AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND SUBSTANCE USE, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, AND AWARENESS OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BUKITTINGGI, INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21010/Ajidv19i2S.2Keywords:
Alcohol consumption, Cigarette smoking, Drug use, Adolescent reproductive health, STD awarenessAbstract
Background: The variations in behavioral health issues by sex and age among adolescents in Indonesia have not been comprehensively explored. This study aimed to describe age and gender based differences in alcohol consumption, tobacco and substance use, reproductive health knowledge, and awareness of sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention among high school students in Bukittinggi, Indonesia.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a school-based cross-sectional design conducted in Bukittinggi Municipality, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia, with a sample size of 254 secondary school students. We used multi-stage stratified clustered sampling technique to select the students, and asked the students to complete self-administered questionnaires during class on a regular school day. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, and the Chi-square test.
Results: The study revealed that while the majority had never used alcohol, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and substances, there were still some former drinkers and smokers, as well as current smokers and electronic cigarette users, especially among males aged 14-15 years. A small percentage also reported using analgesics and energy drinks. The participants generally received education about AIDS or HIV at school, but there were some misconceptions and stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV-positive individuals. Health education regarding birth control was not universal. Awareness of safe sex or STD prevention methods varied by age and gender, with varying levels of knowledge about abstinence and condom use.
Conclusion: We found slight variations among male and female students. The study findings suggested the need for sex-specific targeted interventions to improve behavioral health issues.
References
Abdul, R., Gerritsen, A.A.M., Mwangome, M., and Geubbels, E. (2018). Prevalence of self-reported symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, knowledge and sexual behaviour among youth in semi-rural Tanzania in the period of adolescent friendly health services strategy implementation. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18(1):229.
Ahammed, T., Ahmed, N.U., and Uddin, M.J. (2021). Changes in prevalence, and factors associated with tobacco use among Bangladeshi school students: evidence from two nationally representative surveys. BMC Public Health, 21(1):579.
Dube, S.R., Liu, J., Fan, A.Z., Meltzer, M.I., and Thompson, W.W. (2019). Assessment of age-related differences in smoking status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL): Findings from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1):93-103.
Folasayo, A.T., Oluwasegun, A.J., Samsudin, S., Saudi, S.N.S., Osman, M., and Hamat, R.A. (2017). Assessing the Knowledge Level, Attitudes, Risky Behaviors and Preventive Practices on Sexually Transmitted Diseases among University Students as Future Healthcare Providers in the Central Zone of Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(2):159.
Hendriyani, H., Sudargo, T., Lusmilasari, L., Helmyati, S., Susetyowati, S., and Nindrea, R. D. (2020). Complementary feeding self-efficacy: a concept analysis. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 8(F): 11–22.
Inthavong, K., Ha, L.T.H., Anh, L.T.K., and Sychareun, V. (2020). Knowledge of safe sex and sexually transmitted infections among high school students, Vientiane Prefecture, Lao PDR. Global Health Action, 13(sup2):1785159.
Kim, S., and Selya, A.S. (2020). The Relationship Between Electronic Cigarette Use and Conventional Cigarette Smoking Is Largely Attributable to Shared Risk Factors. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 22(7):1123-1130.
Kugbey, N. Prevalence and correlates of substance use among school-going adolescents (11-18years) in eight Sub-Saharan Africa countries. (2023). Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 18(1):44.
Ministry of Health, National Institute of Health Research and Development. (2013). National report on basic health research - RISKESDAS. Jakarta, Indonesia: Badan Litbangkes.
Ministry of Health, National Institute of Health Research and Development. (2018). National report on basic health research - RISKESDAS. Jakarta, Indonesia: Badan Litbangkes.
Miyoshi, Y., and Katsuno, S. (2012). [Gender differences in the association between substance abuse and lifestyles among high school students in Japan: findings from the 2009 Japanese School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs]. Nihon Arukoru Yakubutsu Igakkai Zasshi, 47(5):211-33.
National Narcotics Agency. (2021). National drug abuse survey. Jakarta, Indonesia: National Narcotics Agency.
Nawi, A.M., Ismail, R., Ibrahim, F., Hassan, M.R., Manaf, M.R.A, Amit, N., et al. (2021). Risk and protective factors of drug abuse among adolescents: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 21(1):2088.
Nindrea, R.D., Sari, N.P., Harahap, W.A., Haryono, S.J., Kusnanto, H., and Dwiprahasto, I., (2020). Survey data of COVID-19 awareness, knowledge, preparedness and related behaviors among breast cancer patients in Indonesia. Data in Brief, 32: 106145.
Nindrea, R. D., Aryandono, T., Lazuardi, L., and Dwiprahasto, I. (2019). Family history of breast cancer and breast cancer risk between malays ethnicity in Malaysia and Indonesia: a meta-analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 48(2): 198–205.
Nindrea, R.D., Darma, I.Y., Sukma, M., Mardiah, A., Agustian, D.R., and Sholihati, M. (2024). Social media use, knowledge, and attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS among high school students in an Indonesian tourism region. African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 18(2 supplementary): 16-21.
Nindrea, R.D., and Darma, I.Y. (2024). Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between sexual education and prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases awareness among secondary school students in Padang City, Indonesia. African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 19(1): 57–63.
Nindrea, R. D., Susanti, R., Pudia M. I., Maisa, B.A., Sukma, M., and Rosalina, L. (2024). Internet addiction, body mass index, bullying, and mental health among high school students in one of the tourism regions of Indonesia. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 24(2): 165–171.
Nyasulu, P., Fredericks, M., Basera, T.J., and Broomhead, S. (2018). Knowledge and risk perception of sexually transmitted infections and relevant health care services among high school students in the Platfontein San community, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Adolescent Health, Medicine, and Therapeutics, 9:189-197.
Robert Lourdes, T.G., Abd Hamid, H.A., Riyadzi, M.R., Rodzlan Hasani, W.S., Abdul Mutalip, M.H., Abdul Jabbar, N., et al. (2022). Findings from a Nationwide Study on Alcohol Consumption Patterns in an Upper Middle-Income Country. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14):8851.
Taheri, E., Ghorbani, A., Salehi, M., and Sadeghnia, H.R. (2014). Cigarette smoking behavior and the related factors among the students of mashhad university of medical sciences in Iran. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 17(1):e16769.
Wahab, S., Baharom, M.A., Abd Rahman, F.N., Wahab, K.A., Zulkifly, M.A., Azmi, A.D., and Ahmad, N. (2021). The relationship of lifetime substance-use disorder with family functioning, childhood victimisation, and depression, among juvenile offenders in Malaysia. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 14:100359.
World Health Organization. (2021). WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2021: Addressing new and emerging products. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2018). Report on global sexually transmitted infection surveillance. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 African Journal of Infectious Diseases (AJID)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials. View License Deed | View Legal Code Authors can also self-archive their manuscripts immediately and enable public access from their institution's repository. This is the version that has been accepted for publication and which typically includes author-incorporated changes suggested during submission, peer review and in editor-author communications.
