title: Excessive drinking and other problem behaviours among 14-16 year old schoolchildren.
abstract: The study investigates excessive drinking and associations with other problem behaviours in 2078 school students aged 14-16 years in seven London secondary schools. Using a cross-sectional design, a self-completion questionnaire assessed lifetime and recent (past month) alcohol and drug consumption, attitudes to alcohol use education, alcohol-related problems, psychological problems, educational aspirations, truancy, and delinquent behaviour. Excessive drinking was operationally defined as 10 or more units of alcohol per drinking occasion. At least one episode of excessive drinking was reported by 32% of the sample, with 10% reporting five or more episodes. Excessive drinking was positively associated with frequency of cigarette smoking, use of cannabis, positive attitudes towards illicit drugs, low educational aspirations, higher depression scores, frequent truancy, and involvement in delinquent behaviours. Excessive drinking is a problematic behaviour in its own right but it is also a marker for other problem behaviours, including illicit drug misuse and delinquency. Understanding and responding to alcohol misuse among adolescents requires attention to psychological, social and developmental factors other than alcohol consumption alone.
authors.affiliation: National Addiction Centre/Institute of Psychiatry, PO Box 48, Addiction Sciences Building, 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. d.w.best@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gossop
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs