title: Factors in childhood drug and alcohol use: a review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Drug and alcohol use in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in children 12 and younger and the factors associated with this use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identified factors include: a) differences in use between boys and girls; b) influence of family members' drug and alcohol use; c) influence of peers; d) the child's self-esteem; and e) the child's knowledge about drug and alcohol use. Awareness by child psychiatric nurses of the identified factors is crucial to prevent, assess, and treat the problem of drug and alcohol use by children.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Programs, School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Finke
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bowman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015995:Prevalence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*