Socio-ecological influences of adolescence marijuana use initiation: Qualitative evidence from two illicit marijuana-growing communities in South Africa

South African Journal of Psychiatry

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Socio-ecological influences of adolescence marijuana use initiation: Qualitative evidence from two illicit marijuana-growing communities in South Africa
 
Creator Manu, Emmanuel Douglas, Mbuyiselo Ayanore, Martin A.
 
Subject — socio-ecological model; substance abuse; marijuana use; adolescence; Ingquza Hill local municipality; South Africa
Description Background: Adolescence has been identified as a critical risk period for substance use initiation, such as marijuana. Although several factors have been cited for adolescent marijuana use, those that influence initiation, especially in an African setting where illicit marijuana activities are rife, have not been contextually explored.Aim: We ascertained the factors that influence adolescent marijuana use initiation in two marijuana-growing communities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, based on the constructs of the socio-ecological model.Setting: The study was conducted in two selected illicit marijuana growing communities in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Methods: Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 37 participants, grouped into four focus groups. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select the communities and participants, respectively. An FGD guide was used to collect the data. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis approach and presented under various themes.Results: Twelve influences of adolescent marijuana use initiation, grouped under three main levels of socio-ecological influence, personal characteristics (curiosity, shyness and fulfilment of personal need), micro-level influences (peer pressure, negative school climate, presence of marijuana in households and parental or sibling marijuana use) and macro-level influences (child labour, poverty, presence of marijuana in communities, presence of negative adult role models and breakdown in communal restrictions against marijuana use), were found.Conclusion: Health promotion programmes, targeting socio-ecological motives of adolescent marijuana use initiation in the two communities, should be intensified to break the cycle of adolescent marijuana use. Also, alternative livelihood schemes should be implemented in the affected communities to break the cycle of illegal marijuana cultivation that promotes adolescent marijuana use.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2020-08-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v26i0.1477
 
Source South African Journal of Psychiatry; Vol 26 (2020); 11 pages 2078-6786 1608-9685
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1477/1753 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1477/1752 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1477/1754 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1477/1751
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Emmanuel Manu, Mbuyiselo Douglas, Martin A. Ayanore https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT