Substance Use and Its Associated Factors Among Adolescents in Ningo Prampram Municipality in The Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Substance use in adolescents has become a growing concern globally. Its use affects the quality of life of adolescents as well as burdening them with short- and long-term effects encompassing their physical, social and mental wellbeing. General aim: The main aim of this study was to examine substance use and it associated factors among adolescents in Ningo Prampram municipal. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was employed using a quantitative approach. Study population was adolescents between the ages of 15 -19 residing in the Ningo Prampram municipality. Using a simple random sampling technique, a sample size of 183 students were selected. Structured questionnaires were administered to students and data were analyzed using STATA 18. Results: Awareness of substances was very high, particularly for alcohol (95.1%), shisha (90.2%), cigarettes and marijuana (85.3% each). Lifetime prevalence of any substance use was 38.6%, while past-30-day use was 10.9%, with alcohol being the most commonly used (34.2%). Bivariate analysis identified male sex, living with guardians/extended family, and environmental exposure as significant risk factors for substance use. Logistic regression confirmed that seeing people use substances in the home or community (AOR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.01–5.31) and living with guardians/extended family (AOR=2.98, 95% CI: 1.02–8.68) significantly increased the odds of use, while being in SHS 3 was protective (AOR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.06–0.59). Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest high awareness but relatively lower current use, with environmental exposure and household structure emerging as critical determinants of adolescent substance use in the municipality.