Substance of Abuse consumption; Vendors perception of pregnant women patronage in Ogbomoso, Oyo state

Abstract

Background: In many African countries, street vendors play an important role in the provision of substances of abuse to the vulnerable populations. The role of vendors in supplying these substances especially to pregnant women remains underexplored. The understanding of vendors’ perceptions and willingness to sell is crucial in addressing this public health concern.

Materials & Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 191 street vendors in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, using purposive sampling. Data were collected with a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for analysis at a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: The mean age (±SD) of respondents was 34.80 ± 10.87 years. A majority (75.4%) of the vendors were young women, and 61.3% of those were full-time. Less than half (39.8%) were willing to sell substances to pregnant women because of personal choice of buyers, religion, and fear of losing customers. There was also a significant association between perception of harm and vendor type (82.4%), while religion strongly influenced willingness to sell (p< 0.05).

Conclusions and Recommendations: Although, street vendors are aware of risk, knowledge gaps and economic pressures still influence their decisions. To address this issue, health education and community-based interventions are needed, especially those that focus on religious and ethical value.