SCHOOL MATTERS: DRINKING DIMENSIONS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS AMONG ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

• Published in: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford) 2005-11, Vol.40 (6), p.569-574
• Main Authors: REHM, JÜRGEN, MONGA, NEERAV, ADLAF, EDWARD, TAYLOR, BENJAMIN, BONDY, SUSAN J, FALLU, JEAN-SÉBASTIEN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol related problems; Alcohol-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Alcohol-Related Disorders - psychology; Alcoholism - diagnosis; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Alcoholism - psychology; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drinking patterns; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Quebec; Risk Assessment; Secondary schools; Social Environment; Statistics as Topic; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0735-0414; 1464-3502
• DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agh212

Aims: To test the hypotheses that average volume of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking, each influence alcohol-related problems and that both act at individual and aggregate levels. Methods: The 2003 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey obtained self-administered questionnaires from a representative classroom-based survey of 2455 Ontario secondary school students (grades 9–12) from 74 schools, with a student completion rate of 72%. Average volume of alcohol consumption was assessed using a quantity-frequency measure. Heavy drinking occasions were operationalized by four dummy variables indicating less than monthly, monthly, weekly and daily consumption of five or more drinks per occasion, with never having a heavy drinking occasion serving as the reference group. Alcohol-related problems were measured by using seven items of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Results: As hypothesized, both the average volume of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking influenced alcohol-related problems at the student level, independently of each other. At the school level, both determinants significantly influenced the problems, but not when simultaneously entered into the equation. Conclusions: Future prevention of alcohol-related problems in adolescents should consider both the average volume and patterns of drinking. Both prevention and research should also try to include environmental determination of alcohol-related problems.