Jeanpaul Burnett, BS, Chudley E. Werch, PhD, Michele J. Moore, PhD, and Edessa C. Jobli, MPH, CHES. Center for Research on Substance Abuse, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road South, Bldg 39, Room 3042, Jacksonville, FL 32224, (904) 620-2847, burj0012@unf.edu

Purpose of the study was to examine the relations among self-image and stages of alcohol initiation in high school students. Participants (n=1122) were from 9th (n=326), 10th (n=263), 11th (n=311) and 12th (n=217) grade students from a suburban school in North Florida with mean age of 15.6 years (SD=1.2). Fifty-eight percent (58%) were females, with 50% Whites, 29% other ethnicities, and 21% Blacks. A confidential standardized survey was used to collect data on students’ stage of alcohol initiation and perceptions of self-image. There were 29% of students in precontemplation (not planning to drink) stages, 31% in contemplation (planning to drink) stages, and 40% in preparation/action stages. One-way ANOVAs with Tukey HSD post-hoc test, showed students’ perceptions of being healthy, wealthy, friendly, confident, fit/in shape, smart, kind/good, and honest/truthful were less for those adolescents in the preparation/action stages of alcohol initiation (p’s< .05). Perceptions of being sexy/seductive, wild, depressed, taking drugs, worried, and rebellious were greater for those adolescents in the preparation/action stages of alcohol initiation (p’s< .05). These data suggest that certain positive self images are lower while other negative self images are greater for adolescents who are in the preparation/action stages of alcohol initiation, compared to the other stages. Future alcohol preventative interventions might be enhanced by addressing self image perceptions in earlier stages for adolescent alcohol use.

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