Alcohol drinking and problems in young populations: the challenge in Asia

Association between childhood negative life events with alcohol expectancies in early adolescence: Cumulative risk and latent class approaches

BACKGROUND

The present study aims to investigate the effects of childhood negative life events (NLEs) on alcohol expectancies (AEs) in early adolescence through cumulative risk and latent class approaches.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a prospective cohort of 945 sixth graders (age 11-12) ascertained from 17 elementary schools in northern Taiwan (response rate = 61.0 %_wt); subsequent assessments were conducted during eighth grade (n = 775, follow-up rate [FR] = 82.6 %_wt). Information concerning socio-demographics, 14 NLEs, alcohol-related experience, and four-domain AEs was collected by self-administered questionnaires at childhood and follow-up. Latent class and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the association estimates.

RESULTS

Nearly one half of children had experienced at least one NLE in sixth grade, with one-tenth experiencing four or more NLEs. Three latent classes of NLEs were identified: "lesser experience (68.1 %_wt)," "stressed relationship (27.6 %_wt)," and "family instability (4.3 %_wt)." The observed NLE-associated increase in AEs was relatively stronger in the cumulative approach: children experiencing four or more NLEs (β_wt = 1.27, 95 % CI = 0.27-2.27) and in the "stressed relationship" NLE class appeared to develop greater AEs (β_wt = 0.86, 95 % CI = 0.30-1.42). Moreover, such NLE-associated increase was especially salient in the AE domains regarding "global positive transformation" and "promoting relaxation or tension reduction".

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide insight into which experiences of multiple and "stressed relationship" negative life events arising from the family context in childhood may shape endorsed alcohol expectancies in adolescence, and implied that such effects may not uniformly operate across AE domain.

Mental health states and influencing factors of risky and problem drinking in South Korean female adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Alcohol is one of the most used and abused psychoactive substances by adolescents. We investigated influencing factors of risky and problem drinking in Korean female adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN

The study design used is a cross-sectional modeling.

METHODS

We used data from the 13th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) conducted in 2017. KYRBS data were obtained from a stratified, multistage, clustered sample. Risky drinking was binge drinking and problem drinking was drinking with several conflicts association with alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

Among 62,276 participants, the rates of current, risky, and problem drinking among all participants were 16.1%, 8.3%, and 6.1%, respectively. Although all of these rates were higher in males, risky and problem drinking rates among current female drinkers were higher than those of males (55.4 vs 48.5%, 38.9 vs 37.2%, respectively). Problem drinking was most strongly associated with risky drinking (adjusted odds ratio: 17.53 [95% confidence interval: 14.63-21.00]), similarly, risky drinking was most strongly associated with problem drinking in female current drinkers (17.76 [14.84-21.27]). Current smoking was the second strongest risk factor for risky and problem drinking in females (5.22 [3.92-6.95] and 2.93 [2.21-3.89], respectively).

CONCLUSION

Many female adolescents in Korea drink alcohol in an unhealthy manner. The female risky and problem drinking rates among current drinkers were higher than those of males. Risky drinking and problem drinking was most significant influencing factor among females, reciprocally. Public education on abstinence in female adolescents is warranted.