Comparative Analysis of Academic Performance According to Substance Use Status of Students of Ambo University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background. Studies have shown that students use substances for different reasons including: to enhance their academic performance, for stimulant effect, to overcome stress and to be integrated with substance using community (groups). The aim of this study was to test whether the academic performance of substance user is different from that of non-substance user students.

Methods. Cross sectional study design was employed to analyze the academic performance of 133 (60 substance users and 73 non-users) undergraduate graduates of 2017 at Ambo University, College of medicine and health sciences. Independent t-test was performed to compare substance user students’ academic performance with that of non-substance user students.

Results. Out of the study participants, 60(45.1%) have used at least one of the substances (alcohol, khat or cigarette). The most commonly used substance was alcohol. The average cumulative grade point (CGPA) of substance users was 3.20 (SD=0.42) while it was 3.16 (SD=0.45) for non-substance users. CGPA mean difference between substance user and non-substance students was not statistically significant (Mean difference=0.04; 95% CI: -0.11 to 0.19; t=0.549,df=131, p-value=0.584).

Conclusion. The findings suggest that substance users and non-substance users students’ academic performance was similar. The hypothesis test result was against substance user students’ perception of substance use to enhance academic performance. Therefore, substance user students were compromised their health and social functioning for no more better educational attainment than non-substance user students.

Keywords: Academic performance, comparative analysis, independent t-test, substance use.

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/67-01

Publication date:October 31^st 2019