substances. On the other hands, currently living alone, current town residence, grade level in the
school, religion of the respondents and having monthly pocket money were also significantly
associated with substance uses status of the respondents.
Conclusion: Respondents whose family uses one or more substances were more likely use
substances. Respondents whose best friend uses substances were more prone to practice
substance uses. Family and friends of the respondents were the predicting factors for them to
practice substance use or not. Hence, school principals, town education office and health office
need to tackle substance uses of the respondents through focusing the identified factors.
