Factors Associated with Addiction in Children in Kerman city

Background and aim: Addiction is one of the major crises in the world which has many victims and imposes serious damage on the family and society, especially among children who are the most vulnerable social stratum. The aim of this study was to determine the possible causes of drug addiction among children in Kerman.Materials and method: This case-control study was conducted as a qualitative study. Ninety children aged ۶ to ۱۶ years were enrolled. The case group included ۳۰ addicted children supported by the Welfare Organization. The control group included two groups of ۳۰ children, one selected from the Welfare Organization and the other from across the city. All participants were male and groups were matched for age. Then, the probable causes of addiction were compared between these two groups. Data were analyzed by using SPSS۲۲ and by chi-square tests and logistic regression.Results: The mean age of children was ۱۰.۸ ± ۲.۴ in the case group, ۱۱.۴ ± ۱.۸ in the park control and ۱۲.۸ ± ۱.۵ in the welfare center control group. All participants were male. The results revealed that there were significant statistical differences between the addicted and non-addicted children in regard to parent’s religious beliefs, parent imprisonment, history of addiction in families, visiting the park alone and parental employment.Conclusion: Strengthening religious beliefs of parents, teaching life skills to children and their parents, parental control on children, tracking and monitoring the peers; and promoting collaborations between the policymakers, the Welfare Organization, the Municipality, the Universities of Medical Sciences and the Police Force can help to reduce and control addiction among children.

Keywords:

Addiction , Predisposing Factors , Child , Case-Control Study