Recent Alcohol Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking Among Multiracial Youth

Rebecca Vidourek and Keith King

 

Abstract

There is continued concern among public health professionals about youth alcohol use. Multiracial students may be at higher risk than other minority groups for use. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of student participation in positive (pro-social) activities, negative behaviors, and
protective factors on the family/ parent and teacher/ school level on recent alcohol use (past 30 days) and frequent binge drinking among multiracial students. The PRIDE national survey, a nationally recognized survey measuring student behavior, was provided to 7th to 12th grade students in one city. All students self-identifying as multiracial were included in this data analysis (n = 2134). Findings indicate that 20.2% of multiracial students recently used alcohol and 10.1% frequently (often/ a lot) reported binge drinking. A series of logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the variables. Findings indicated the following variables placed students at increased odds for recent alcohol use and frequent binge drinking (p < 0.001): Being a 9th/ 10th/ 11th/ 12th grader; having low involvement in positive (pro-social) behaviors, having high involvement in negative behaviors, having low numbers of parent protective factors, and having low numbers of teacher and school protective factors. Protective factors included involvement in positive (pro social) behaviors and high positive parent, teacher and school factors, which protected multiracial youth from engaging in risky alcohol use. This study may assist health professionals in the health education and public health in understanding how positive (pro-social) behaviors, negative behaviors and parent/ teacher/ school factors are correlated with recent alcohol use and binge drinking among multiracial youth.

Published on: July 27, 2018
doi: 10.17756/jrdsas.2018-040
Citation: Vidourek R, King K. 2018. Recent Alcohol Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking Among Multiracial Youth. J Reward Defic Syndr Addict Sci 4(1): 1-8.
 
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