Adolescent substance abuse, the importance of family, school and peers: data from the health behaviour in school children.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the possible factors associated with adolescent substance use in a country having recently experienced war.


METHODS
The survey applied the World Health Organization research protocol for cross-national survey--HBSC: a cross-sectional study among 1540 15-year old adolescents in Belgrade was conducted. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire.


RESULTS
Substance abuse is associated with living in a single parent family, living in a family without support, having a poor commitment to school, displaying aggressive behaviour, and spending a lot of time with friends.


CONCLUSIONS
Factors associated with adolescent substance use include social background, family, school and peers. Such associations could help to focus on better measures to eliminate or reduce the risk of substance use.
Jovic-Vranes
Aleksandra S
AS
Institute of Social Medicine, Medical School of the University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. aljvranes@yahoo.co.uk
Vranes
Boris
B
Marinkovic
Jelena
J
Cucic
Viktorija
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014944:World Health Organization; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology