Prevalence of substance use among Iranian male adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background and aims: Substance use among adolescents is one of the most challenging behavioral disorders with direct consequences. It is of the essence (that) the prevalence of substance use is investigated among Iranian male adolescents. Methods: The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. All published articles titled “prevalence of substance use among Iranian adolescents” authored in Persian and English from 2004 to 2020 on Pub Med, Scopus, SID, and Google Scholar, a top list of academic research databases, were reviewed. Thirty-three out of 805 articles, hinge on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were eligible. Statistical analysis carried out in STATA 14.0.Q index, I2 index, and χ2 test were applied. Results: Overall prevalence reported with (95% confidence interval) for substance use 7% (4%–11%), methamphetamine 4% (3%–6%), tobacco 10% (3%–19%), and any addictive substances 4% (2%–7%) among male adolescents respectively. Besides, overall prevalence of alcohol consumption reported 10% (8%–11%). Conclusion: The prevalence of substance use among male adolescents is high, so it is indispensable for researchers to pay special attention to this issue.