Thesis:

Influence of psychosocial factors on awareness of substance abuse prevention and treatment among catholic youths in Njoro sub-county

The research aimed at investigating the influence psychosocial factors such as, socioeconomic status (SES), literacy and culture on awareness of substance abuse prevention and treatment among youths. With the persistent high prevalence of substance abuse among the youths, concerns have emerged regarding the level of awareness of the youths on how substance abuse can be prevented and treated. The study leveraged on social learning and cultural competency theories to tailor guide the exploration of the different dimensions. A quantitative method was in the study and data was collected utilizing an online survey. The target population was the registered Catholic youths from Njoro Deanery and aged above 18 years. Purposive sampling was used to select 292 youths out of the population size of 1216 registered youths. Data collected was analyzed for descriptive statistics, correlations and regression between the psychosocial factors and awareness of substance abuse prevention and treatment. In the study, 175 participants were male while 117 were females. The results of the study showed that SES (M=2.49, SD=0.93) and Literacy Levels (M=3.31, SD=0.73) hand strong, statistically significant and positive influence on awareness of substance abuse prevention and treatment (M=3.05, SD=0.86). Culture (M=3.4, SD=0.33) however, showed a statistically significant but weak positive correlation with awareness while Gender did not yield any significant relationship with awareness or the other psychosocial factors. The regression models fitted to test for mediation effect of gender revealed that gender does not have any mediation effect in the relationship between the three psychosocial factors and awareness of substance abuse. The study thus concluded that SES and literacy are the most crucial influencers and predictors of awareness among the Njoro Sub-country catholic youths accounting for about 70% of the variations in their awareness while culture played a smaller role in the relationship. The study attributes this finding to modern influences like social media and peer groups which may override traditional cultural messages. Besides, the study focused on a religious population which was potentially a preservative in regards to cultural practices that contradicts their faith.