Predictive Factors of Self-Protective Behaviors Against Drug Abuse Among the Undergraduate Students: A Study in Educational Institutions in Udon Thani Province

Abstract

The trend of substance abuse is steadily increasing, impacting the physical and mental health of adolescents. The objective of this research is to study the preventive behavior against substance abuse among the undergraduate students and factors associated with and factors predicting behavior to protect oneself from drugs. The study focuses on students in Udon Thani Province, with a sample of 185 undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire, and the quality of the tool was assessed by examining its content validity from three experts, yielding an IOC value between 0.67-1.00. The reliability of the instrument was 0.95. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The research results showed that the sample group had an average score of self-protection behavior against drug use of 7.84 (SD = 1.49), with the highest score at a high level of 57.80%. Testing for predictive factors revealed that the variables capable of predicting self-protection behavior against drug use were self-efficacy expectation in preventing drug addiction ( = 0.188, p < 0.01) and social support ( = 0.271, p < 0.01). These factors together could predict 13.8% of the students' self-protection behavior against drug use (R² = 0.138, p < 0.01). The study results indicate that the undergraduate students in Udon Thani Province possess knowledge and skills in self-protection against substance abuse. Additionally, future research should involve conducting group interviews to further explore this topic.