Influence of Abortion Stigma, Behaviour Pattern and Distress Tolerance on Substance use among Adolescents

Abstract

The study assessed the influence of abortion stigma, behaviour pattern and distress tolerance on substance use among adolescents. In determining the influence of abortion stigma, behaviour pattern and distress tolerance on substance use among adolescents, four (4) scales were used namely; Abortion stigma Scale by Shellenberg. Levandowski. B., Hessini, L. (2014), Type A behaviour scale by Omoluabi, (1997). Distress tolerance scale by Simon and Gaher's (2005), and Substance use scale by Montgomery County Court Referral Program (Court Administered Alcohol & Drug Service Program) (2012). Participants were 217 students from three secondary schools in uyo, Akwalbom state. The sample for this study included 106 males and 111 females selected using purposive sampling technique. The design used in this study was cross sectional survey design and statistics used for this study was a 2*2><2 analysis of variance for unequal sample size. The result of the findings showed that abortion stigma had a significant influence on substance use among adolescents [F, (1209) =26.36,P<0.01J. Behaviour pattern exerted a significant influence on substance use among adolescents [F, (1209) =6.29, P<.05J. Distress tolerance did not exert a significant influence on substance use among adolescents. Therefore, two of the hypotheses were accepted and the other two were rejected. Recommendation and suggestion for further study was also advanced.