Gender differences in access to and consumption of alcohol by secondary school students in selected secodnary schools of Machakos District, Kenya

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to establish the gender differences in access to and consumption of alcohol by secondary school students in Machakos District. A sample of 200 secondary school students was selected at random from two schools each (one girls and one boys) from Central and Kathiani divisions of Machakos District. A list of all the boys and girls schools in both Central and Kathiani divisions was obtained from which two boys' and two girls' boarding schools were selected. From each ofthe four sampled schools, 50 students were randomly selected from form three. Before I embarked on data collection, the instrument was piloted among students in two mixed schools to get to know whether there were items that required adjustments. The researcher personally administered to the students one self-report questionnaire. Inferential statistical analysis was done to test if there was any significant difference in various valuables stated in the hypotheses. In analyzing how students access alcohol, the results reveal that the surrounding community formed the main source followed by friends. On gender and awareness of alcohol consumption, the Chi-square revealed that there is a significant difference in the awareness of alcohol consumption between the sexes. The implication of the results was discussed and recommendations made. It is hoped that these findings will inform educational planners and policy makers in formulating viable policy guidelines geared towards changing attitudes towards drug abuse in schools. This implies commg up with counselling programme that inform and spell out the dangers of drug abuse. Such a programme must not just address the problem of students, but the family setup and the community as well. Educational administrators, school authorities and in particular the teachers in charge of Guidance and Counselling can use these findings to plan and employ appropriate interventions to prevent the problem of drug abuse.