JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND DISEASES
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2705-2214
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/JPHD
Start Year: 2018
Email: jphd@integrityresjournals.org
Psychotropic substance abuses and academic attainments of learners from randomly selected school environments and reviews of previous joint studies at KNUST in Ghana
https://doi.org/10.31248/JPHD2018.007 | Article Number: 862162CA1 | Vol.1 (3) - December 2018
Received Date: 13 June 2018 | Accepted Date: 11 July 2018 | Published Date: 31 December 2018
Authors: Richard W. Tiimob , Gideon L. Tiimob , Isaac Baani , Paul Amihere-Ackah , Benjamin M. Tiimub* and James. K. Assabil
Keywords: Academic performance, Ashanti Region, Ghana, students, substance abuse.
Psychotropic effects of substance abuse on academic attainments was studied from a cross sectional descriptive survey from January to June, 2010 in Bosomtwi and Atwima Kwanwoma Districts. Entirely thirteen beneficiaries of School Health Education Programmes (SHEP) interventions between 5 to 10 years intervals, sub-divided into ten Junior High (JHS), and three public Senior High (SHS) were randomly selected based on learners’ gender ratios using questionnaire and instructional guidelines approved by the school authorities for interview of 600 (258 females and 342 males) respondents. Majority (42 to 94%) were victims of coffee and alcohol abuse while 31% were implicated for marijuana, amphetamine, cocaine and heroin. About 56% resorted to drugs hoping to improve their academic performances with 11% consequently developing truant behaviors and abysmal achievements. Family members and friends often lured/provided money for 61% of learner’s drug purchase while 96% were addicted averagely at 11.5 years old. Proportionately, 51% males were abusing drugs against 45% females. Likelihood ratio of abuse amongst genders cohorts were both asymptotically (P<0.07) and linearly (P<0.4) not significantly different. Substance abuse problems worsened in divorced marriages and single parent families where financial constraints and inadequate care compel learners to depend on drugs as probable solution to their depression and stress. The overall analysis revealed little improvement on learners’ academic performances with increased drug use. Parent Teacher Associations need to strengthen the implementation of child care monitoring interventions in homes and schools to curtail rampant drug abuse problems through pilot School Health Education Programmes (SHEP).
| Asperheim, M. K. (2002). Substance Abuse. Pharmacology an Introductory Text. Journal of Southwest Tennessee Community College, 7, 273-278. | ||||
| Assabil, J. K. (2010). Abuse of psychotropic substances -a survey of some first and second cycle institutions in the Bosomtwi and Atwima-Kwanwoma Districts in Ashanti Region of Ghana. MS. Theses, College of Science, KNUST, 1-82. Link |
||||
| Ayerst, S. L. (1999). Depression and stress in street youth. The Wall Street Journal, 34, 52-94. | ||||
| Bosomtwi Atwima-Kwanwoma District Assembly Profile (2001). National Centre for Social Research and the National Foundation for Educational Research. Ghana Book Publishers Association. 1, 1-5 | ||||
| Bumpass, L. L., & Lu, H. H. (2000). Trends in cohabitation and implications childrens' and adolescents' maladjustments. American Journal of Population Studies, 54, 29-41. Crossref |
||||
| Chen, K. (2003). Epidemiology of Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Disorders among Adolescents in the United States [A]: Report on the seventh national conference on drug dependence [2003]; 2003 | ||||
| Crowley, T. J., Macdonald, M. J., Whitmore. E. A., & Mikulich, S. K. (2007). Cannabis Dependence, Withdrawal, and Reinforcing Effects among Adolescents with Conduct Symptoms and Substance Use Disorders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Universit De Lyon, PhD Thesis, 114p. | ||||
| Danquah, S. A. (1979). Drug abuse among Ghanaian students. Psychopathologie Africaine, 15(2), 201-211. | ||||
| Dishion, T. J., Kavanagh, K., Schneiger, A., Nelson, S., & Kaufman, N. K. (2002). Preventing early adolescent substance use: A family-centered strategy for the public middle school. Prevention Science, 3(3), 191-201. Crossref |
||||
| Dishion, T. J., Nelson, S. E., & Kavanagh, K. (2003). The family check-up with high-risk young adolescents: Preventing early-onset substance use by parent monitoring. Behavior Therapy, 34(4), 553-571. Crossref |
||||
| Dittus, P. J., & Jaccard, J. (2000). Adolescents' perception of maternal disapproval sex: Relationship to sexual outcomes. American Journal of Adolescent Health, 26, 268-278. Crossref |
||||
| Dorius, C. J., Bahr, S. J., Hoffman, J. P., & Harmon, E. E. (2004). Parenting practices as moderators in the relationship between peers and adolescents marijuana use. American Journal of Marriage and the Family, 66, 163-178. Crossref |
||||
| Emmanuel, S. C., Ho, C. K., & Chen, A. J. (1990). Cigarette smoking among school Children in Singapore. Singapore Medical Journal, 31(3), 211-216. | ||||
| Estrada, R., & Kanwal, R. P. (2002), A Distributional Approach to Asymptotics, Birkhäuser | ||||
| Harada, T. (2010a). A new strategy for drug abuse treatment: The rationale and practice of the Matrix Model. Japanese Journal of Alcohol Studies & Drug Dependence, 45(6), 557-568. | ||||
| Harada, T. (2010b). Evidence-based substance abuse treatment in penal institutions. The Japanese Journal of Criminal Psychology, 48(1), 51-64. | ||||
| Haynie, D. L., & Osgood, D. W. (2005). Reconsidering peers and delinquency. How do peers matter? American Journal of Social Forces, 84, 1109-1130. Crossref |
||||
| Hoffman, J. P., & Johnson, R. A. (1998). A national portrait of family structure and Adolescent substance use. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 633-645. Crossref |
||||
| Jayson, O., & Roger, A. L. (1972). Drug abuse Among Ghanaian Medical Students. Ghana Medical Journal, 11(3), 307. | ||||
| Kandel, D. B., Yamaguchi, K., & Chen, K. (1992). Stages of Progression in Drug Involvement from Adolescence to Adulthood. Further Evidence for the Gateway Drug Theory. American Journal of Alcohol Studies, 45, 447-457. Crossref |
||||
| Kirby, J. B. (2006). From single-parent families to step families: Is the transition associated with alcohol initiation? American Journal of Family Issues, 27, 685-711. Crossref |
||||
| Liguori, A., Gatto, C. P., & Robinson, J. H. (1998). Effects of marijuana on equilibrium psychomotor performance and simulated driving. Behavioral Pharmacology, 9, 599-609. Crossref |
||||
| Miller, P. D. (2006), Applied Asymptotic Analysis, American Mathematical Society. Crossref |
||||
| National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2016). Principles of Substance Abuse and Prevention for Early Childhood. A Research-Based Guide. Link |
||||
| National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2015). Family Checkup: Positive Parenting Prevents Drug Abuse. Link |
||||
| Newcomb, M. D., Maddahain, E., & Bentler, M. P. (1986). Risk factors of drug use among adolescents, concurrent and longitudinal analyses. American Journal of Public Health, 76(5), 525-531. Crossref |
||||
| Nora, D., & Volkow, M. D. (2014). Drugs, Brains, and Behaviour: The Science of Addiction.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Link |
||||
| Nora, D., & Volkow, M. D. (2016). Marijuana, Facts Parents Need to Know. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Link |
||||
| Owusu, A., & Bosumtwi-Sam, C. (2014). A Different Kind of Partnership: Ghana School-based Student Health Surveillance System (GSSHSS). Conference: 142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition. | ||||
| Owusu, A., O'Hara-Murdock, P., Bosumtwi-Sam, C., Campbell, K., Kann, L., & Riley, L. (2008). HIV/AIDS Risk Behaviors & Prevention Factors among Junior Secondary School Students in Ghana: Baseline Data from the 2007 Ghana GSHS. | ||||
| Owusu, A., Weatherby, N., Bosumtwi-Sam, C., Revell, M., & Campbell, K. (2009). Evaluation of the School Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE) Program in Ghana, West-Africa. Conference: 137st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition. | ||||
| Parcel, T. L., & Dufur, M. J. (2001). Capital at home and in the school: Effects on students' achievement. American Journal of Social Forces, 79, 88-912. Crossref |
||||
| Paris, R. B., Kaminsky, D. (2001). Asymptotics and Mellin-Barnes Integrals. Cambridge University Press. 85, 8-9. Crossref |
||||
| Pong, S. (1997). Family structure, school context, and eighth-grade maths and reading achievement. American Journal of Marriage and Family, 59, 734-178. Crossref |
||||
| Regenerus, M. D., & Luchies, L. B. (2006). The parent-child relationship and opportunities for adolescents' first sex. American Journal of Family Issues, 27, 159-183. Crossref |
||||
| Reginald, D. S., & Sandra, D. P. (1990). Comparison of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among Students and Delinquents in Bahama. Bulletin of PAHO, 24(1), 39-45. | ||||
| Reginald, G. S., & Edward, M. A. (1990). Drug use in Ontario, Canada. Bulletin of PAHO, 24(1), 12-21. | ||||
| Simons, R. L., Simons, L. G., & Wallace, L.E. (2005). Families, delinquency and crime. Oxford University press, USA. 1, 1-232. | ||||
| Tettey, M. M. (1991). Drug abuse-A study of second cycle institutions in the Northern Region of Ghana. UNIVERSITAS (Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology). BSc. Theses (work not published). | ||||
| Thomas, G., Farrel, M. P., & Barnes, G. M. (1996). The effects of single-mother families and nonresident fathers in delinquency and substance abuse in Black and White adolescents. American Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 884-894. Crossref |
||||
| Triplett, R., & Payne, B. (2004). Problem solving as reinforcement in adolescent drug use: Implications for Theory and Policy. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 32, 617-630. Crossref |
||||
| University of Michigan (1997). Drug use among American teens show signs of leveling after a long rise. News and Information Services. December 18, 1997. | ||||
| Yangyouru, Y. (1987). The social correlates of psychotropic substance use by contemporary youth of Ghana. UNIVERSITAS (University of Ghana), 9, 154-171. | ||||
Copyright © 2025 Integrity Research Journals. All rights reserved.