Prevalence and determinants of alcohol use among adolescents in post-conflict Liberia
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
Alcohol use remains a major public health concern among youths world wide because of its deleterious effects on physical and mental health. This
study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use
and misuse among adolescents in Liberia. Using the 2017 Liberia Global
School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS), 2,744 adolescents aged 11–
18 years responded to the 2017 cross-sectional survey. Students
responded to questions on sociodemographic factors, substance use,
psychological distress, and other health risk behaviors. Logistic regression
was employed to study the relationship between alcohol use variables
and socio-demographic characteristic, mental health problems, psycho social variables, and parental involvement. The prevalence of alcohol use
behaviors was 24.9% and 20.11% for current alcohol use and lifetime
drunkenness, respectively. Significant risk factors for alcohol use include
personal and lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, sexual behavior,
having been physically attacked, substance use (methamphetamine and
cannabis), and truancy. These findings underscore the need for screening
and early intervention policies to identify adolescents who may be at risk
of misusing alcohol.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Alcohol use, drunkenness, mental health factors, adolescents, Liberia