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Objectives The burden of substance use in Kenya is significant. The objective of this study was to systematically summarize existing literature on substance use in Kenya, identify research gaps, and provide directions for future research. Methods This systematic review was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. We conducted a search of 5 bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Professionals (CINAHL) and Cochrane Library) from inception until 20 August 2020. In addition, we searched all the volumes of the official journal of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol & Drug Abuse (the African Journal of Alcohol and Drug Abuse). The results of eligible studies have been summarized descriptively and organized by three broad categories including: studies evaluating the epidemiology of substance use, studies evaluating interventions and programs, and qualitative studies exploring various themes on substance use other than interventions. The quality of the included studies was assessed with the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs. Results Of the 185 studies that were eligible for inclusion, 144 investigated the epidemiology of substance use, 23 qualitatively explored various substance use related themes, and 18 evaluated substance use interventions and programs. Key evidence gaps emerged. Few studies had explored the epidemiology of hallucinogen, prescription medication, ecstasy, injecting drug use, and emerging substance use. Vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, and persons with physical disability had been under-represented within the epidemiological and qualitative work. No intervention study had been conducted among children and adolescents. Most interventions had focused on alcohol to the exclusion of other prevalent substances such as tobacco and cannabis. Little had been done to evaluate digital and population-level interventions. Conclusion The results of this systematic review provide important directions for future substance use research in Kenya. Systematic review registration PROSPERO: CRD42020203717.

Introduction Epilepsy is a common neurological condition, with a lifetime prevalence of 1% in children. Research has shown a high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children with epilepsy attending the pediatric neurology clinic in a referral hospital in Kenya and examine associated sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Children with epilepsy aged between 6 and 12 years attending the Kenyatta National Hospital pediatric neurology clinic were recruited. Inclusion criteria for the study were children diagnosed with epilepsy, age between 6 and 12 years, accompanied by a primary caregiver, and the primary caregiver being willing to participate in the study. A sociodemographic questionnaire as well as the Child Behavior Checklist school-age version (CBCL/6–18) was administered to the caregiver accompanying the child. Results One hundred and seventy-seven children with epilepsy were recruited (66% males) with a mean age of 8.9 (standard deviation (SD): 2) years. The mean age at onset of seizures was 4.5 years; 48% of the children had first seizure while aged less than 2 years, 76% reported generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and 58% were on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The overall prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems was 46%, and the four leading symptom clusters were attention problems, aggressive behavior, social problems, and withdrawal/depression. The risk of emotional and behavioral problems was increased in children using more than one AED (odds ratio (OR) = 2.21, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18–4.14) and those aged ten years and above (OR = 2.7, 95% CI, 1.3–5.64). The risk of emotional and behavioral problems was reduced in children with infrequent seizures (OR = 0.08, 95% CI, 0.01–0.06) and in children reporting no seizure in the past year (OR = 0.08, 95% CI, 0.01–0.65). Conclusion Emotional and behavioral problems are common among children with epilepsy in Kenya. This highlights the need to screen for these problems in children on treatment for epilepsy for early identification and subsequent management to improve outcome.