Abstract:
Introduction: Alcohol abuse is a recognized phenomenon among university
students in Nigeria and harms the education and performance of students.
This may include disruption of interpersonal relationships, especially within
the family, criminal behaviour, academic failure, vocational failure, and a lack
of commensurate achievement. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive
study aimed at assessing the Prevalence and Pattern of Use of Alcohol Among
Undergraduate Students In Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. It involved 290 Under graduates selected using the Multistage sampling method. Results: The pre valence of current use of alcohol was 33.7% while two-thirds were not taking
alcohol. There was a statistically significant association between current use
of alcohol and sex (χ
2 = 12.168, p ≤ 0.001), where more males than females use
alcohol. Most (44.4%) undergraduates use alcohol weekly, 11.1% use it daily,
and 14.3% Two times weekly. A majority (52.4%) take it after lectures and
27.0% take whenever they like. There was a statistically significant association
between alcohol use and the level/year of study (χ
2 = 27.258, p ≤ 0.001). More
students in higher classes (5th year and 4th year) are taking alcohol when
compared with new students and lower classes (1st year and 2nd year). A sig nificant association was also found between alcohol use and respondent's
Cumulative Grade Point Average-CGPA (χ
2 = 22.809, p ≤ 0.001), as the ma jority of students using alcohol had a low CGPA (1.1 to 2.0) when compared
to those with higher. Conclusion: The University and government should
collaborate with students to establish peer support groups and programs that
discourage the use of alcohol during school hours and while studying.
