Experimental use of alcohol in early adolescence: the 11-year follow-up of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study.
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of experimental alcohol intake and associated factors in early adolescence. The overall sample consisted of 4,452 adolescents (mean age = 11.3 years; SD = 0.3) from the 1993 birth cohort in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Experimental use of alcohol was reported by 17.5% of the interviewees (95%CI: 16.3-18.6), and 5% reported having tried alcohol at nine years of age or younger. Prevalence of experimental alcohol use was higher among adolescents whose mothers had consumed alcohol during pregnancy, whose parents consumed alcohol, who worked outside the home themselves, and who had ever tried smoking. Family strife, parental alcohol intake, and adolescent smoking were strong predictors of experimental alcohol use in early adolescence. Special attention should be targeted to these groups in order to avoid heavy and premature alcohol use in early adolescence.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro 1160, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. ricardonoal@yahoo.com.br
Ricardo B
RB
Noal
Ana M B
AM
Menezes
Cora Luiza
CL
Araújo
Pedro C
PC
Hallal
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors