title: Substance Use among a Sample of Healthcare Workers in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: This study describes reported substance use among Kenyan healthcare workers (HCWs), as it has implications for HCWs' health, productivity, and their ability and likelihood to intervene on substance use. The Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was administered to a convenience sample of HCWs (n = 206) in 15 health facilities. Reported lifetime use was 35.8% for alcohol, 23.5% for tobacco, 9.3% for cannabis, 9.3% for sedatives, 8.8% for cocaine, 6.4% for amphetamine-like stimulants, 5.4% for hallucinogens, 3.4% for inhalants, and 3.9% for opioids. Tobacco and alcohol were also the two most commonly used substances in the previous three months. Male gender and other substance use were key predictors of both lifetime and previous three months' use rates. HCWs' substance use rates appear generally higher than those seen in the general population in Kenya, though lower than those reported among many HCWs globally. This pattern of use has implications for both HCWs and their clients.
authors.affiliation: a Master Student, College of Health Sciences , Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology , Juja , Kenya.|b Master Student, Kenya Medical Research Institute , Centre for Public Health Research , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Aggrey G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mokaya
authors.affiliation: c Director, Research Administration and Finance , Africa Mental Health Foundation , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mutiso
authors.affiliation: d Research Officer , Africa Mental Health Foundation , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Abednego
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Musau
authors.affiliation: e Statistician , Africa Mental Health Foundation , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tele
authors.affiliation: f Chief Research Officer, Kenya Medical Research Institute , Centre for Public Health Research , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Yeri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kombe
authors.affiliation: g Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic, Research  and Student Affairs) , South Eastern Kenya University , Kitui , Kenya.
authors.forename: Zipporah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ng'ang'a
authors.affiliation: h Professor and Canada Research Chair , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada.|i Founder and President , NextGenU.org , Clear Lake , WA , USA.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: j Founding Director , Africa Mental Health Foundation , Nairobi , Kenya.|k Professor of Psychiatry , University of Nairobi , Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ndetei
authors.affiliation: l Co-PI eDATA K NextGenU.org, Vancouver, BC, Canada and Senior Scientist , Africa Mental Health Foundation , Nairobi , Kenya.|m Clinical Faculty, Faculty of Medicine , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
authors.forename: Veronic
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Clair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; cannabis; health worker; prevalence; substance use; tobacco