The impact of parent-child discussions and parent restrictions on adolescent alcohol consumption.
The impact of parent influence on adolescent drinking behavior has been extensively researched, but remains unclear. This assessment used data from a survey administered in after school programs in Maui County to further examine parents' role in preventing underage drinking. Two factors were explored for their impacts on drinking behavior: parent-child discussions and perceived parent sanctioning of alcohol use. Separate analysis was conducted for all respondents and for those who are drinkers. Youth ages 12-17 (n = 572; 46.7% female; 25.2% alcohol drinkers; 16.4% binge drinkers( participated in the study. No significant differences for the reported number of days of drinking (chi-square = 1.38, p > 0.05) and the number of days of binge drinking (chi-square = 0.31, p > 0.05) between those that did and did not have parent-child communications was found. A significant difference was found, however, for the number of drinking days (chi-square = 38.6, p < 0.05) and the number of binge drinking days (chi-square = 39.4, p < 0.05), f or "all respondents" between those who perceived parent restriction and those who did not. These findings suggest that parent-child communication may be most influential when characterized in such a way as to include well-defined restrictions against alcohol use.
Williams
Rebecca J
RJ
Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.
Kittinger
Daniela S
DS
Eller
LaShanda N
LN
Nigg
Claudio R
CR
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D015995:Prevalence