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Cannizzaro E, Lavanco G, Castelli V, Cirrincione L, Di Majo D, Martines F, Argo A, Plescia F. Alcohol and Nicotine Use among Adolescents: An Observational Study in a Sicilian Cohort of High School Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:6152. [PMID: 35627691 PMCID: PMC9140855 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the mode of alcoholic intake known as binge drinking (BD) has become a common practice, especially among adolescents who, due to socio-environmental motives, tend to reach a rapid state of drunkenness. This drunkeness leads to alterations in brain areas responsible for executive functions and cognitive processes, as well as to the genesis of factors that predispose to lasting addiction. Likewise, nicotine leads to a comparable degree of addiction. On this basis, the aim of this research was to evaluate, on a cohort of 349 high school students (15−17 years old) in the province of Palermo, the following: (I) the drinking model of alcoholic beverages; (II) the use of nicotine and the degree of dependence; (III) the correlation between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use of nicotine. We employed the AUDIT-C test and the Fagerström test, two valid and standard instruments, in order to assess alcohol and nicotine use, respectively. Statistical analysis of the data showed that male and female students consumed alcohol prominently in a BD mode (77.2%, audit score (AS) 3.497, confidence interval (CI) 3.206−3.788; 69.6%, AS 2.793, CI 2.412−3.274) and nicotine (41.5%, Fagerström score (FS) 3.882, CI 3.519−4.245; 28%, FS 3.286, CI 2.547−4.024). Furthermore, a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and nicotine use was found for male (r = 0.6798, p < 0.0001) and female (r = 0.6572, p < 0.0001) students. This study provided further insights into the use of legal substances of abuse in adolescents, evidencing the obvious need for the promotion of specific school educational programs aimed at the wellbeing of youth populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Cannizzaro
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (E.C.); or (G.L.); (L.C.); (A.A.)
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (E.C.); or (G.L.); (L.C.); (A.A.)
| | - Valentina Castelli
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (D.D.M.); (F.M.)
| | - Luigi Cirrincione
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (E.C.); or (G.L.); (L.C.); (A.A.)
| | - Danila Di Majo
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (D.D.M.); (F.M.)
| | - Francesco Martines
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (D.D.M.); (F.M.)
| | - Antonina Argo
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (E.C.); or (G.L.); (L.C.); (A.A.)
| | - Fulvio Plescia
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (E.C.); or (G.L.); (L.C.); (A.A.)
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