Factors Associated with Addiction in Children in Kerman City

Introduction Addiction is one of the major crises in the world which has many victims and imposes serious damage on the family and society, especially among children who are the most vulnerable social stratum. The aim of this study was to determine the probable causes of drug addiction among children in Kerman. Methods This case-control study was conducted after a qualitative study. Ninety children aged from 6 to 16 years were enrolled. The case group included 30 addicted children supported by the Welfare Organization. The control group included two groups of 30 children, one selected from the Welfare Organization and the other from across the city. All participants were male and groups were matched for age. Then, the probable causes of addiction were compared between these two groups. Data were analyzed using the SPSS22 and by chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results The mean age of children was 10.8 ± 2.4 in the case group, 11.4 ± 1.8 in the park control and 12.8±1.5 in the welfare center control group. All participants were male.The results indicated that there were significant statistical differences between the addicted and non-addicted children in regard to parent’s religious beliefs, parent imprisonment, history of addiction in families, visiting the park alone and parental employment. Conclusion Strengthening religious beliefs of parents, teaching life skills to children and their parents, parental control on children, tracking and monitoring the peers; and promoting collaborations between the policymakers, the Welfare Organization, the Municipality, the Universities of Medical Sciences and the Police Force can help reduce and control addiction among children.