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Prevalence of substance use and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania
In Search of Culturally Responsive Tools for Meaningful Learning of Chemistry in Africa: We Stumbled on the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach
Prevalence of substance use and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania
by Mavura, Rehema A.
Background Substance use among school-going adolescents increases the risk of developing mental disorders, addiction, and substance use disorders. These may lead to poor academic performance and reduced productivity, which affects adolescent lives. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of substance use and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in the Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. Methodology The study used secondary data from a cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 10-19 years from public secondary schools in the Kilimanjaro Region, northern Tanzania. Substance use was measured using the Global School Health Survey (GSHS) questionnaire. Categorical variables were summarized using frequencies and percentages, while numerical variables used mean and standard deviation. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine risk factors associated with lifetime and current (within the past 30 days preceding the survey) substance use. Results The lifetime and current prevalence of substance use among 3224 adolescents was 19.7% and 12.8%, respectively, while alcohol and cigarettes were commonly used. Female adolescents had lower odds of current substance use (OR = 0.63, 95%CI 0.50-0.80). Higher odds of current substance use were among adolescents who have ever had sex (OR = 4.31, 95%CI 3.25-5.71), ever engaged in a physical fight (OR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.73-2.78), ever been bullied (OR = 1.55, 95%CI 1.16-2.05), always seen alcohol advertisements (OR = 1.87, 95%CI 1.37-2.53), and adolescents whose parent/guardians rarely understood their problems (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.03-1.85). Adolescents whose classmates always showed social support had lower odds of current substance use (AOR = 0.71, 95%CI 0.53-0.97). Similar factors were associated with lifetime substance users. Conclusion The study reflects a high prevalence of substance use among adolescents in the Kilimanjaro region. Alcohol and cigarette are the most prevalent substances used. Regulatory measures are essential to limit alcohol advertisements that are media portrayed. Efforts are needed to reduce risk behaviors, such as physical violence and bullying, through peer support groups/ clubs in school environments.
In Search of Culturally Responsive Tools for Meaningful Learning of Chemistry in Africa: We Stumbled on the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach
by Oladejo, Adekunle Ibrahim
This study described the implementation procedure (step-by-step) of the culturo-techno-contextual approach (CTCA) in the classroom with concrete curricular examples for each step. The study then proceeded to explore the potency of CTCA on nuclear chemistry, a traditionally perceived difficult concept among secondary school students in Nigeria, as obtained from the survey phase of the study. Using a quasi-experimental research design, we had a total of 221 senior secondary school two (SS2, the equivalent of grade 11) students from two schools in educational district V of Lagos State, Nigeria, who participated in the experimental phase of the study. After the pretest exercise for both the experimental and comparison groups, we had a four-week treatment where the experimental group was taught with CTCA, and the comparison group was taught with the conventional lecture method. Four weeks after the posttest, a retention test was conducted for both groups using the same Nuclear Chemistry Achievement Test instrument used for the pre- and posttests. Data collected were analyzed using ANCOVA, and the results obtained showed a statistically significant mean difference between the groups [F(1, 218) = 84.12; p < 0.05], indicating that CTCA improved students' performance in nuclear chemistry. We also found no statistically significant difference in the achievement of male and female students in the experimental group. Within the limitations of the study, we concluded that CTCA is a viable culturally relevant tool for teaching chemistry concepts. The future directions of the study were also highlighted.
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