Peer Pressure and Socioeconomic Factors as Determinants of Substance Abuse among Youths in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Substance abuse among youths remains a growing public health and social welfare concern in Nigeria,
with Oyo State recording one of the highest prevalence rates in the South-West region. While peer influence
and socioeconomic disadvantage have both been implicated as drivers of youth substance use, much of the
existing literature treats these determinants in isolation, leaving a gap in context-specific evidence for
urban centres such as Ibadan. This study investigates the individual and combined influence of peer
pressure and socioeconomic factors on substance abuse among youths aged 15 to 30 years in Ibadan
Metropolis. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was adopted, and a sample of 384 respondents was
determined using Cochran's formula, drawn through a multi-stage sampling technique combining
stratified, simple random, and purposive sampling across Ibadan North and Oluyole Local Government
Areas. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising a peer pressure scale, a
socioeconomic factors scale, and the Substance Abuse Screening Test, and 372 valid responses were
retrieved and analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and ANOVA were
used to test the hypotheses. Findings reveals that peer pressure significantly predicts substance abuse (R²
= 0.425, p < 0.05), while socioeconomic factors independently accounts for 49.6% of the variance in
substance use (R² = 0.496, p < 0.05). Specific indicators, including family income, parental employment,
educational access, and housing conditions, are also significant predictors (R² = 0.609, p < 0.05). When
combined, peer pressure and socioeconomic factors jointly explains 53.5% of the variance in substance
abuse (R² = 0.535, p < 0.05), with peer pressure exerting a slightly stronger effect. The study concludes
that youth substance abuse in Ibadan is a multifactorial phenomenon shaped jointly by social conformity
and economic disadvantage, and recommends integrated peer-led education, family support, and poverty-
reduction interventions as complementary strategies for prevention.