Psychosocial Correlates of Cannabis Use among a Sample of Nigerian University Students

Abstract

Cannabis use among undergraduates is increasingly becoming a serious problem in Nigerian universities, with empirical reports showing its potential effects on academic performance and psychosocial health. There are however, paucity of research on possible psychosocial factors  influencing cannabis consumption among Nigerian university students. This research examined parenting styles, self-esteem and peer pressure as correlates of cannabis use among undergraduates of Nigerian Army University, Biu. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, using snowballing technique to recruit 106 students across all the Departments of the university. Standardised instruments were utilised to assess demographic information, parenting styles, self-esteem, peer pressure and cannabis use behaviour of the participants. Multiple regression was used to analyse the data, in line with research objective. Result indicated that authoritarian parenting and peer pressure are significant correlates of students’ cannabis use, while authoritative, permissive and self-esteem were not significantly related with students’ cannabis use. However, results further showed a significant joint influence of parenting styles, self-esteem and peer pressure on cannabis use, accounting for 13% of its variance. These results indicate that parenting, particularly strict and over controlling parenting and peer influences are the major reasons why university students indulge in cannabis use. It is recommended that university authority and parents should take cognizance of these factors to reduce the menace of cannabis use among undergraduates in Nigerian universities.