Indian Journal of Youth and Adolescent Health (E-ISSN: 2349-2880)

Sexual Abuse Among In-School and Out-Of-School Adolescents In Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

Ayodele Arinola Feyisara — 2026-06-24

Background: Sexual abuse during adolescence is prevalent globally. Out-of-school adolescents in Nigeria face greater social and environmental hazards, yet comparisons with in-school peers remain scarce. This study evaluated knowledge, behaviours, and determinants of sexual abuse among adolescents in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study of 650 adolescents (325 in-school, 325 out-of-school) aged 10–19 years, selected via multistage sampling. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires and 20 in-depth interviews, and analysed with IBM SPSS version 21.

Results: Out-of-school adolescents showed higher exposure to rape, fondling, and pornography. In-school adolescents had better overall abuse knowledge, while out-of-school adolescents had better rape-specific knowledge (73.2%). Key determinants among in-school adolescents included older age, male gender, living arrangements, smoking, pornography use, and transactional sex. Among out-of-school adolescents, determinants included alcohol use, guardian living arrangements, and early sexual initiation. Fear, stigma, and threats were the main barriers to disclosure.

Conclusions: Both groups experience elevated sexual abuse, with out-of-school adolescents more vulnerable. Preventive measures should include family involvement, community education, stronger law enforcement, and school-based guidance programmes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2582.3280.202607

How to cite this article:
Feyisara A A, Alatishe-Muhammed B W, Olakunle S W, Ogunniyi J O, Adedeji A S. Sexual Abuse Among In-School and Out-of-School Adolescents in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. Ind J Youth Adol Health. 2026;13(2):3-11.

Substance Abuse among Youth and Adolescents: Epidemiology, Psychosocial Determinants, Prevention Strategies, and Public Health Implications in India

Ananya Mukherjee — 2026-07-02

Background: The problem of substance abuse is gaining growing importance as a public health challenge both internationally and in India, due to the serious physical, mental, emotional, social and academic consequences associated with this behaviour among young people. Adolescence is a particular vulnerable period of development, marked by increased exploration, identity maturation and changes that belies other associated physical systems yet deteriorating emotional stability needing social peer support and driven impulsive behavioural response such as substance use. The substances that commonly abuse can be divided the age group of adolescents such as alcohol, tobacco, nicotine products like vape pens (e-cigarettes), cannabis, opioids (prescription painkillers and heroin), inhalants (substances that are temporarily sniffed or inhaled to achieve a short-term high)All drugs or steroids which includes amphetamines, cocaine-like stimulants known by common brand names including Vicodin. The increasing substance use among adolescents can be attributed to multiple factors like rapid urbanization, attitudinal change in the society, peer pressure, dysfunctional family life, higher rate of academic stress and digital media exposure along with ineffective coping strategies.

Results: The available epidemiological evidence shows that alcohol and tobacco are still the most used psychoactive substances among adolescents, followed by cannabis, inhalants, opioids and other emerging substances. The results of this review indicate a strong association between adolescent substance abuse and various sociopsychological risk factors such as peer influence, dysfunctional family environment, emotional problems, adverse childhood experiences, inadequate parental control, low self-esteem, mental illnesses in adolescence and social media. Neurobiological findings show that robust immature executive functioning and heightened dopaminergic reward sensitivity during adolescence increases the likelihood of experimentation and addiction. On the path less covered substance use in adolescents is a contribution factor to dropping out of school, poor academic performance, school absenteeism, violence risk behaviours including risky sexual behaviour and driving under influence of substances. Public health evidence strongly reinforces concerns on the easy availability of psychoactive substances and insufficient knowledge in youth populations, especially for low- and middle-income settings like India.

Discussion: A holistic, multidisciplinary and youth-specific approach encompassing prevention, early identification, mental health promotion, psychosocial counselling, rehabilitation and community engagement is warranted to address adolescent substance use. Certainly, school-based education, parental involvement, access to adolescent-friendly health services, behavioural counselling and life-skill training, community peer support services and public health awareness programs are key components for reducing vulnerability and preventing a well-established pattern of substance use and long-term addiction. Enhancing regulatory policies, improving access to mental healthcare, reducing stigma and implementing culturally relevant interventions are quintessential to avert the increasing menace of substance abuse among adolescents. The findings provide the first evidence, drawn from multiple sites across eight countries on three continents, for a significant and dose-response association between suicidal ideation in adolescence and medium- to long-term health and social outcomes, supporting early prevention and coordinated public health action as core mechanisms to promote positive adolescent development.

DOI: 10.24321/2349.2880.202608

How to cite this article:
Mukherjee A, Sharma R, Bharadwaj I. Substance Abuse Among Youth and Adolescents: Epidemiology, Psychosocial Determinants, Prevention Strategies, and Public Health Implications in India. Ind J Youth Adol Health. 2026;13(2):29-37.

Tree Plantation Drive – A step towards Viksit Bharat

Prof. (Dr.) Jugal Kishore — 2026-06-22

The Viksit Bharat Programme is a national initiative aimed at engaging citizens, especially youth, in building a developed and sustainable India by 2047. Through the Yuva Connect component, youngsters are encouraged to participate in several activities such as environmental conservation, social service, and community development.

As part of the “Viksit Bharat Yuva Connect Program”, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32, in collaboration with IAAH, Chandigarh branch organized a tree plantation drive on its campus with the vision of creating a greener and healthier future. The Director-Principal Dr. G.P. Thami inaugurated the event by planting a sapling and highlighted the importance of environmental protection in building a sustainable India in the presence of Medical Superintendent Dr. Dasari Harish and Nodal Officer Dr. Sonia Puri. Faculty members from different departments also actively participated, reinforcing the collective responsibility of healthcare professionals in promoting ecological well-being.

Strengthening Adolescent Health Policy and Clinical Services in Nigeria: Evidence from Facility-Based Data

Joshua Olusola Ogunniyi — 2026-06-24

Adolescent health plays a vital role in population wellbeing and national development, yet it remains insufficiently prioritised within routine healthcare delivery in Nigeria and many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study reviewed facility-based health records of adolescents collected between September and December 2025 to identify common health conditions and gaps in service delivery. Records from forty-two adolescents aged 15–18 years showed that sexual and reproductive health concerns were most frequent, with menstrual disorders—particularly dysmenorrhoea—being the leading complaint. Cases of unplanned pregnancy and incomplete abortion reflected persistent barriers to youth-friendly contraceptive information and confidential reproductive care. Additional presentations included preventable acute illnesses and emerging psychosocial and mental health challenges, indicating delayed health-seeking behaviour and limited adolescent-responsive services. The findings highlight a critical disconnect between national adolescent health policies and their implementation within clinical settings. Expanding adolescent-friendly services, integrating mental health screening, and strengthening provider capacity are essential for improving adolescent health outcomes and advancing Nigeria’s human capital development.

DOI: https://doi.org/.10.24321/2349.2880.202606

How to cite this article:
Ogunniyi J O, Alatishe-Muhammad B W, Bolarinwa O A, Raji H O, Adeniran A, Ibrahim S O, Ijaiya M. Strengthening Adolescent Health Policy and Clinical Services in Nigeria: Evidence from Facility-Based Data. Ind J Youth Adol Health. 2026;13(2):12-14.

A Book Useful for Promotion of Adolescent Health

Prof. (Dr.) Jugal Kishore — 2026-06-22

The WHO has defined health as – ‘the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity’, and we, the members of Indian Association for Adolescent Health who have undertaken the mission of promotion of health of the youth and adolescent of our country are responsible to accomplish this task adopting all possible healthy means. As a matter of professional ethics, all missionaries of adolescent health promotion work, thus, need to remain proactive to ensure complete wellbeing of the youth and the adolescent in our society. As it implies, besides other things, we need to explore different ways and make use of different resources to achieve our mission. And in this, a literature too works as an effective tool, because a good literature bears such valuable elements of moral teachings that makes it capable of enriching societal culture and in turn, promotion of the health of the youth and adolescent. Therefore, an effective and suitable literature search is required so that it can be made available to our youth and adolescents.