Abstract
BackgroundResearch regarding socio-economic differences in alcohol and drug use in adolescence yields mixed results. This study hypothesizes that (1) when using education type as a proxy of one's social status, clear differences will exist between students from different types of education, regardless of students' familial socio-economic background; (2) and that the effects of education type differ according to their cultural background.MethodsData from the Brussels youth monitor were used, a school survey administered among 1,488 adolescents from the 3rd to 6th year of Flemish secondary education. Data were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression models.ResultsControlling for their familial background, the results show that native students in lower educational tracks use alcohol and cannabis more often than students in upper educational tracks. Such a relationship was not found for students from another ethnic background.ConclusionResults from this study indicate that research into health risks should take into account both adolescents' familial background and individual social position as different components of youngsters' socio-economic background.
Highlights
Research regarding socio-economic differences in alcohol and drug use in adolescence yields mixed results
Considering the two extremes within education type, it becomes clear that 51.7% of the students in general education grow up in a two income-family
In the present study we focused on whether alcohol and drug use differs between students from different educational tracks, independent of their familial socio-economic background
Summary
Research regarding socio-economic differences in alcohol and drug use in adolescence yields mixed results. Despite recent signs of a decline in the prevalence of legal and illegal drugs, the use of alcohol and cannabis remains widespread among adolescents and young adults in contemporary European society [1,2]. According to a recent research report, 75.4% of the Flemish scholars (12-18 years) have drunk alcohol at least once during their lifetime [5]. The same research reported a last year prevalence rate of cannabis among Flemish students of 11.7% of which 2.7% used it on a weekly basis. One out of five students had smoked cannabis once during their lifetime [5] This substance use is not Notwithstanding these health implications, for most teenagers it holds that adolescence is a phase of experimentation in the first place. Insight in risk factors that constitute teenage substance use is imperative
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