PREVALENCE AND PERCEIVED HEALTH EFFECTS OF TRAMADOL ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS IN ETCHE LGA IN RIVERS STATE
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to investigate prevalence and perceived health effects of tramadol abuse among youths in Etche Local Government Area in Rivers State. Four objectives, four research questions and three hypotheses were stated to guide the study. Literature was reviewed under conceptual framework, theoretical framework and empirical review. A descriptive survey design was adopted with a population consisting 7,778 youths in Etche LGA. The sample size was 440 which was selected using the multi-stage sampling procedure. A structured questionnaire titled “Perceived Health Effects of Tramadol Abuse Questionnaire (PHETAQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument has a reliability coefficient of 0.71. Analysis was done with the aid of the Statistical Products for Service Solutions (SPSS V-27) using percentage and point biserial correlation at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that close to half 194(48.1%), in the last three months 184(45.7%) took tramadol and 158(39.2%) had blackouts as a result of taking tramadol. The result revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between tramadol abuse and perceived mental health effect (n = 403, r = 0.52, p = 0.00), perceived physical health effect (n = 403, r = 0.41, p = 0.00), and perceived physical health effect (n = 403, r = 0.38, p = 0.00). It was concluded that tramadol abuse is high among youths in Etche LGA of Rivers State and the health effects encompassed both mental, physical and social health effects. It was recommended among others that, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency should collaborate with the young organization in Etche to arrest, prosecute and publish drug abuse offenders to curtail the high prevalence of drug abuse in the area. Also, the government should redirect young people abuse of drugs by engaging them meaningfully in paying jobs, this will help to make to enhance their mental health and distract them from drug abuse.
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