Biomedical subjects

M L Adelekan

Publications and source records attributed to M L Adelekan.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

5-yearly monitoring of trends of substance use among secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria, 1988-1998.

This report describes the trends of substance use among youths by comparing data collected among senior secondary school students in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria at 5-yearly intervals (1988-1998). In 1998, data were collected from 750 senior secondary school students from six secondary schools in the study area using a self-report 117-item questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for student substance-use surveys. Substances investigated in the survey were alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, strong and mild stimulants, hypnosedatives, antibiotics, cocaine, heroin, organic solvents and hallucinogens. These data were compared with similar ones collected from students with similar characteristics, and from the same six schools in 1988 and 1993. It was found that high use substances were mild stimulants, antibiotics and alcohol, while cigarettes, cannabis, heroin and cocaine remained low-use substances. Most current users of all the substances were occasional users, except for cigarettes and cannabis where more frequent (daily and weekly) usage was reported. There was also a significant increase in the use of alcohol, organic solvents, mild stimulants and hypnosedatives, and a significant reduction in cigarette smoking over the three data waves. No gender difference was recorded for alcohol, hypnosedatives and cocaine use in the three data waves. It was concluded that although some substances recorded significant increases in their usage over the three data waves, the current use rates were still generally low and comparable to those of other Nigerian studies. Substances used were those employed mainly for study purposes (mild stimulants and hypnosedatives), and most students used the substances only on occasional basis. Nonetheless, in view of the rapidly changing socio-economic life of Ilorin City, it has become imperative to continue with the 5-yearly monitoring of trends.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Rehabilitation and follow-up issues in drug abusers managed at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

The authors report on sixty two (62) patients treated at the drug abuse unit of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria over a 17-month period (June 1985-October 1986). Drugs mainly abused were marijuana (53.5%, alcohol (28.2%) and hard drugs (mainly heroin and cocaine) which accounted for 14.3%. All the patients went through a programme of assessment, detoxification, individual counselling, group psychotherapy and rehabilitation. Their length of stay in the hospital was (mean +/- SD) 64 + 44 days. Factors that militated against successful rehabilitation were the severity of the patients' illness at presentation, unemployment coupled with poor educational status and distance from the hospital of patient's normal abode. Sixty seven percent had defaulted 6 months after discharge from the hospital. Non-defaulters at 2 months performed well on some parameters assessed. Possible ways of ensuring proper rehabilitation and follow-up of this group of patients are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Needs assessment in demand reduction programmes with special reference to African countries.

Drug abuse trends in African countries indicate an urgent need for intensive demand reduction packages to address the problem. However, enormous obstacles exist as many of these countries lack the necessary resources to assess the basic needs essential to implementing empirically-based and cost-effective programmes. This article reviews general principles of needs assessment and provides some practical guidelines appropriate to the African context. Effective cooperation and collaboration at the local, national and the international level is needed to attain the desired goals of needs assessment in these countries.

Africa↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial correlates of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use amongst secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria.

The psychosocial correlates of alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use were examined in a population of secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria, using a 117-items substance use questionnaire. Current alcohol use was found to be significantly associated with urban location of schools, self-reported study difficulty, self-reported poor mental health and having fathers who are highly skilled professionals. Current cigarette use was found to be positively correlated with rural location of school, male sex, older age group and self-reported poor mental health. Lifetime cannabis use was found to be significantly associated with male sex, self-rated poor academic performance and self-reported poor mental health. Perceived availability of alcohol, cigarette and cannabis by the respondents was found to be related to the rate of use of these drugs while perceived harmfulness did not appear to serve as a sufficient deterrent against substance use in the student population. These findings indicate the need for preventive strategies that emphasize school based drug education programmes, parent and teacher education, and national health policies that control availability and accessibility to these substances by Nigerian youths.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pattern of substance use amongst secondary school students in Ilorin, northern Nigeria.

One thousand and forty one Senior secondary School Students in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria were surveyed using a 117-items self-administered substance use questionnaire in May 1988. Males constituted 56.6% and Females 43.5% of the study population. The mean age was 16.8 years (S.D. 1.84). The most currently used substances were found to include salicylate analgesics (56.2%), antibiotics (23.6%), stimulants (21.6%), alcohol (12.0%) and cigarette (4.4%). Current use of alcohol, antibiotics and salicylate analgesic was significantly more common in the rural school. Current use of cigarette and cannabis occurred significantly more in the male population while no significant sex differences were noted for the other drugs surveyed. For many students, initiation into substance use started at primary school level. The need to monitor the pattern of substance use at all levels of our educational system (primary, secondary and post-secondary) and to develop adequate preventive programmes for the student population was emphasized.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Trends in prevalence and pattern of substance use among secondary school pupils in Ilorin, Nigeria.

We present trends data on the prevalence and pattern of substance use among secondary school pupils in Ilorin, derived from comparing the finding of two consecutive cross-sectional surveys. From a sample of six schools, 1041 and 848 pupils 1988 and 1993 respectively, completed anonymously a 117-item WHO self-report substance-use questionnaire. The analyses cover responses on the current and lifetime use of eleven substances, their frequency of use, and the effect of gender and school location on use trends. Although a significant increase in current use rates was recorded for alcohol, cannabis, mild stimulants and hypnosedatives, all of these substances (except stimulants) showed a shift towards less frequent use in 1993. The only consistent gender effect was found for smoking, which remained significantly a male activity. The significant increases found in the current use of cocaine, organic solvents and hallucinogens are difficult to substantiate, thus prompting the suggestion for further corroborative qualitative studies. There was a trend towards greater involvement of the rural school's respondents in substance use in general. The implications of the findings with respect to policy issues on substance-use prevention programmes for youths in the Ilorin metropolis are discussed within the context of the limitations of the study design.

Adolescent↗