ArticleSouth African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care2020
Substance use amongst high school learners in the south of Johannesburg: Is this the new norm?
Article in South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Understanding adolescent substance abuse in a Northern Cape township: Educators' experiences and perceptions.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2026Article
- A descriptive study of blood pressure in people with self-reported substance use seeking health care in region F, Johannesburg, South Africa.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
- Substance Use among School-Going Adolescents and Young Adults in Rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Substance use among students of two high schools in Yaoundé, Cameroon.The Pan African medical journal · 2024Article
- Alcohol Use among High School Learners in the Peri-Urban Areas, South Africa: A Descriptive Study on Accessibility, Motivations and Effects.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Youth in Soweto, South Africa During the COVID-19 National Lockdown.Sexual medicine · 2022Article
- Risk factors for alcohol use among adolescents: The context of township high schools in Tshwane, South Africa.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Socio-demographic and social support factors related to substance use in South African in-school adolescents: Insights from the Girls Achieve Power (GAP Year) trial in three peri-urban settings.Gates open research · 2021Article
- Perceived Factors Influencing Health-Seeking for Substance Use Among Secondary School Learners in the Western Cape, South Africa.Substance use : research and treatmentArticle
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Abstract
backgroundSubstance use amongst high school learners is common in South Africa, with related risky behaviours and outcomes. Because of the social and geographical trends, studies in various parts of the country are essential to contribute to the understanding of the overall picture. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of substance use, as well as the factors associated with substance use in a sample of high school learners in a suburb south of Johannesburg.
methodsA quantitative cross-sectional survey, by using a self-administered questionnaire, was conducted amongst 308 learners in four high schools. The parents of all the learners provided consent for their children to participate in the study.
resultsThe sample consisted of 308 learners who were in grades 8-12, with a mean age of 16.3. The majority (57%, n = 177) were females and 43% (n = 131) were males. The prevalence of substance use was 31% (n = 94), with 52% (n = 49) of those who use substances being male, compared with 48% (n = 45) females. Of those who used substances, 69% (n = 65) used alcohol, 10% (n = 9) smoked dagga, 5% (n = 5) smoked cigarettes, 7% (n = 7) used other substances and 46% (n = 43) were polyusers. Age, missing school because of illness, use of leisure time and friends using substances were significantly associated with the use of substances (p 0.05).
conclusionThe prevalence of substance use was high at 31%, which is of concern because the use of legal psychoactive substances remains illegal for minors. The risky factors associated with the use of substances highlight the threat that this behaviour has on the social well-being and educational outcomes of the learners.
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