- Volume 13, Number 2 (2025)
SMOKING CESSATION IN NIGERIA: PERSPECTIVES FROM SELF-REPORTED EXPERIENCES
Alexander Dean Morris
Smoking is the largest cause of preventable health problems and premature death worldwide, and about 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco smoking prevalence in Nigeria was 10.4% and it is estimated that there are about 20 million active smokers in the country. This study investigated the spatial pattern of selfreported smoking in order to determine potential targets for smoking cessation campaigns in Nigeria, utilizing a nationally representative dataset. This was a crosssectional study aimed at investigating the spatial pattern of self-reported smoking as a means of determining where smoking cessation campaigns...
EXPLORING PARENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN AKUNGBA-AKOKO, NIGERIA
Temitope Michael Akinlolu, Grace Yetunde Oladimeji
Substance abuse causes social problems to the individual, the family and the larger society if unresolved. Studies have investigated several predictors of substance abuse such as personality traits, selfesteem, parenting styles with varied results. However, studies linking psychopathologies and parental factors to substance abuse are scarce. Therefore, this study investigated psychopathologies of depression, anxiety and stress and parental factors of family system and family system as predictors of substance abuse among in-school adolescents in Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design while simple random sampling technique was used to select six secondary schools in Akungba-Akoko...
SUBSTANCE USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: PUBLIC HEALTH INSIGHTS FROM RECENT DATA
Malik Emmanuel Johnson, Grace Nyambura Wanjiru, Daniel Thuo Ngugi
The adolescent population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow significantly, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Increasing rates of substance use among youth pose a significant public health concern, potentially exacerbating morbidity, mortality, and risky behaviors. While previous studies have examined substance use in sub-Saharan Africa, they often focused on individual countries or combined data across regions, overlooking shared sociocultural contexts within subregions. This narrative review analyzed epidemiological data from 60 studies conducted between 2014 and 2024, examining substance use patterns among adolescents under 20 years across subSaharan Africa’s four sub-regions. The review incorporated academic literature, intergovernmental reports, and local...
INNOVATIONS AND EVOLVING DIRECTIONS IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE STUDIES
Jessica Renee Williams
Many mental health issues are of concern to individuals, groups, therapists, evaluators, researchers and society in general. Substance use is one main concern that is growing in the population and is alarming healthcare workers, practitioners, and society at large. Data from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other sources are discussed which note recent findings about substance use. Specific suggestions are recommended to increase likelihood of awareness and prevention of substance use disorder.