title: Adolescents and alcohol: an explorative audience segmentation analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  So far, audience segmentation of adolescents with respect to alcohol has been carried out mainly on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics. In this study we examined whether it is possible to segment adolescents according to their values and attitudes towards alcohol to use as guidance for prevention programmes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 7,000 adolescents aged 12 to 18 was drawn from the Municipal Basic Administration (MBA) of 29 Local Authorities in the province North-Brabant in the Netherlands. By means of an online questionnaire data were gathered on values and attitudes towards alcohol, alcohol consumption and socio-demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We were able to distinguish a total of five segments on the basis of five attitude factors. Moreover, the five segments also differed in drinking behavior independently of socio-demographic variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our investigation was a first step in the search for possibilities of segmenting by factors other than socio-demographic characteristics. Further research is necessary in order to understand these results for alcohol prevention policy in concrete terms.
authors.affiliation: Tranzo Department, Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health Brabant, Tilburg University, Post Office Box 90153 5000, Tilburg, LE, The Netherlands. j.j.p.mathijssen@uvt.nl
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathijssen
authors.forename: Meriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Bon-Martens
authors.forename: Ien
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van de Goor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires