title: Parental supply of alcohol and adolescent risky drinking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Australia, 20% of 14- to 19-year-olds drink at least weekly. Some parents supply alcohol to their adolescent children with the intention of limiting the quantity consumed, but it is possible that such supply facilitates risky drinking. We sought to determine whether there is an association between parental supply and risky drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted in seven high schools in New South Wales, Australia. Five hundred and thirty students (mean age 16.0 years, SD 1.3) completed survey items relating to their alcohol consumption, sources of alcohol, circumstances of parental supply, and peers' consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among respondents (response rate 43%), 93% of participants had tried alcohol, 66% had consumed at least a full glass, and 40% had consumed more than four drinks on a single occasion in the preceding month (risky drinking). Risky drinkers obtained alcohol mainly from friends (48%) and parents (19%). After controlling for school year and gender, and adjusting for clustering, parental supply for drinking under 'other' supervision (P = 0.004) and with no supervision (P = 0.007), the number of close friends believed to have consumed alcohol in the past month (P < 0.001), and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status (P = 0.02) were all significantly associated with risky drinking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental supply of alcohol for unsupervised drinking is associated with risky drinking among 13- to 17-year-olds. Longitudinal studies would assist in studying the temporal sequence and controlling for confounding.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Health Behaviour Science and Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia. conor.gilligan@newcastle.edu.au
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gilligan
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lynagh
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Love
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*