title: Impact of family level factors on alcohol drinking in primary school children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to identify and analyze selected factors influencing alcohol use among primary school children aged 8 to 15 years in the academic year 2009/10.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of children from 28 primary schools. Data of this cross-sectional study were collected using questionnaires. Chi-Square test was used to test differences in proportions of observed phenomena between boys and girls. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influence of selected factors on the variable "child's alcohol drinking per week".
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 2,494 respondents (52% of boys, 48% of girls). In the study group 78% of all respondents (95% CI=76-80) drank alcohol infrequently (less than once a week) or did not drink alcohol at all, and 22% of respondents (95% Cl=20-24) drank alcohol at least once a week. More boys than girls considered alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and spirit as quite easily available. We performed the model of multivariate logistic regression analysis using the independent variables: age of respondents, gender of respondents, mother's alcohol drinking, father's alcohol drinking, sibling's alcohol drinking, parental rules, parental control, and mental support from parents (if their children have problems) to identify their effect on the dependent variable - child's alcohol drinking per week. We found out that mother's alcohol drinking and a lack of mental support from parents did not have a statistically significant influence on child's alcohol drinking per week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study point to the fact that it is necessary to focus on the prevention of alcohol drinking in general and among school children in particular. We recommend greater control of the sale of alcoholic beverages, so as to prevent the purchase by people under 18 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia. veronika.rehorcikova@truni.sk
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rehorcíková
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nemcovská
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sklenárová
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kállay
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kállayová
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brazinová
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slaná
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors