title: A Study of the Relationship between Parental Alcohol Problems and Alcohol Use among Adolescent Females in Republic of Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was designed to test if alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among adolescent females are related to their parents' level of alcohol problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2001, a stratified sample of 2077 adolescent females, grades 10-11, from twelve female-only high schools located in a large metropolitan city in the Republic of Korea completed a questionnaire about alcohol use, parental attention, and parental alcohol consumption, and other risk and protective factors. Data were analyzed with chi-square and regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 63% of the student drinkers had experienced at least one to two alcohol-related problems in their lives. Two-thirds of all 2077 students indicated that at least one of their parents had an alcohol-related problem and that approximately 29% had experienced several problems. Results of random effects ordinal logistic regression analyses suggest a dose-response relationship between parental and youth alcohol-related problems. Youth who report having parents with some and many alcohol problems were 30% (Odds Ratios [OR] = 1.30; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.10 - 1.53) and 55% (OR = 1.55; 95%CI = 1.23 - 1.95) more likely to experience alcoholrelated problems than youth whose parents do not have alcohol problems, respectively, after statistically adjusting for important covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents evidence that alcoholrelated problems among adolescent female students is highly prevalent. Also, the study findings reveal a high percentage of parents with alcohol problems, as reported by students. This study presents evidence of what might be a hidden problem among adults and youths in the Republic of Korea that merits serious attention.
authors.affiliation: School of social work, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. eokdong@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dong Eok
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: School of social work, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. eokdong@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delva
keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol abuse; Females; Mental health; Republic of Korea; Survey