INTRODUCTION:

Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.¹ It is a global concern with wide-ranging health and social consequences. Adolescents, especially those in higher secondary education, are at a vulnerable age due to peer influence and emotional instability.²

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

Globally, substance abuse has led to alarming health statistics. According to WHO, alcohol consumption alone accounts for millions of deaths annually. Harmful use of alcohol contributes to approximately 3.3 million deaths annually.³

Moreover, about 15.3 million individuals suffer from substance use disorders. In India, the prevalence of substance use among adolescents is increasing, with Kerala showing one of the highest per capita alcohol consumption rates. Police registered 26699 cases under the NDPS act in 2022 making a 300% increase since 2016.⁴These alarming trends necessitate the importance structured awareness programs to prevent early initiation of substance abuse among higher secondary students. Adolescence are particularly vulnerable to peer influence risk taking behaviour and experimentation with substanced.⁵

RESEARCH STATEMENT:

A study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding substance abuse among higher secondary school students in a selected school, Kottayam District

OBJECTIVES:

· To assess the pre-test level of knowledge regarding substance abuse among higher secondary school students.

· To administer a structured teaching programme regarding substance abuse.

· To assess the post-test level of knowledge regarding substance abuse among higher secondary school students.

· To evaluate the effectiveness of the structured teaching programme by comparing pre-test and post-test knowledge scores.

· To find an association between pre-test knowledge scores and selected demographic variables.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS:

● Assess: The process of measuring knowledge of substance abuse through structured questionnaires.

● Knowledge: Awareness or understanding about substance abuse evaluated using a structured questionnaire.

● Effectiveness: The degree to which the structured teaching programme improves the knowledge level of higher secondary school students regarding substance abuse. It is measured by the difference in scores between the pre-test and post-test knowledge assessments.

● Secondary School Students: Students aged 15–18 years enrolled in classes XI and XII.

● Substance Abuse: The harmful or inappropriate use of substances like alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs.

ASSUMPTIONS:

● Students have varying levels of knowledge regarding substance abuse.

● Knowledge towards substance abuse may be influenced by family, environment, peers, and social media.

● Students may lack accurate information about harmful effects of substance abuse.

● Students share their views honestly if confidentiality and anonymity are assured.

● A structured educational program regarding substance can enhance their knowledge.

HYPOTHESES:

H₀: There is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores on substance abuse among higher secondary school students.

H₁: There is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores on substance abuse among higher secondary school students.

DELIMITATIONS:

● The Study is delimited to the students of Higher Secondary classes of selected school

● The study will assess only knowledge, not actual behavior or substance abuse history.

● Only those who gave informed consent are included in the sample.

● Data is collected only using structured questionnaire

PROJECTED OUTCOME:

The Study is aimed to identify gaps in knowledge about substance abuse among Higher Secondary students. The study serves as a baseline for future research or school based preventive programs.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Research Approach:

Quantitative research approach

Research Design:

Quasi experimental design.

Population of the study:

The target population consisted of students aged 15–18 years, enrolled in classes XI and XII at the selected school.

Sample:

In this study the sample size is 40 students in selected school.

Sample size:

A sample of 40 students from classes XI and XII was selected for the study.

Sampling Technique:

The sampling technique used for the study is the non-probability convenience sampling

Criteria for sample selection:

Inclusion Criteria:

● Students aged 15–18 years

● Boys and girls studying in classes XI and XII

● Students willing to participate

● Present during the data collection period

Exclusion Criteria:

● Students below 15 or above 18 years

● Students with known psychological illness

● Students unwilling to participate.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:

Data collection is the process of collecting the data needed for the study.

INSTRUMENT:

The instrument used for the study was a structured knowledge questionnaire developed after thorough reviewing of various literatures and articles.

Description of the tool:

Tool I: Demographic data (age, sex, socioeconomic status, parental education and occupation, family history of substance use, etc.)

Tool II: 20 questions to assess knowledge on substance abuse

Each correct answer = 1 mark

Score Range: 0–20

Score key

0–07 : Poor

08–15 : Average

15–20 : Good

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

Table 1: Tabulated representation of percentage and frequency distribution of sample population according to demographic data (n=40)

Sample characteristics	f	%
Age
16	8	20%
17	32	80%
Gender
Male	19	47.5%
Female	21	52.5%
Family
Nuclear	30	75%
Joint	10	25%
Residence
Urban	6	15%
Rural	25	62.5%
Semi urban	9	22.5%
Father’s Education
High school	13	32.5%
Higher Secondary School	16	40%
Degree and above	11	27.5%
Father’s Occupation
Unskilled	25	62.5%
Skilled	15	37.5%
Mother’s Education
High school	8	20%
Higher Secondary School	11	27.5%
Degree and above	21	52.5%
Mother’s Occupation
Unskilled	22	55%
Skilled	18	45%
Previous knowledge on substance abuse
Yes	23	57.5%
No	17	42.5%
Source of information
Friends	5	22%
Internet	18	78%
History of substance abuse by family members
Yes	4	10%
No	33	82.5%
Don’t Know	3	7.5%

Assessment of level of knowledge regarding substance abuse before and administering structured teaching programme.

Table 2: Frequency and percentage distribution of samples based on pretest and posttest knowledge score.

Level of knowledge		Pretest				Posttest
	Frequency		%		Frequency		%
Poor		14		35%		0		0%
Average		26		65%		23		42.5%
Good		0		0%		17		57.5%

The above table shows frequency and percentage distribution of samples based on pretest and posttest. The data shows among 40 samples 14 (35%) have poor knowledge 26 (65%) have average knowledge in pretest. The posttest shows 17 (57.5%) having good knowledge 23 (42.5%) having average knowledge among 40 samples.

Table 3: Analysis of the effect of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding substance abuse among higher secondary students. (n=40)

Know-ledge	Mean	S.D	Difference of mean		t value	p value	Significance
Pre Test	8.625	2.341	0.049	12.272		2.021	Significant
Post Test	13.875	2.390	0.049	12.272		2.021	Significant

The above table indicates that obtained t-value (12.272) is greater than the table value (2.021) at 0.05 level of significance. Thus, the null hypothesis (H₀) is rejected and research hypothesis (H₁) is accepted, which indicates that there is a significant difference in the pre-test knowledge and post-test knowledge of secondary school students

Table 4: The association between selected demographic variable and level of knowledge on substance abuse.

Demographic variable

Level of knowledge

d (f)

Chi square

p value

Average

Poor

Age

16yrs

17yrs

0.0272

3.84

Gender

Male

Female

0.051

3.84

Type of family

Nuclear

Joint

1.317

3.84

Residence

Urban

Rural

Semiurban

1.169

5.99

Education of father

Highschool

Higher secondary

Degree and above

6.369

5.99

Education of mother

Highschool

Higher secondary

Degree and above

0.448

5.99

Occupation of father

Skilled

Unskilled

0.027

3.84

Occupation of mother

Skilled

Unskilled

0.215

3.84

Previous knowledge

Yes

1.598

3.84

Source

Friends

Internet

8.337

3.84

Family history

Yes

Don’t know

3.626

5.99

RESULTS:

1. The study shows that among 40 samples 14 (35%) have poor knowledge 26 (65%) have average knowledge in pretest. The posttest shows 17 (57.5%) having good knowledge 23 (42.5%) having average knowledge.

2. The structured teaching programme was effective in improving the knowledge regarding substance abuse.

3. There is a significant association between fathers’ education and source of information about substance abuse.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS:

Nursing Education:

Incorporate substance abuse prevention modules into nursing curricula.

Nursing Practice:

Nurses can organize school-based awareness programs on substance abuse.

Nursing Research:

Further studies can explore behavioral outcomes and larger samples.

CONCLUSION:

The structured teaching programme was effective in improving the knowledge of higher secondary school students regarding substance abuse. School-based interventions are critical in preventing substance abuse and promoting healthy behaviors among higher secondary school students.

REFERENCES:

1. Reichert RA, Silveira KM, Lopes FM, De Micheli D. Drug Abuse: Classifications, Effects and Risks. Behavior Analysis and Substance Dependence: Theory, Research and Intervention. 2021: 3-20.

2. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 2020, Substance abuse and addiction.

3. https://www.who.in "Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men" WHO news release, June 25,2024

4. www.insightsonindia.com “Kerala has a drug problem, 300% jump in cases over (6years) arrest increased by 90%” , February 7, 2023.

5. https://www.who.in/health-topics/adolescennt-health#tab=tab 1

Received on 27.08.2025 Revised on 03.11.2025

Accepted on 26.12.2025 Published on 23.02.2026

Available online from February 28, 2026

Int. J. of Advances in Nursing Management. 2026;14(1):35-38.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2026.00008

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Creative Commons License.