Factors Affecting Substances Abuse among Male Migrants Youth in Low-Income Slums in Mumbai, India

Abstract

Substances abuse has been documented as a contributing factor to sexual risk-taking, whereby substance use impairs individual judgment and decision-making and increases a youth’s risk of a sexually transmitted infection. The survey was conducted among 1239 men aged 18 to 29 years in low-income slum communities in Mumbai during 2007-08 adopting a randomized cluster approach. The survey collected information on men’s activities, friend circle, health, alcohol use and risky sexual behavior.Almost 37 percent of them are married and migrated with their wives, while 29 percent of them are married and live away from their wife and 34 percent are never married. Of course, a very small proportion of young male migrants included in the study is borne and brought up in the city environment of Mumbai due to a migration of their parents to the city. The odds ratio for those engaged in one or two activities with peers and friends during their leisure times is 2.8 (p<0.01) compare with no activity. The migration and HIV link seems to be complex in nature and may be governed by a number of implicit correlated of both in processes. Hyper-masculinity and leisure times activities are another two significant correlated of pattern of drinking among migrant youth in low-income slums of Mumbai. For policy implementation there is an urgent need to increase awareness about substance abuse among adolescent at school level and creating mass media exposure such as more TVs and Radios.