Alcohol use in families: a 15-year prospective follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of adolescents' problematic alcohol use and its parental predictors: drinking habits and socio-demographic factors.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent regularly to the same Finnish families (n = 1132) from the onset of pregnancy (in 1986-87) to the child's age of 15 years (in 2001-02) (n = 1028). There was a total of three follow-up points.


RESULTS
At 15 years of age, 83% of girls and 79% of boys had used alcohol; 18% of boys and 14% of girls had been drunk more than once a month. The child's permanent separation from at least one biological parent was the strongest socio-demographic predictor of adolescents drinking. Fathers' present heavy drinking and parental early drinking were the best predictors of their children's problematic alcohol use at the age of 15.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of fathers' alcohol use and its time of onset may be used to determine children who are at added risk of problematic alcohol use later in life. Special guidance, support and treatment can be targeted to these families.
Seljamo
Sami
S
Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. sami.seljamo@utu.fi
Aromaa
Minna
M
Koivusilta
Leena
L
Rautava
Päivi
P
Sourander
Andre
A
Helenius
Hans
H
Sillanpää
Matti
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies