Interpersonal Communication and Alcohol Consumption among Students in Government Tertiary Medical Colleges in Kenya

Abstract

The study evaluated the influence of interpersonal communication on alcohol consumption among students in government tertiary medical training colleges in Kenya. Excessive alcohol consumption especially among the youths and young adults is a growing public health concern, and has significant implications in their well-being and productivity. The available evidence shows that majority of the college students perceive alcohol consumption as a socially acceptable practice and this continues to spread across the young generation in the country. Interpersonal communication plays a critical role in influencing behavior. In the current era of enhanced communication and information sharing, many advanced communication platforms have emerged and their influence on decision making especially in alcohol consumption is palpable. This, however, is yet to be proved in a local context especially as far as college students are concerned, hence the subject for this study. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of interpersonal communication channels, interpersonal communication context and the role of opinion leaders on alcohol consumption among students in government tertiary medical training colleges in Kenya. The study also sought to assess how demographic factors such as gender, age and economic status moderated these relationships. Anchored on the social cognitive theory and the two-step flow of communication model, the study used the descriptive cross-sectional survey design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. The target population was all the 46,821 students and 71 counselors from the 71 campuses of KMTC. A sample size of 384 was arrived at following the Cochran formula. Questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect data, which was analysed using SPSS (for quantitative data) and thematic content analysis (for qualitative data). The quantitative data results were presented using tables and bar graphs, while results of qualitative data analysis were presented as narratives that were triangulated with the quantitative data. Quantitative results revealed that interpersonal communication context, interpersonal communication channels and opinion leaders had a significant influence on alcohol consumption behavior among college students. The chi-square goodness of-fit test also indicated a statistically significant relationship between interpersonal communication channels and alcohol use (= 36.75, DF=4, p < 0.001), interpersonal communication context (=29.41, df =3, p = 0.002), and opinion leaders’ influence (33.89, df =4, p<0.001). It was further established that demographic factors such as gender, age and financial status moderated the relationship between interpersonal communication channels, interpersonal communication context and alcohol consumption among college students, with male students and those from higher financial backgrounds reporting higher alcohol consumption rates. Qualitative data also supported the findings, indicating that interpersonal communication channels, interpersonal communication context and opinion leaders had a significant influence on the alcohol consumption behavior among college students. The study concluded that interpersonal communication exerts a significant influence on alcohol consumption among college students and that demographic factors such as age, gender and financial abilities shape these effects. The study recommended that for institutions to prevent excessive alcohol consumption among students, there is need to integrate peer-led communication strategies, initiate and manage mentorship programs, and provide targeted awareness campaigns. Additionally, there is need to empower influential opinion leaders within the institutions to support more effective behavior change interventions.