The Extent of Alcoholism among Parents in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Alcoholism is a global problem that causes many problems including deaths. In Kenya, alcohol is cheap, readily available and is the most abused drug according to a research by National Campaign against Drug Abuse and has affected nearly three-quarters of families. The cognitive development process during adolescence is very important for understanding the reasons why this period presents heightened risk for the appearance of behavioral problems, such as substance abuse by parents. The motivation if this study is on the basis of establishing extent of alcoholism among parents in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study was guided by the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura, Erik Erickson's Theory of Psychosocial Development and Cognitive development Theory. Cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. The study population consisted of Primary School Pupils, Guidance and Counseling Teachers, Class Teachers, Senior Teachers, Sub-County Education Officers, Parents/Teachers Association Committee Members from the sampled schools, Assistant County Commissioners and Probation Officers. Simple random sampling was used to select the sub-counties; purposive random sampling was used to select the schools; then stratified simple random sampling to pick pupils from each class in standard seven from the randomly selected schools. The total sample size was 400. Questionnaires, interview schedules, and observation checklists was used to collect primary data. Secondary data was also used. Expert's opinion was sought to ensure the validity of the research instruments. On the other hand, reliability of the research instruments was attained using Cronbach Alpha of coefficient which was over the recommended 0.7 in social sciences. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and means and inferential statistics such as Karl Pearson correlation and Analysis of Variance. The study established that majority of parent's drink alcohol in Bungoma County. The study recommends church leadership to take a leading role in fighting alcoholism. Alcohol brewers are also encouraged to engage in other viable economic activities. The study further recommends for proactive policies from all interested and concerned stakeholders to curb alcoholism in Bungoma County and beyond. The study was limited to Bungoma County. Future studies are encouraged to be carried out in other parts of the country and compare the findings. The findings further form a basis for reference by researchers and other interested parties in future.