Substance abuse disorder: a cross-sectional study assessing status in rural economically productive population of field practice area of tertiary care hospital in central India

Abstract

Background: The epidemic of substance abuse in young generation has assumed alarming dimensions in India. Changing cultural values, increasing economic stress and dwindling supportive bonds are leading to initiation into substance use. Cannabis, heroin, and Indian-produced pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in India. Economically productive age group is (15-59 yrs) is a vulnerable group for usage of substance abuse leading to an interest of researcher for conducting the study. Present study aims preliminarily on the prevalence of usage of alcohol and other substances of abuse locally available like cannabis and its products, morphine and its products and pharmaceutical drugs of abuse without prescription in rural India. Secondly study aims to estimate the association of substance abuse disorder with various socio-demographic variables.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 430 participants residing in six selected villages of rural field practice area of native tertiary care hospital. Statistical Analysis: Statistical methods which applied are: percentage and proportion, mean and standard deviation, chi-square test.Results: Present study showed almost 11.4% participants had high possibility of getting diagnosed with substance abuse disorder while an association found with age, marital status, gender and occupation of participants.Conclusions: The present study revealed that more than 10% study participants(11.4%) of had the probability of suffering from some kind of substance abuse disorder indicating it’s a public health problem in rural India. Study results opens a door toward less discussed rural population in contexts of substance abuse.