Academic Related Variables and Attitudes toward Substance Abuse among Secondary School Adolescents in Barbados

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between some academic related variables (interest in school, psychological resilience, study habit) and attitudes toward substance abuse among 220 (M=15.1, SD=1.10) secondary school adolescents in Barbados. Results revealed that interest in school, psychological resilience and study habits negatively correlated with adolescents’ attitudes toward substance abuse. The academic related variables also jointly contributed 45% (R Square=0.445) of the variance being accounted for in attitudes to substance abuse and this was found to be statistically significant (F(3,216)=57.63, p<.0005). Additionally, it was found that interest in school was the best predictor of attitudes to substance abuse and that psychological resilience and study habit were other significant predictors. These results were discussed in the light of the importance of these academic variables preventing adolescents’ substance abuse.