Risk and protective factors for alcohol use among school-going adolescents in Montevideo (Uruguay)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore risk and protective factors for alcohol use among school-going adolescents in Montevideo (Uruguay). Design/methodology/approach A self-report survey was administered to 331 school-going adolescents in Montevideo (Uruguay) (Mage=13; SD=0.05), using the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Drugs and alcohol today 2017-03, Vol.17 (1), p.12-22
Main Authors: Fernandez, Maria Eugenia, Daset, Lilian, Vanderplasschen, Wouter, Costa Ball, Cesar Daniel, Van Damme, Lore, Vindevogel, Sofie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Age
Alcohol education
Alcohol use
Antisocial behavior
Death & dying
Emotionality
Friendship
Medical screening
Policy making
Prevention programs
Protective factors
Psychopathology
Questionnaires
Resilience
Risk factors
Self report
Sociodemographics
Substance abuse
Teenagers
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Summary:Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore risk and protective factors for alcohol use among school-going adolescents in Montevideo (Uruguay). Design/methodology/approach A self-report survey was administered to 331 school-going adolescents in Montevideo (Uruguay) (Mage=13; SD=0.05), using the alcohol screening instrument of the Uruguayan National Drug Board to assess adolescents’ alcohol use (yes/no), a screening instrument for psychopathology and resilience (the adolescent self-report) and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Findings Logistic regression analyses identified antisocial behaviour, substance use and negative emotionality (F2), disruptive and dysregulated behaviour (F8), higher age and recent death of a close relative as risk factors, while the number of close friends was identified as a protective factor for past year alcohol use (yes/no). No straightforward relationship was found between schools and the risk for the past year alcohol use. In addition, age, F2, F8 and recent death of a close relative appeared to be the most robust predictors. Research limitations/implications The study was the first in Uruguay to relate adolescents’ alcohol use to risk and protective factors. Given the cross-sectional nature of the study, causal relationships could not be determined. Originality/value The study provides preliminary recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders involved in youth affairs on core elements to focus on school-, community- and family-based alcohol prevention programmes for adolescents.
ISSN:1745-9265
2752-6739
2042-8359
2752-6747
DOI:10.1108/DAT-01-2016-0002