title: Further investigation of psychological and environmental correlates of substance use in adolescence in six European countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the multifactorial correlates of adolescents' use of legal and illegal substances in six European countries and to assess whether a common pattern of factors exists irrespective of the countries' different sociocultural backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional European school population survey (ESPAD) following standardized methodology.
  
  
  METHODS
  National probability samples of 16-year-old high school students from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and the UK. Total sample 16,445.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymous questionnaire self-administered in the classroom. Self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other illegal drugs. Correlates examined: environmental, such as peer culture and family-related; behavior-related such as antisocial behavior, truancy and anomie; and psychological factors such as self-esteem and depressive mood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Separate logistic regressions for the two genders produced a set of psychosocial correlates common to the use of all legal and illegal substances. The strongest were peer and older sibling models of use, and peer-oriented lifestyle, followed by patterns of antisocial behavior and truancy. Family-related variables such as not living with both parents, parental monitoring and relationships with parents were less significant. Self-esteem and depressive mood were not significant. Girls' use of substances, especially illegal ones, showed stronger associations than boys' with a deviant behavior pattern. Few interactions between country and other correlates were significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Common correlates can be identified across countries. Older siblings' and peers' substance have a strong impact on adolescents' use. Preventive interventions should include all substances with addictive potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. kokkevi@hol.gr
authors.forename: Anna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kokkevi
authors.forename: Angeliki A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Arapaki
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Florescu
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzman
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stergar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*