The impact of alcohol use on health and academic performane of students in Kenya Medical Colleges in Central Province
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Date
2011-08-18
Authors
Kibui, Mary Muthoni
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Abstract
Alcohol is the most widely used and misused substance in the world. For many decades it was perceived as a moral weakness but in recent times, alcohol use and misuse has begun to be viewed as a disease. Attitudes and moral notion of alcoholism still prevail, resulting in missed diagnosis and lack of treatment of the affected persons. The impact of excessive alcohol use in human health and well being is substantial and no one is immune from the complete range of medical, social, family, legal and economic problems that are brought by the uncontrolled use of alcohol. However, marketing of alcohol and tobacco has contributed to increased health related problems; especially in developing countries. Alcohol continues to be the psychoactive substance most frequently used and abused by young people along side tobacco. Efforts to reduce students from drinking alcohol have largely been unsuccessful, because research based on prevention strategies, have not been consistently applied. The prevalence of alcohol by students in Kenya's central province is 26.3%. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to understand the factors associated with alcohol use and its impact on health and academic performance of students in medical training colleges in the Central Province of Kenya. The study used survey design and data were collected from six medical training colleges in central province. In this study it was hypothesized that there was no significant association between academic performance, health and demographic characterists of students who used and those who didn't use alcohol. The study site was conveniently selected because the researcher works in the area. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires given to 250 respondents' selected using snowballing method (a non-probability sampling technique). Data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and comparisons were analyzed and tested. Chi-Square test was also done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). This was to assess whether there was any significant association between academic performance, health, demographic data and alcohol use. Chi- Square statistical test indicated that there was a significant association between academic performance, Chi = 240.249, df. = 3, p< 0.001, immediate health problems such as hangover Chi = 428.430, df. = 6 p<0.0001, injury Chi =113.425, df. = 4, p<0.0001, demographic characteristic, multiple drug use and alcohol use. This study found out that academic performance, demographic characteristics, immediate health problems, other drugs use were all significantly related to alcohol use by college students. It was also found out some of the students who used alcohol were at risk of developing alcohol dependence while others tested positive for alcohol dependence in that they had signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence. This study recommended that college administration through the services of trained college counselors, should offer counseling services to students especially those found using, abusing or are already dependent on alcohol. Colleges' academic committees to strengthen academic achievement requirements by giving students regular exams and supplementary tests to students who did not meet the minimum grade of 50%
Description
Department of Public Health,71p.QP 801 .A3K5 2009
Keywords
Alcohol --Health aspect, Alcoholism, Alcoholism --Adverse effects