title: Alcohol and cannabis use among adolescents in Flemish secondary school in Brussels: effects of type of education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research regarding socio-economic differences in alcohol and drug use in adolescence yields mixed results. This study hypothesizes that (1) when using education type as a proxy of one's social status, clear differences will exist between students from different types of education, regardless of students' familial socio-economic background; (2) and that the effects of education type differ according to their cultural background.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Brussels youth monitor were used, a school survey administered among 1,488 adolescents from the 3rd to 6th year of Flemish secondary education. Data were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for their familial background, the results show that native students in lower educational tracks use alcohol and cannabis more often than students in upper educational tracks. Such a relationship was not found for students from another ethnic background.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this study indicate that research into health risks should take into account both adolescents' familial background and individual social position as different components of youngsters' socio-economic background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Welfare Studies, H, Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. hans.berten@ugent.be
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Berten
authors.forename: Dries
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cardoen
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brondeel
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vettenburg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*