Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Volume 9 Number 6 June 2017 ISSN 2141-2316 ABOUT JPHE The Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology (JPHE) is published monthly (one volume per year) by Academic Journals. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology (JPHE) is an open access journal that provides rapid publication (monthly) of articles in all areas of the subject such as health observatory, biostatistics, occupational health, behavioral medicine etc. The Journal welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of significance and scientific excellence. Papers will be published shortly after acceptance. All articles published in JPHE are peer-reviewed. Contact Us Editorial Office: [email protected] Help Desk: [email protected] Website: http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/JPHE Submit manuscript online http://ms.academicjournals.me/ Editors Professor Mostafa A. Abolfotouh Professor of Family & Community Medicine Head of Medical Team - Biobanking Section. 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Box 1210-40100 Kisumu USA Kenya Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Table of Content: Volume 9 Number 6 June 2017 Perceptions of school going adolescents about substance abuse in Ramotswa, Botswana 151 Garechaba Gotsang, Yohana Mashalla and Esther Seloilwe Community based cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes and practices towards rabies in Munesa District, Arsi Zone, Southeastern Ethiopia 161 Nejash Abdela and Endale Teshome Socio-demographic profile of individuals who received care from a Brazilian out-patient oncology clinic between 2010 and 2011 171 Bárbara Luisa Fermino, Elaine Ramos, Felipe Nathanael Coelho Vaz, Maria Vaitsa Loch Haskel, Larissa De Lima Faustino, João Batista Teixeira Da Rocha and Juliana Sartori Bonini Delivery at home and associated factors among women in child bearing age, who gave birth in the preceding two years in Zala Woreda, southern Ethiopia 177 Bedilu Kucho and Niguse Mekonnen Assessment of respiratory symptoms and associated factors among solid waste collectors in Yeka Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 189 Zerihun Emiru, Meaza Gezu, Tesfaye Yitna Chichiabellu, Lemma Dessalegn and Antehun Alemayehu Anjulo Vol. 9(6), pp. 151-160, June 2017 DOI: 10.5897/JPHE2017.0930 Article Number: FEF931464373 Journal of Public Health and ISSN 2141-2316 Copyright © 2017 Epidemiology Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/JPHE Full Length Research Paper Perceptions of school going adolescents about substance abuse in Ramotswa, Botswana Garechaba Gotsang1, Yohana Mashalla2* and Esther Seloilwe2 1Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana. 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. Received 2 March, 2017; Accepted 18 April, 2017 Drug and substance abuse is a global public health problem affecting adolescents and young adults especially in developing countries. This study investigated the perceptions of school-going adolescents about substance abuse in Ramotswa, Botswana. A cross-sectional design study using mixed methods was used to collect data from primary, junior and senior secondary school children aged 13 to 19 years. Some 207 school children were recruited into the study. Almost equal numbers of boys and girls had ever used substances prior to this study and the overall prevalence of substance use is 17.4%. The media is the major source of awareness and knowledge of substances and most schools (59.9%) do not have strategies for reducing abuse of substances. School surroundings provide school children easy access to substances. Knowledge of the association of substance use and abuse is high with mental health (74.9%), traffic accidents (70.7%) and 58.5% with heart diseases. It is concluded concerted effort is needed involving major stakeholders to scale-up campaigns for reducing drug and substance abuse among school children. This can be achieved through raising awareness about the consequences of substance abuse; building capacity to strengthen coping mechanisms to stress and to those presenting with effects resulting from use of these substances and review academic curricula. Key words: Adolescents, drugs, substance abuse, perception, knowledge. INTRODUCTION The 21st Century is characterised by drug and substance Africa (UNODC, 2013a). With respect to drug abuse, abuse as a global public health challenge (Owoaje and drugs are substances that have detrimental effects on the Bello, 2010). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime user including physical, mental, and emotional as well as (UNODC) estimated that between 3.6 and 6.9% of the behavioural (Whichstrom and Hegna, 2003, Galea et al., global adult population aged 15 to 64 years has ever 2004, UNODC, 2013b). Drug abuse is now generally used an illicit substance (WHO, 2004). Opiates are defined as excessive or inappropriate use of a psycho- among the commonly used substances in Europe, USA active substance by a person; such user being and Asia; cocaine in Southern America and cannabis in considered or judged to be illegal (immoral) by the culture *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License 152 J. Public Health Epidemiol. and resulting in harm to the person or society (Pela and World Report stated that the highest cannabis production Ebie, 1982). occurred in the African continent where about 1547 kg of The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined marijuana (Cannabis) was confiscated in Botswana adolescence as a period in human growth and (UNODC, 2007). Additional reports in Botswana show development that occurs after childhood and before that alcohol is the commonest (95%) substance of abuse adulthood, from ages 10 to19. It represents one of the among school children and cannabis, glue, and other critical transitions in life and is characterised by a ecstasy drugs were also used by adolescents (1%), tremendous pace in growth and change that is second (Botswana Alcohol AIDS Surveillance, 2004). The only to that of infancy (WHO, 2011). Studies in Asia, Botswana Youth Risk Behavioural Surveillance (2011) Europe and USA have reported a significant increase in reported common substances of abuse among school drug abuse amongst adolescents and youths (Stanton et children being tobacco (18.6%), alcohol (16.6%), al., 2001, Babaola et al., 2013, Brooks et al., 2003, cannabis (14.9%) and snuff (13.8%). Other substances Deressa and Azazh 2011, UNODC, 2013, Gebreslassie according to the report were cocaine and ecstasy at 5.6 et al., 2013, Osman 2016) therefore, calling for a and 3.7% respectively. These reports support that drug thorough investigation on the factors behind this trend. and substance use among school children is a public Some countries have introduced