Prevalence of Substance Use among Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kibra Subcounty, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of substance use among teachers in public schools in Kibra sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study objectives were to determine the types of substances used by teachers, investigate the gender differences in the prevalence of substance among teachers, establish other comorbid disorders co-occurring with substance use, and establish the prevalence rate of substance use among teachers. The target population was teachers teaching in the public secondary schools within the sub-County. The researcher used Socio-demographic Questionnaire, Drug Use Screening Test (DAST), and the Work Performance Questionnaire to collect data. The research findings revealed that a significant number of teachers in the study sample reported using substances. The most used substance was alcohol at 65% while in terms of gender, the prevalence was 65% for male and 59% for female. The findings revealed that most respondents reported experiencing withdrawal symptoms, memory loss, and convulsions, among other issues. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education takes an active role in addressing the issue of drug and alcohol use by implementing an intervention program for teachers. The study also recommends a multi-faceted approach to addressing the problem of substance use. One key aspect of this approach is to educate teachers and the larger community about the dangers of substance use.