OCCUPATIONAL STRESS, PERSONALITY TRAITS, AND SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINANTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG COMMERCIAL MOTORCYCLE RIDERS IN OYE LGA, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Substance abuse among commercial motorcycle riders has been on the rise and remains a major public health and road safety concern due to its association with impaired judgment, risky riding behaviours, traffic accidents, and reduced occupational performance. This study investigated occupational stress, personality traits, and socio-demographic factors as predictors of substance abuse among Okada riders in Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Two hundred (200) commercial motorcycle riders were selected through convenience sampling, and data were collected using standardized measures of substance abuse, occupational stress, personality traits, and socio-demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, multiple regression, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The findings revealed that respondents with high occupational stress reported significantly higher substance abuse than those with low occupational stress, t(198) = 5.21, p < .05. Personality traits jointly predicted substance abuse, accounting for 10% of the variance (R² = .10, F(5,194) = 4.08, p < .05). Extraversion (β = .220, p < .05), agreeableness (β = .244, p < .05), conscientiousness (β = .152, p < .05), and openness to experience (β = .147, p < .05) significantly predicted substance abuse, whereas neuroticism did not. Socio-demographic factors also significantly predicted substance abuse (R² = .10, F(7,192) = 3.18, p < .05), with age, religious affiliation, income level, and marital status emerging as significant predictors. Furthermore, gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between personality traits and substance abuse (β = .041, p > .05; ΔR² = .01). The study concludes that substance abuse among Okada riders is influenced by a combination of occupational, personality, and socio-demographic factors which implies the need for stress management interventions, behavioural counselling, and policies aimed at improving the welfare and working conditions of commercial motorcycle riders.