RISK FACTORS FOR ALCOHOL USE IN ADOLESCENTS: A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLANATORY MODEL

PAUTASSI, RICARDO; PILATTI, ANGELINA; GODOY, JUAN; BRUSSINO, SILVINA

Sapporo

Congreso; International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism; 2012

Background: Heavy episodic drinking is associated with experiencing a variety of alcohol-related problems, including physiological consequences such as vomiting or passing out, academic problems such as missing a class or poorer performance due to drinking, interpersonal consequences such as fighting or having problems with significant others or family, emotional or intrapersonal consequences such as guilt or sadness about one’s drinking, health problems, and injuries and accidents (Cranford et al. 2006; Hingson et al., 2009; Perkins, 2002a). Adolescent drinking, especially when expressed early, is related with an elevated risk of adult behavioral problems (McGue & Iacono, 2008), which highlights the need for early intervention. Objectives: to gain a better understanding of adolescent’s drinking behavior and trying to answer why some adolescents have hazardous drinking. The present work analyzed the influence of variables of different conceptual domains, such as personality traits, social factors (variables parental and peer group) and cognitive factors (alcohol expectancies and drinking motives). Method: Participants: 332 adolescents (62% female, average age = 14.93, SD = 1.36). Instruments: scales were used to measure personality traits, alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, peers’ alcohol use, parents’ alcohol use, participants’ drinking, and perceived social support. Data analysis: to determine the effect of risk and protective factors on adolescents’ drinking behavior, a path analysis was conducted. Results: Drinking behaviors were similar to those found in the last national survey of high school students (SEDRONAR, 2011). At least for this sample of adolescents, personality traits and alcohol expectancies were not the most important determinants of the model, while drinking motives and peers’drinking were the most important predictors of adolescents’ drinking patterns. These two factors explained the highest percentage of the total variance. In addition, negative alcohol expectancies was another important variable. Discussion: it’s emphasized the importance of considering the effect of variables from different domains when trying to explain and modify adolescents’ drinking behaviors. Models exclusively based in social, cognitive or personality factors seem to offer a limited explanation of this phenomenon. Peers’ influence seems to be determinant in adolescents’ drinking, especially in the escalation of consumption. In this context, strategies focus on peer groups might be a promising intervention to reduce alcohol consumption.