Analysis of Capability, Motivation and Opportunity to Prevent Substance Abuse in Sensation Seeking Students on the Outskirts of a City in Eastern Iran: A Qualitative Study Using a Focus Group Discussion

Abstract

Background: Usually, substance abuse begins in adolescence. The prevalence of alcohol use among Iranian adolescents (15 to 18 years old) is 15%, opium use is 3.1%, and ecstasy use is 5.6%. Young people who score high on the sensation-seeking trait tend to be more prone to substance abuse and an early experience in using. In this respect, environmental factors also act as a mediator or moderator.According to the COM_B model (Capability (C), Opportunity (O), Motivation (M), Behavior (B)), substance abuse can be observed in situations where a person has the necessary physical and mental abilities, the necessary opportunities, and competing motivations.Methods: To better understand substance abuse preventions' capability, motivation, and opportunities, we conducted a focus group discussion with 18 participants (high school male students) from the outskirts of Birjand, who received a positive score from the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Questionnaires' summary form. The group discussion was conducted using a guide to semi-structured questions based on COM-B model constructs. Results: Students' knowledge of substance cognition, side effects, and consequences of addiction were incomplete. Some students believed that substance use was a way to control or vent emotions and that smoking was a sedative, and private spaces and uncrowded public places were physical environments that students cited for engaging in substance use.Conclusions: In order to achieve more precise prevention interventions against adolescents' tendency for substance abuse and to have a more significant impact on their behaviors, it is beneficial to study the three identified factors in some of the target individuals before intervention.