FACTORS INFLUENCING PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USED AMONG PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OGBOMOSO, OYO STATE

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, level of utilization, types and factors influencing the use of psychoactive substances among public secondary school students in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, involving 422 respondents selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires with a reliability coefficient of 0.871. Statistical analysis was conducted with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25. The analysis included both descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (partial correlation) with a significance level set at 0.05. Findings revealed that 72.7% of the respondents reported substance use, with alcohol (35.5%) and prescription drugs (30.8%) being the most commonly used substances. Peer pressure, family influence and lack of awareness were identified as contributing factors to psychoactive substance use among students. However, there was no significant relationship between respondents level of utilization and their knowledge of psychoactive substances (p = 0.709, 0.429, 0.047, 0.286, 0.545, 0.083, and 0.739), except for one variable (p = 0.03). Similarly, there was no significant association between the types of psychoactive substance use and the factors influencing it among respondents (p = 0.863, 0.350, 0.696, 0.112, 0.178, 0.412, and 0.715). The findings of this study suggest that culturally sensitive, age-specific, and gender-responsive interventions, which are tailored to the specific needs of public secondary school students in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria, are essential for mitigating psychoactive substance used and promoting healthy developmental outcomes among adolescence. Furthermore, such interventions should involve collaborative effort between educators healthcare professionals and community leaders to ensure effective implementation and sustainability.  Ultimately, addressing psychoactive substance use among public secondary school students requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes preventions, early intervention and support for vulnerable populations.