Professional impotence: Impact of alcohol abuse on secondary schoolteachers in Uganda

Abstract

Aims: We conducted this study to explore the impact of alcohol consumption on teachers’ jobs in Uganda. Specifically, we investigated the types of alcohol consumed by schoolteachers, reasons for alcohol abuse among teachers, justifications for mixing different types of drinks while drinking, and the effects of alcohol abuse on secondary schoolteachers. Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive. Participants: We involved 54 teachers (79.6% males and 20.4% females) in focus group discussions (FGDs) and four teachers (all male) in in-depth interviews. Measurement: Interviews were conducted to validate the data from FGDs as done by vanTartwijk, den Brok, Veldman and Wubbels (2008). Thematic analysis was employed to describe themes and emerging trends. Results: Data gathered from both in-depth interviews and FGDs show that teachers in Uganda drink a variety of “local” and “exotic” types of alcohol, for a variety of reasons. Results also indicate that during drinking sessions, teachers mix drinks for different reasons, but mainly to increase or decrease the potency of alcoholic drinks, depending on their types. All participants mentioned that over-consumption of alcohol negatively affects the teacher’s job and career in ways that include poor performance, neglect and loss of job. Conclusion: While teachers in Uganda drink many types of alcohol for apparently “good” reasons, those teachers who over-drink eventually fall into job inefficiency.