Original scientific paper
Risk Factors and Characteristics of Alcohol-Drinking Habits Among High School Students
Slavko SAKOMAN
Marina KUZMAN
Zora RABOTEG-ŠARIĆ
Abstract
The aim of this research was to examine the occurrence and
characteristics of alcohol abuse among adolescents and to determine
which factors could best explain students’ drinking habits
and the maladjusted behaviour due to alcohol abuse. The
research was conducted on a representative sample (N=4841)
of first-grade high-school students in Croatia. An extensive
questionnaire was used examining the frequency and modes of
alcohol abuse as well as the examinees’ characteristics of behaviour
and experience. The results demonstrate that alcohol
abuse among high-school students is a frequent practice. Almost
80% of the examined students have drunk at least once in their
lives, and almost half of them state they have had alcoholic
drinks in the last 30 days. Furthermore, there is a considerable
number of those who have in the intervals mentioned been
under a strong influence of alcohol. The data generally indicate
that students start drinking alcoholic beverages already in elementary
school and that by the beginning of high school their
drinking habits become very pronounced indeed. In order to clarify
students’ drinking habits, the correlations of alcohol-drinking
frequency variables have been calculated, intoxication
in life and problems of behaviour due to alcohol abuse (criterion
variables) with sociodemographic variables (gender,
school-type, socio-educational status of parents), students’
school success, absence from classes and estimates of the occurrence
of alcohol abuse and intoxication among the students’
friends. The results were processed by graded regression
analyses. As the most important predictors of the criteria
of alcohol abuse, intoxication and problems of behaviour due to
alcohol abuse, in both samples of male and female students, a
more positive (yielding) attitude towards alcohol is expressed, as
well as poorer results in school, truancy and association with
peers who drink extensively. The research results indicate that the
more frequent and intensive use of alcohol is by and large a social
activity to be associated with unacceptable behaviour and
poorer school results.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
20344
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1999.
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