Correlation among academic stress, academic self-efficacy and substance use among undergraduate students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra.

Background: Students’ academic self-efficacy and academic stress significantly affected their academic achievement and health. Students with low sense of academic self-efficacy choose to avoid challenges and academic stress, thereby resorting to substance use as the best way to relieve academic stress.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of substance use, academic self-efficacy and academic stress of students, Compare the academic self-efficacy and academic stress between substance and non-substance user undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Methods: The study is a cross-sectional survey research design that occured between July 1 2023, and October 2, 2023, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. Consecutive sampling technique was used to select 410 respondents from the four campuses. Data were gathered from the undergraduate students. The statistcal analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.
Results: Results showed that prevalence of substance use was (71.0%). Alcohol (54.3%) was the most commonly used substance. Students’ self-efficacy and academic stress significantly affected their substance use respectively. The variables (gender, age, parent presence statue, self-efficacy and academic stress) contributed greatly in explaining students’ substance use.
Conclusion: Students with high sense of academic self-efficacy show more stability in facing undesirable and academic stressful events and can more effectively solve problems, while students with low sense of academic self-efficacy choose to avoid challenges and academic stress, thereby resorting to substance use.