CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
This chapter presents findings of the study obtained from the analysis. This is done in relation to
the study’s objectives. A total of 139 SHS students completed the structured questionnaire.
Socio-demographic Characteristics
There were 139 respondents involved in the study with (56.36%) males and (49.64%) females.
The age distribution ranges from 14 to 21 years with a mean age of 17.37 years (SD 1.38). Majority
(88.49%) of the respondents were Christians. Also, 83 (59.71%) of the respondents were in SHS
3. Majority 101(72.66%) were Akans followed by Ewe and Dagomba. Most 100 (71.94%) of the
respondents were living with both parents. The occupation of the parents of most 74(51.24%) of
the respondents were petty trading. Majority 103(74.1%) of respondents do not work apart from
schooling compared to 25.9% who work apart from schooling. About 47.22% of respondents who
work were petty traders followed by farming. Majority 126(90.65%) of respondents get money
from parents/guardians as their source of finance.
Table 1a: Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants
Variable
Frequency
Age
Percentage
14
1
0.72
15
14
10.07
16
19
13.67
17
40
28.78
18
39
28.06
19
19
13.67
20
4
2.88
21
3
2.16
139
100
Male
70
50.36
Female
69
49.64
Total
139
100
SHS 1
56
40.29
SHS 3
83
59.71
Total
139
100
Christian
123
88.49
Muslim
14
10.07
Traditional
2
1.44
139
100
Ga
10
7.19
Ewe
11
7.91
Akan
101
72.66
Dagomba
11
7.91
Total
Sex
Form
Religion
Total
Ethnicity
Gonja
6
4.32
Total
139
100
Table 1b: Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants
Variable
Frequency
Living with
Percentage
Both Parents
100
71.94
Mother only
25
17.99
Father only
4
2.88
By self
3
2.16
Other relatives
7
5.04
139
100
Petty trader
74
53.24
Small scale miner
7
5.04
Government worker
22
15.83
Others
36
25.9
Total
139
100
Yes
36
25.9
No
103
74.1
Total
139
100
Petty trading
17
47.22
Farming
10
27.78
Others
9
25
Total
36
100
126
90.65
Relatives
2
1.44
From work
8
5.76
Total
Parent's occupation
Working apart from schooling
The type of work
Where you get money from
Parents/Guardians
Siblings
Total
3
2.16
139
100
Most of the respondents 129(92.81%) have heard about tramadol before while 60(43.17) have seen
tramadol before. About 35.25% of respondents know where tramadol is sold. Majority 74(65.75%)
reported knowing someone who has used tramadol before of which majority 62.16% of them said
those people are their friends and 27.03% are their school mates.
Table 2: Knowledge of participants about Tramadol
Variable
Frequency
Heard of tramadol before
Yes
129
No
10
Total
139
Seen tramadol before
Yes
60
No
79
Total
139
Know where tramadol is sold
Yes
49
No
90
Total
139
Know anybody who has used tramadol
before
Yes
No
Total
Who is he/she to you
Friend
School mate
Classmate
Boss at work
Relative
Total
Percentage
92.81
7.19
100
43.17
56.83
100
35.25
64.75
100
74
65
139
53.24
46.76
100
46
20
3
1
4
74
62.16
27.03
4.05
1.35
5.41
100
Majority (81.90%) of respondents don’t take any substance commonly whiles just few (6.90%),
(4.20%), (4.90%) and (2.10%) commonly take alcohol, snuff, wee and cigarette respectively.
Cigarette
2,1
Wee
4,9
Snuff
4,2
Alcohol
6,9
None
81,9
0
10
20
30
40
50
Percentage of respondents
Figure 1: Other substances commonly used by respondents
.
60
70
80
90
The study revealed that 5(3.6%) of respondents have taken tramadol before. Assessing their
current intake of tramadol, it came to light that, only 1(20%) of the respondents who had taken
tramadol still use tramadol whiles 4(80%) no longer take tramadol. This is shown in Table 3
below.
Table 3: Tramadol usage among participants
Variable
Frequency
Percentage
Yes
5
3.6
No
134
96.4
Total
139
100
Yes
1
0.75
No
133
99.25
Total
134
100
Last year
4
80
From last month
1
20
Total
5
100
Yes
1
20
No
4
80
Total
5
100
Used tramadol before
Would want to use tramadol in future
Last time tramadol was used
Still using tramadol
All 5(100%) of the respondents who have used tramadol before took their first tramadol within
the age 16-18yrs. Majority 4(80%) of respondents who reported taken tramadol before said they
took tramadol once in a day.
Table 4: Tramadol usage characteristics
Variable
Age at which tramadol was first taken
10-12 yrs
13-15 yrs
16-18 yrs
Total
Who introduced respondents to tramadol
Friend(s)
Myself
Drug Pusher
Total
Where tramadol is taken
Home
Club
Work site
School
Total
Number of times tramadol is taken in a day
Once
Twice
Thrice
Total
Frequency
Percentage
0
0
5
5
0
0
100
100
3
1
1
5
60
20
20
100
3
2
0
0
5
60
40
0
0
100
4
1
0
5
80
20
0
100
When the respondents were asked about their means of getting tramadol, varied responses were
provided. These details are highlighted in Table 5 below with 3(60%) being from buying and
2(40%) given for free by friends.
Table 5: Access to tramadol
Variable
Frequency
Percentage
Buy
3
60
Given for free
2
40
Total
5
100
Drug Store
2
66.67
From friends
1
33.33
Boss at work
0
0
Beer bar
0
0
Total
3
100
Friends
2
100
Teacher
0
0
Boss at work
0
0
Total
2
100
Where tramadol is bought from
Given for free by who
Test of Associations of Explanatory Variables
This section offers the summary of the associations of some variables of interest using the ChiSquare tests. These variables were demographic background, religious beliefs, parent’s occupation
and whether respondents work apart from schooling or not which served as the independent
variables to measure their relationships with Tramadol use of SHS students, which was the
dependent variable. The abbreviations and symbols below represent the following. Pearson ChiSquare value (X2), the significant (p) value (p<0.05).
The results of the analysis in table 6 indicate that, no significant association exists between all the
demographic variables and Tramadol usage.
Table 6: Association between Demographic Characteristics and
Tramadol use
Variable
Age
Used tramadol before
Yes (%)
No (%)
Below 20 years
Above 20 year
Sex
4(3.03)
1(14.29)
Male
Female
Form
4(5.71)
1(1.45
SHS 1
SHS 2
Religion
0(0.0)
5(6.02)
Christian
Muslim
Traditional
Ethnicity
4(3.25)
1(7.14)
0(0.0)
Ga
Ewe
Akan
Dagomba
Gonja
Living With
0(0.0)
0(0.0)
4(3.96)
0(0.0)
1(16.67)
Both Parents
Monther only
Father only
By self
Other relatives
Parent's Occupation
4(4.00)
0(0.0)
0(0.0)
0(0.0)
1(14.29)
X2
2.4285
P-Value
0.119
1.8228
0.177
3.4994
0.061
0.6244
0.732
4.1879
0.381
3.547
0.471
1.5248
0.677
128(96.97)
6(85.17)
66(94.29
68(98.55)
56(100)
78(93.98)
119(96.75)
13(92.86)
2(100)
10(100)
11(100)
97(96.04
11(100)
5(83.33)
96(96.0)
25(100)
4(100)
3(100)
6(85.71)
Petty trader
small scale miner
Government worker
Others
Working apart from schooling
3(4.05)
0(0.0)
0(0.0)
2(5.56)
Yes
No
1(2.78)
4(3.88)
71(75.95)
7(100)
22(100)
34(94.44)
0.0941
0.759
35(97.22)
99(96.12)
To boost sexual performance
17,8
To improve learning
8,6
To work hard
27,6
To cope with stress
8,9
To relax
8,1
To get high
9,7
To relieve pain
19,2
0
5
10
Ряд1
Figure 2: Reason why people use tramadol
15
20
25
30
Out of the 5 respondents who attested of having used Tramadol before, majority (60%) said
curiosity about Tramadol and its effects was the reason for their first intake. This is shown in table
7.
Table 7: Reason for taken first tramadol
Variable
Frequency
Percentage
Out of curiosity
3
60
To get away from my problems
1
20
Parents or relative offer
0
0
Friends encouraged me
0
0
To get high
1
20
Total
5
100