Factors associated with drunkenness episodes among adolescents: the role of parents, peers, attitudes and skills

INTRODUCTION. Alcohol is the most widely available and most commonly used psychoactive substance among adolescents. Early onset of alcohol use contributes to the development of drinking outcomes, alcohol abuse and dependence. Heavy drinking is strongly influenced by parental alcohol use, perception of family approval, poor family management and family conflicts, perceived friends’ drinking and drunkenness as well as peer pressure to drink. Also individual factors such as positive and negative expectancies about alcohol, attitudes towards alcohol and ability to refuse are predictors of drinking behavior and binge-like episodes. OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study is to investigate risk factors for adolescent lifetime drunkenness and to evaluate differences by gender and socio-economical status. METHODS. This is a secondary analysis of the baseline survey of the EU-Dap (European Drug Addition Prevention) trial. The analytical sample included 7,042 students 12-14 years old from seven European countries who participated in the baseline survey and answered the questions investigating lifetime drunkenness episodes. Socio-demographic characteristics, friends’ substance use, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward substances, risk perceptions, refusal and decision making skills, self-esteem, parental drinking and permissiveness, and family climate were studied as risk factors for drunkenness episodes through a forward multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS. Having friends who get drunk was the strongest risk factor for lifetime drunkenness (OR 5.81, 95% CI 4.39-7.70) followed by low refusal skills toward alcohol (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.90-2.69) and tobacco (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.87-2.67) use. Family conflicts, parental smoking and parental permissiveness to drink, as well as positive attitudes toward drugs, low negative beliefs, high positive beliefs, low refusal skills, knowledge about substances and low respect for teacher were also associated with the risk of lifetime drunkenness. Differences by gender and socio-economic status were observed. CONCLUSIONS. Prevention programs should address the identified factors to prevent early excessive drinking.