Edessa C. Jobli, MPH, CHES¹, Chudley E. Werch, PhD², Michele J. Moore, PhD², Gemi Butler, BS², Dorothy Burgess, BA², and Jeanpaul Burnett, BS². (1) Addictive & Health Behaviors Research Institute, University of Florida, 6852 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL, FL 32216, 904-631-3917, ejobli@hhp.ufl.edu, (2) Center for Research on Substance Abuse, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road South, Bldg 39, Room 3042, Jacksonville, FL 32224

The purpose of this study was to determine whether parenting behaviors, role modeling, subjective norms, peer pressure or positive self-image can significantly predict youth’s ability to refuse offers to drink alcohol. Participants (n=1198) were 9th (n=343), 10th (283), 11th (n=331) and 12th (n=241) graders at a public school in northeast Florida. Over half (58%) were females, with a mean age of 15.6 years (SD = 1.2) and 50% were Whites, 29% were from other ethnicities and 21% were Blacks. A confidential survey was used to collect data on participant’s self-image; father, mother and sibling’s drinking; parent-child alcohol communication, positive relationship and bonding; parent and peer norm; and susceptibility to peer pressure. Sixty six percent (66%) of participants reported saying no to an offer to drink alcohol. Logistic regression analysis revealed that among the variables measured, significant predictors of adolescent’s ability to say no to alcohol included parent-child alcohol communication (OR = 1.2), susceptibility to peer pressure (OR = 0.6) and peer norm (OR = 1.1), p’s < .05. These results were consistent with discriminant analysis with 70% of cases correctly classified. These findings suggest that certain environmental factors (parent-child alcohol communication) and individual factors (peer pressure and peer norm) significantly predict adolescent’s ability to say no to alcohol. Future intervention targeting the strengthening of parent-child alcohol communication, as well as youth’s susceptibility to peer pressure and beliefs about social norms may hold promise for enhancing adolescent’s skills at refusing social offers to drink alcohol.

Learning Objectives:

• 1) Recognize that there are significant predictors of adolescent’s ability to refuse offers to drink alcohol.
• 2) Identify certain environmental and individual factors that play vital role toward youth’s self-control against alcohol use.
• 3) Prioritize alcohol prevention program components that may have a greater chance of strengthening adolescent’s skills to refuse social offers to drink alcohol.

Keywords: Adolescents, Alcohol

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.