Evaluating the Effectiveness of Preventive Strategies and Social Media Influences on Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Outcomes in Uyo Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria

Abstract

Social media had been noticed to have either a positive or negative influence on adolescents, while governments and non-governmental bodies, including individuals, had put up strategies to mitigate substance abuse among adolescents who are users of social media. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive strategies and social media influences on adolescent substance abuse preventive outcomes in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was adopted, while the Krejcie and Morgan formula was used to arrive at the sample size of 351. Data was collection using a validated questionnaire, SPSS version 26 and ANOVA were used for data analysis. Findings from the study indicated that adolescents are familiar with the strategies to prevent substance abuse influenced by social media (mean=3.74, SD=1.29). Teens agreed (mean score 3.83, SD = 1.00) that following the lead of a favourite celebrity or content creator who uses drugs encourages them not to adhere to preventive measures. Regarding the hypothesis, there was a significant relationship between social media-related factors and the effectiveness of preventive strategies.