Religiosity, cultural values, and peer pressure on substance abuse among secondary school adolescents in Oyo Town

The issue of substance abuse among secondary school students remains a significant challenge in Oyo Town, Nigeria, where insufficient scholarly research has been conducted to study the intricate relationship between sociocultural factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The current study addressed this research gap by using a descriptive correlational methodology to investigate the effects of social peer influences, traditional community values, and religious views on drug and alcohol use trends among high school students in this region. The study, which employed a descriptive correlational technique and concentrated on secondary education students, recruited 200 study participants from ten educational institutions spread across two Local Government Areas using a multi-phase sampling strategy. Data collection involved a self-administered questionnaire incorporating validated instruments: the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), Short Schwartz's Value Survey (SSVS), Peer Pressure Inventory (PPI), and CRAFFT Screening Tool. Analysis revealed significant correlations between all three independent variables and substance abuse. Religiosity (r = -.485, p<0.05) and cultural values (r = -.311, p<0.05) exhibited negative correlations, while peer pressure (r = .487, p<0.05) showed a positive correlation with substance abuse. The combined factors accounted for 39.5% of the variance in substance abuse prediction (R = .638, Adj. R2 = .395). Individual contributions were significant, with cultural values having the highest impact (Beta = .975, p < .001), followed by religiosity (Beta = -.114, p < .001) and peer pressure (Beta = .034, p < .01). The study concluded that religiosity, cultural values, and peer pressure significantly influence substance abuse among in-school adolescents in Oyo Town, with cultural values playing a predominant role. A key recommendation is to develop culturally sensitive substance abuse prevention programs that leverage positive cultural values and religious teachings while addressing peer pressure dynamics in schools.