Since 1990, the nationwide survey "Consulta Juvenil" has identified the factors associated with alcohol and drug use among junior and high school students in Puerto Rico. In 1994, we decided to include as part of our sample schoolchildren in 5th and 6th grades, in order to identify the familial, cultural, and personal factors that may contribute to the children's initiation of substance use. A total 1,647 schoolchildren completed a self-administered questionnaire. The sample was weighted to represent approximately 125,158 students. Estimated prevalence of alcohol experimentation was 34.2%, significantly lower than in 1994 (46.0%). Cigarette use increased slightly from 7.0% to 8.8% between 1994-97. Inhalant use increased significantly, from 4% in 1994 to 11.2% in 1997. Boys reported greater experimentation with alcohol, cigarettes, inhalants, marijuana cocaine and crack than girls did. As age increased, so did substance experimentation, which was higher for those children who had repeated a grade. Predictors that contributed most to explain substance experimentation were use by friends, accessibility, skipping classes, no curfew and use by siblings. Noticeably, alcohol experimentation occurred most frequently at family gatherings, being the parents the adults that offered the alcoholic beverages to the students. Parental education with regard to alcohol use and strategies for delaying its onset are essential elements of the prevention efforts for this population.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the principal risk factors for substance experimentation among Puerto Rican children. 2. Describe the differentials in substance experimentation in this sample. 3. Recognize the role of cultural differences when developing prevention strategies geared towards the Hispanic population.
Keywords: Alcohol Use, Child/Adolescent
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.