SOCIO ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN KIHARU SUB COUNTY, MURAN’GA COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the Study: Alcohol abuse is a persistent problem worldwide and its effects are felt most by households. Kiharu Sub County is one of the places that have recorded high incidents of alcohol abuse. It thus becomes necessary to investigate the causes that lead to this. The study therefore was aimed at investigating the Socio-economic determinants of alcohol consumption in the rural parts of the Kiharu sub county, Murang’a County. Specifically the study sought to: examine the effects of family income on consumption of alcohol in Kiharu Sub County; determine the effects of family social status on the consumption of alcohol in Kiharu Sub county; explain the effects of family social support system on alcohol consumption in Kiharu Sub county; investigate the interventions put in place to address the effects of alcohol consumption in Kiharu Sub County.
Statement of the Problem: Several studies have been conducted in this regard to understand the issue of alcoholism. However, many of these studies have not addressed the determinants of alcoholism from a social and economic perspective.
Methodology: The study adopted a Descriptive Research Design and had a sample size of 26,930 households residing in the Sub County. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s formulae, the study selected a total of 379 from the six wards that form the sub county. The study used stratified sampling, and purposive sampling to select the respondents from the six wards that make up the sub county. Further, the research employed snowball sampling to get those households of the families which were affected by the issue of alcoholism. Data was collected using both open ended and closed ended questionnaires. The Questionnaires were administered face-to-face to respondents by the researcher together with a trained research assistant. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS while Qualitative data from the questionnaires were analyzed through thematic and narrative analysis.
Result: Findings obtained from the respondents revealed that the determinants of alcoholism among families ranged from socialization, frustration and availability of alcohol at the disposal of many people in the Sub County. The study established that income levels, family social status as well as family social support influenced alcoholism in the sub county. The study also established that there were interventions at the community and government level aimed at addressing the issue of alcoholism; these included establishments of rehabilitation centers, offering social support to families that are affected by alcohol consumption as well as sensitization on the effects of alcohol consumption.
Conclusion: The youth ought to be guided appropriately by their parents regarding the prudent use of income as well as the spending habits. If these values are inculcated early in the youth, they will be entrenched in them.
Recommendation: Parents, church leaders, Social Workers and Public Administrators such as chiefs and sub chiefs be reinforced through empowering them to play an instrumental role in fighting the abuse of alcohol in Kiharu Sub County.
Keywords: Socio economic determinants, Family income, Family social status, Family social support system, Alcohol consumption, Kiharu Sub County.
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