The use and abuse of alcohol in Nigeria have been on the increase among youths and old people alike. The prevalence of peer pressure or influence can become overwhelming, especially to students who have subjected themselves to sources of alcohol that results in degradation of school careers. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of peer pressure and parental lifestyle on alcohol use and abuse among students of tertiary institutions in Northern Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, A total of 660 respondents from colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities in the region were used. The instrument for data collection was the Tertiary Institution Students’ Alcohol Use and Abuse Questionnaire (TISAUAQ). Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics of Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the findings from the study, it was revealed that peer influences alcohol use among students of tertiary institutions as male students were better coordinated under the influence of moderate alcohol than female students; male students were influenced more to drink alcohol regularly than female students. It was discovered that parental lifestyles influence on alcohol use and abuse; as alcohol is shared during festivities while parents also drink in the presence of their children. There is strong statistical evidence on the influence of peer group on alcohol use and abuse among students of different tertiary institutions in Northern Nigeria. Also there is strong significant statistical evidence on the influence of parental lifestyle on alcohol use and abuse among students of different tertiary institution in Northern Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that parents should desist from drinking alcohol in the presence of their children as this lifestyle could greatly influence their children’s level of alcohol use and abuse. This study also infers that all tertiary institutions in Northern Nigeria should have a functional Guidance and Counselling Centre with professional Guidance and Counsellors that would handle student’s developmental and societal challenges. Health Educators should make provisions for information and skills that are relevant to the youth and students on alcohol use and abuse.
Citation: Mohammed Aliyu and Musa Umar (2022) Influence of Peers and Parental Lifestyles on Alcohol Use and Abuse among Students of Tertiary Institutions in Northern Nigeria, International Journal of Public Health, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Vol. 7, No.1, pp.1-13
Keywords: Abuse, Parents, Students, Tertiary Institutions, acohol, peer
