Investigation of the prevalence and factors influencing tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in Nigeria: a systematic literature review

Ekpenyong, Mandu Stephen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3778-645X, Jagun, Halimat, Stephen, Hope A, Bakre, Aishat T, Odejimi, Opeyemi, Miller, Eula ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0609-2634, Nyashanu, Mathew and Bosun-Arije, Stella F ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7813-9027 (2024) Investigation of the prevalence and factors influencing tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in Nigeria: a systematic literature review. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 256. 111091. ISSN 0376-8716

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Abstract

The increase in tobacco and alcohol prevalence among Nigerian teenagers necessitates the need to understand the factors influencing use. The aim of this systematic literature review was to synthesis evidence from studies on tobacco and alcohol use among Nigerian adolescents and young adults in order to determine factors influencing tobacco and alcohol use. Six databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used to search for peer-reviewed articles reporting the prevalence and predictors of tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents/youths published between 2010 and 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guided this review. From our search, twelve articles from the 6 geopolitical zones within Nigeria were included. The high prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use among Nigerian adolescents necessitates the need to understand the factors influencing use. A high prevalence rate was recorded among the male gender. Gender, age, and curiosity appear to place adolescents at extra risk for tobacco and alcohol use. Lack of parental monitoring, peer influence, low socio-economic status, low education level, stressful life events, advertisements, availability, and accessibility are factors identified to influence adolescents’ alcohol and tobacco use. Alcohol and tobacco use remains a major public health issue as it continues to contribute largely to the growing occurence of diseases globally. Our review showed that adolescents’ alcohol and tobacco use behaviour is triggered by various factors on the personal, interpersonal, organisational, community, and policy levels, and these factors are understood to predict or protect against alcohol and tobacco use.