Clinical and Psychosocial Determinants of Truancy among In-School Adolescents in Ibadan: A Structural Equation Approach

Abstract

Several researchers found that truancy among adolescents poses a paramount problem in educational attainment and youth development. This study examined the correlation between key psychosocial and demographic predictors of truancy, specifically the constructs of substance abuse, peer influence, emotional intelligence, childhood trauma, and family socioeconomic status among in-school adolescents in Ibadan. Using a cross-sectional design, data were obtained from 500 students aged 12-19 years from the selected public and private secondary schools across Ibadan through a multistage stratified sampling technique. All constructs were measured using validated instruments, and data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) embedded in AMOS 26. Findings revealed that the predictors of truancy were substance abuse (β = 0.42), peer influence (β = 0.33), and childhood trauma (β = 0.31) while emotional intelligence (β = –0.27) and family socioeconomic status (β = –0.24) were seen as having protective effects. From the mediation analysis, the significant mediators for the effects of peer pressure and childhood trauma on truancy were substance abuse and emotional intelligence. Family socioeconomic status moderated the relationship between peer pressure and substance abuse (β = –0.15, p = .013) such that the effect of peer pressure was less pronounced for adolescents of high SES. The structural model had good fit indices (χ²/df = 2.42, RMSEA = 0.048, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92), thus confirming its adequacy. The present study emphasizes the multifactor nature of truancy and calls for an integrated intervention model that would address risk and protective factors from school, family, and peer outlooks to effectively reduce truancy and encourage adolescent educational engagement.