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Relationship Between Alcohol Use Disorder and Unemployment Among the Youth in Dandora Uprising, Nairobi, Kenya

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  • Josephine Mwende Mutua

  • Preskilla Ochieng Munda

  • Samuel Ojuade

Abstract

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and youth unemployment are major social and public health challenges affecting young people globally and in Kenya, where youth constitute the largest proportion of the population. Informal settlements such as Dandora Uprising are characterized by poverty, unstable livelihoods, and high unemployment levels, conditions that may predispose youth to alcohol abuse. This study sought to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder among youth, assess the severity of youth unemployment, and investigate the relationship between unemployment and AUD among youth in Dandora Uprising, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by Social Stress Theory and Psychoanalytic Theory and adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design. Through systematic random sampling, 172 youth aged 18–35 years were selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using an unemployment and job-search questionnaire alongside the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, employing descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, correlations, and chi-square analyses. The findings revealed that 47% of the respondents were unemployed, indicating a high prevalence of youth unemployment in Dandora Uprising. The prevalence of AUD was 21.48%, with severe AUD accounting for 12.08% of respondents. The study further established that prolonged unemployment, anxiety, depression, and unstable employment experiences were associated with higher AUDIT scores. However, the chi-square test revealed no statistically significant association between employment status and AUD (χ² = 0.37, p > 0.05). The study concludes that although employment status alone was not significantly associated with AUD, prolonged unemployment and its psychological effects increased vulnerability to problematic alcohol use among youth. The study recommends strengthening youth employment initiatives, psychosocial support services, and community-based alcohol prevention and intervention programs in informal settlements.

Suggested Citation

  • Josephine Mwende Mutua & Preskilla Ochieng Munda & Samuel Ojuade, 2026. "Relationship Between Alcohol Use Disorder and Unemployment Among the Youth in Dandora Uprising, Nairobi, Kenya," Journal of Sociology, Psychology and Religious, EdinBurg Peer Reviewed Journals & Books Publishers, vol. 6(3), pages 55-71.
    • Handle: RePEc:cxl:ojjspr:v:6:y:2026:i:3:p:55-71:id:833
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Lantis, Robert & Teahan, Brittany, 2018. "The effect of unemployment insurance on alcohol use and abuse following job loss," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 92-103.
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