An exploratory study of alcohol use/abuse among first year students at Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to determine the prevalence of drug use among first year Faculty of Social Sciences students at Great Zimbabwe University. An explanatory sequential design was used in the study. The total sample size of 157 students (82 males, 75 females) volunteered. 72 students were from the department of Human Resources Management, 66 from Sociology and 19 from Psychology. Results show that students drank alcohol as their drug of choice and prevalence of beer drinking started at the age band of 19-22 when students are at college and that peer pressure makes them continue drinking. Males have a higher prevalence of using alcohol in the previous month and a higher rate of binge drinking and daily usage than their female counterparts. Co-use of alcohol and marijuana was most prevalent among males who binged or got drunk the previous month. There was a significant association between gender (in age band 19-22) and age of first drinking alcohol but with an insignificant association between gender (in age band 23-26) and age of first drinking alcohol. An insignificant association was found between students’ majors and when they last took alcohol. Absence of parental control, reducing stress and closer bonds with peers was the reasons for using drugs.