Title:Determinants of Substance Use Among High School Students in Jordan
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Author(s): Ayman M. Hamdan-Mansour*, Ahmad Yahya AL-Sagarat, Jumana H. Shehadeh and Sumaya S. Al Thawabieh
Affiliation:
- School of Nursing, Al-Ahliyya Amman University of Jordan, Amman,Jordan
Keywords:
Substance use, high school students, coping efficacy, stress, social support, Jordan.
Abstract:
Background: Substance use is becoming a global health problem that concerns health
professionals and decision makers. Studies showed that teens are at higher risk for substance use.
Purpose: the purpose of this study was to examine the prediction power of the selected sociodemographic
and psychological factors on substance use among high school students in Jordan. Specific
aims were; 1) to explore substance use among high school students in Jordan, and 2) to examine the
prediction power of sociodemographic and psychological factors on substance use among high
school students in Jordan.
Methods: This is a predictive cross-sectional study where data was collected using self-administered
questionnaires from a convenience sample of 1497 high school students in the central district of Jordan.
Results: Students who reported that they have never used stimulant agent were 91.5%, tranquilizer
sedative 87.2%, hypnotic agent 85.8% and antidepressant agent 94.5%, while those never used nicotine
were 81.7%. Coping efficacy (crude OR = 1.07, CI 95% = 1.03 – 1.12), psychological distress
(crude OR = 1.07, CI 95% = 1.03 – 1.11), and perceived social support from family (crude OR =
1.20, CI 95% = 0.95 – 1.24) were significantly associated with substance use. While perceived social
support from friends was not.
Conclusion: High school students are at risk for the use of various forms of substances and mainly
the over counter ones. Legitimate rules of screening and using substance prevention programs at
high schools considering the psychological factors is a priority for school health professionals and
policy makers.
