Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption among Primary and Secondary School Adolescents in Obiaruku Community in Delta State, Southern Nigeria

Consumption of alcohol by underage teenagers and adolescents is a major public health problem confronting many developing countries including Nigeria. Studies have shown the increasing rate of alcohol consumption among these high risk groups. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol use among Primary and Secondary School teenagers in Obiaruku Community. The study employed a descriptive cross sectional study among pupils and students in primary and secondary schools in Obiaruku community. The study utilized random sampling technique in selecting 326 pupils and students from both primary and secondary schools in Obiaruku community. The instrument for data collection was a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data was analysed with SPSS version 21 and presented in percentages and frequencies, with Chi-Square used to analysed association between demographic characteristics and prevalence of alcohol with level of significance set at P<0.05. The findings show that almost half of the respondents 150(46.88%) were between the ages of 13-15 years and 220(68.75%) were males. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was 25.0%, with being a male more likely to increase alcohol consumption (P<0.05). Furthermore, about 20(25.0%) of the respondents could not stop drinking when they want to and more than one third do get drunk. Furthermore, age showed a significant relationship with use of alcohol (p<0.05). The study showed prevalence of alcohol consumption among the respondents and therefore recommended schools should organize seminars for students to provide education on the health-related issues surrounding alcohol consumption

Knowledge and perception of mental disorders among relatives of mentally ill persons in a rural community in South-South Nigeria

Background: In Nigeria, mental disorders (MDs) are prevalent in the population and compounding the problem is the misconceptions and poor perceptions associated with these conditions. Consequently, the study was designed to assess the knowledge and perception of mental disorders among relatives of mentally ill persons in Amai community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State Nigeria.Methods: This was a descriptive study utilising qualitative method of data collection. An in-depth interview was conducted among 20 relatives of mentally ill people selected purposively from four quarters in Amai community. An in-depth interview guide was used to collect the data and was analysed manually for themes and content.Results: The age range of the participants was 25-75 years, comprising 11 females and nine males. The participants demonstrated some form of knowledge of the critical element of MDs, but showed misconceptions on the causes of MDs. Most of the participants preferred traditional (unorthodox) medicine for the treatment of MDs. Furthermore, despite their affirmative perception of MDs as a serious illness, the majority exhibited negative perception towards people with MDs.Conclusion: Misconceptions and myths about the causes of mental disorder are very prevalent among rural dwellers. Poor perception towards mentally challenged persons among relatives of mentally challenged persons was also common. Therefore, these misconceptions and myths should be corrected through organized strategic awareness campaigns among rural dwellers aimed at eliminating these misconceptions and myths, thereby improving the quality of life of persons suffering from MDs.Keywords: Mental disorders; Knowledge; Perception; Amai community; Southern Nigeri