The purpose of this study was to analyze parenting behaviors and their effect on alcohol use among a cohort of 8th grade inner-city middle school youth. Data were collected from eighth-grade students (n=433) from 2 inner-city middle schools in Northeast Florida. Students were surveyed on their frequency of alcohol use, stage of alcohol acquisition, binge drinking, and perceived parenting behavior measures. Findings indicated that alcohol ever use was significantly correlated with positive parent child relationship (p=. 04). Students with positive relationships with their parents were less likely to use alcohol. Frequency of alcohol use was significantly correlated with parental monitoring (p=.04), parent-child communication (p=.02), and positive parent-child relationship (p=.01). These results indicated that the majority of parenting behaviors measured had an inverse relationship with the frequency of alcohol use among the students. An analysis of variance showed a significant effect of parent-child alcohol communication on binge drinking (p=.00). Students with good parent-child alcohol communication were less likely to engage in binge drinking. Stage of acquisition was not correlated with any of the parenting behaviors measured. The findings of this study suggest that alcohol prevention programs should include components that will reinforce and enhance certain positive parenting behaviors.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify four parental behaviors that decrease the frequency of alcohol use among inner-city middle school youth. 2. Recognize the need for developing school-based alcohol prevention programming that will reinforce certain positive parenting behaviors. 3. Recognize the need for encouraging parent-child alcohol communication to prevent youth from engaging in binge drinking behavior.
Keywords: Alcohol, School-Based Programs
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.