Adolescent's Perception of Risky and Protective Factors for Drug Abuse: Guided Content Analysis Based on Ecological Model Approach

Drug abuse is a serious threat to community health increasing in lower age groups. Studies have shown that the majority of adolescents have started the drug abuse in the age of 12 to 13 years. We aimed to explain the perception of risky and protective factors of drug abuse among teenagers.
This was a qualitative study conducted through content analysis based on ecological model. Participating (n = 38) were male (n = 16) and female (n = 22) students at the third grade of high school in Isfahan city, Iran, selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected and analyzed through interviews.
Using ecological approach, four main levels of personal, interpersonal, organizational and social, and public policies divided into the risk and protective factors. At personal level, lack of knowledge about the harms of drug abuse and lack of life skills, at interpersonal level, role of family and not caring religious rituals by families were mentioned, at organizational and social levels, internet and satellite access without any control by the parents and at public policies levels, drugs entry to the country were risk factors for addiction mentioned by the participants. Protective factors were as knowledge and awareness about the harms of drugs, and enhancement of life skills at personal level, influential role of the family and strengthening religious rituals at interpersonal level, assigning one educational course on this subject for adolescents at organizational and social level, and investigating the causes and related factors of addiction and creation of alternative leisure activities at public policies were mentioned by participants, too.
In this study, the risk and protective factors of drug abuse were distinguished by adolescents at different levels including personal, interpersonal, organizational and social, and public policies levels. These issues should be considered in designing and implementing preventive intervention programs.