KNOWLEDGE, RISK PERCEPTION AND PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN ACHIEVERS UNIVERSITY, OWO

This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, risk perception and practice associated with psychoactive use among undergraduates at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State. The study employed a descriptive research design. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 399 undergraduates from the target population. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the result presented in frequency tables. Findings from the study revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 22±3.13 years with 42.4% of the respondents within the age range of 21-25 years. The study further revealed that 51.6% of the respondents had inadequate level of knowledge about psychoactive substance use while 48.4% of the respondents had adequate level of knowledge about psychoactive substance use. However, 72.4% of the respondents had positive risk perception of psychoactive substance use while 27.6% had negative risk perception of psychoactive substance use. Majority of the respondents (83.0%) had good practice associated with psychoactive substance use and few (17.0%) had poor practice associated with psychoactive substance use. The major factors that influenced their practice were to get personal pleasure, to get relief from tension, to stay awake at night, divorce by parents or broken home, to get relief from pain. There was a significant relationship between age and practice associated with psychoactive use among undergraduate. There was no significant relationship between gender level of study and academic performance and practice associated with psychoactive use among undergraduate. Furthermore, there was also no significant relationship between knowledge and practice associated with psychoactive substance use among undergraduate. The study concluded that the knowledge level of psychoactive use among the undergraduates of Achievers University, Owo was inadequate although they had positive risk perception. However, they had good practice associated with psychoactive substance use.