A Study on Substance Abuse, Knowledge and Attitude about Substances in the Elementary Students

일부지역 초등학생의 약물남용과 약물에 관한 지식 및 태도

Purpose: To provide basic data for strategy of substance abuse through the investigation of the status of substance abuse and knowledge and attitude about drugs in the elementary students. Method: Subjects were 565 6th grade of elementary students. Data were collected from June to July 2001 by using structured questionnaire. Result: 1) Among the students of respondents, 10.2% of them had the experience in smoking, 26.7% and 08% of them in drinking and inhalants, respectively. 2) The degree of students' knowledge about substance was 20.9 points on average with the highest score being 30. Students' knowledge about substances, smoking came on top, next came drinking and inhalants followed them. There were no significant differences in the knowledge of substances by general and drug related characteristics of the students. 3) The students' attitude about substances was negative with 30 points on average with the highest score being 108. As for the attitude about substances, they revealed the most generous in drinking next in smoking and inhalants. Those of boys, bored in school life and experienced in substance abuse were significantly generous in the attitude about substances. 4) There was a significant weak inverse relationship between the student's knowledge and attitude about substances (r=-0.13). As for the relationship between the student's knowledge and attitude about substances, the strongest relationship was shown in inhalants (r=-0.18) next in drinking (r=-0.16) and smoking (r=-0.06). Conclusion: The results of the finding suggest that the developing of programs in substance abuse for the elementary students are needed not only for the prevention but also for the cessation.