Exploring Peer Influence As A Pathway To Adolescent Substance Use In Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND Peer influence has consistently been found to be among the strongest predictors of substance use among adolescents by many literatures around the world including some Nigerian articles. However, Nigeria lacks literature that explores the various contexts and patterns of adolescents’ substance use based on the influence of their peers. Therefore, this research attempts to show evidence of peer influence in the context of susceptibility to peer pressure, temptation to smoke and self-efficacy to use substances in various forms among adolescents in Lagos Island, Nigeria. METHODS A school based cross-sectional survey using anonymous self-administered questionnaires was carried out among 257 respondents from 4 senior secondary schools in Lagos Island, Nigeria. This was achieved by using simple random sampling technique. The collected data was analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 17 software. RESULTS For all the substances considered, about 75% of users admitted to being tempted to smoke in positive, negative and habitual/craving situations while about 50% of non-users admitted likewise. Users of substances are more susceptible to peer pressure to carryout perceived deviant activities than their counterpart non-users. When socializing with peers, it appears more boys are tempted to smoke than girls. Boys also appear to have a higher self-efficacy to smoke when anxious, stressed or angry and in habitual/craving situations than girls. As the adolescents grow older, they are more open to admit susceptibility to peer pressure to use substances when asked but willingness to disclose use of illicit substances is generally low. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION The study showed that there is significant temptation to smoke in positive, negative and habitual/craving situations among users, but the findings are also remarkable in non-users. There is pressure on non-substance-using-adolescents to join their substance-using close friends in smoking and drinking in social situations. Also, they eventually over time develop confidence in carrying out this act of substance use. Moreover, once an adolescent starts using, the study makes it clear perpetual use is reinforced within the adolescent peer clusters; making the temptation to keep using even stronger than before initiation. As these adolescents closely mingle with new non-substance using peers (e.g. new boy/girlfriend or best friend), the influence is continually perpetuated thereby completing the revolving pathway of peer influence on substance use among adolescents.