Abstract
BackgroundAlcohol and other drugs use is a problem among adolescents leading to numerous physical, social, and educational damages.ObjectiveFor determining the prevalence of alcohol and other substance use as well as the factors associated with the experience of alcohol use in adolescents.Patients and MethodsThis is a population-based and cross-sectional study, which was conducted in August 2010 on adolescents aged 15–18 years in Tehran. Data were collected by a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in 1,201 adolescents. The multistage cluster sampling method was used. Questions belonging to the domain of alcohol and other substance use were analyzed.ResultsIn general, 15.1% of adolescents had experienced alcohol, which is significantly higher in boys (21.9%) compared to girls (8.4%) (P = 0.000). 3.1% of adolescents had experience using opium and marijuana. 5.6% had used ecstasy. The results of multivariate logistic regression indicated that low parental control rather than medium control [AOR: 0.09], lifetime cigarette use [AOR: 10.41], having a tobacco user friend [AOR: 4.36], and having an alcohol user friend [AOR: 5.84] are factors that are significantly related to the experience of alcohol use in female adolescents. In addition, studying in private schools rather than public schools [AOR: 3.46], lifetime cigarette use [AOR: 3.41], lifetime water pipe use [AOR: 4.43], experience of sexual activity [AOR: 8.52], having an alcohol user friend [AOR: 12.60], and having a water pipe user in family [AOR: 2.98] are factors that are significantly related to the experience of alcohol use in male adolescents.ConclusionsWe recommend interventional plans based gender aimed at improving adolescent health with regard substance abuse.
Highlights
Alcohol and other drugs use is a problem among adolescents leading to numerous physical, social, and educational damages
Our data collection tools consisted of questions in the domain of alcohol and other substances use of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [11] as well as a socio-demographic questionnaire developed by the authors; both questionnaires were completed by the participants in a self-administered fashion
The results of our multivariate logistic regression indicated that studying in private schools rather than public schools [AOR, 95% CI, 3.46 (1.65–7.24), P < 0.01], lifetime cigarette use [AOR, 95% CI, 3.41 (1.62–7.19), P < 0.01], lifetime water pipe use [AOR, 95% CI, 4.43 (1.69– 11.61), P < 0.01], experience of sexual activity [AOR, 95% CI, 8.52 (3.88–18.74), P < 0.001], having an alcohol user among the friends [AOR, 95% CI, 12.60 (4.31–36.85), P < 0.001], and having a water pipe user in family member [AOR, 95% CI, 2.98 (1.43–6.21), P < 0.01] are the factors that are significantly related to the experience of alcohol use in male adolescents (Table 3)
Summary
Alcohol and other drugs use is a problem among adolescents leading to numerous physical, social, and educational damages. Objective: For determining the prevalence of alcohol and other substance use as well as the factors associated with the experience of alcohol use in adolescents. The results of multivariate logistic regression indicated that low parental control rather than medium control [AOR: 0.09], lifetime cigarette use [AOR: 10.41], having a tobacco user friend [AOR: 4.36], and having an alcohol user friend [AOR: 5.84] are factors that are significantly related to the experience of alcohol use in female adolescents. In an Iranian study conducted on students in Shiraz, the use of alcohol and psychedelics was reportedly 32% and 2.2% respectively [6] Abusing substances such as alcohol, opium, ecstasy, and heroin was as frequent as 12.6%, 1.4%, 0.7%, and 0.3%, respectively, among students in Rasht, Iran [7]. Since cultural limitations have hindered a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs’ use among adolescents in Tehran
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