Citation

Petruzzi LJ, Pullen SJ, Lange BCL, Parnarouskis L, Domínguez S, Harris B, Quiterio N, Lekpeh G, Manobah B, Henderson DC, Borba CPC. Qual. Health Res. 2018; 28(12): 1827-1838.

Affiliation

Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1049732318761863

PMID

29542398

Abstract

Substance use is prevalent among youth in postconflict African countries and is associated with a number of public health problems such as poverty, child homelessness, and school truancy. This qualitative study explores the risk factors associated with substance use among Liberian youth from the perspective of public-school students. Nine focus groups were conducted with 72 Liberian public-school students (35 female, 37 male). Multiple risk factors for substance use among Liberian youth were identified through qualitative analysis, including emotional instability, gender, fear of academic failure, accessibility to substances within the school and community, poverty, and unintentional drug use. These findings are important to public health campaigns and postconflict recovery in Liberia, and may also inform prevention programs for substance use among Liberian youth.

Language: en

Keywords

West Africa; child and adolescents; focus groups; postconflict Liberia; qualitative analysis; substance use; trauma