Changing trends in adolescent alcohol use among Czech school-aged children from 1994 to 2014.

Abstract

BackgroundFor an efficient planning of public health policy, the regular monitoring over health-related behaviors among vulnerable population groups is necessary. The aim of this study is to examine the temporal trends in alcohol use among the Czech adolescent population.Design and methodsData from the Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children (HBSC) project conducted in Czechia from 1994 to 2014 were used. Adolescent alcohol use was assessed via two indicators: i) weekly alcohol use (beer, wine, and/or spirit), ii) repeated lifetime drunkenness (having been drunk on two or more occasions in life). Trends in alcohol use were modelled separately for boys and girls. Binary logistic regression was conducted with survey period as an independent predictor of the alcohol indicator.ResultsThere were significant changes in adolescent alcohol use since 1994. Between 1994 and 2010, there was a gradual upward in the prevalence. However, in the recent period of 2014, an unprecedented drop in alcohol use was recorded.ConclusionsDespite the significant drop in the prevalence of alcohol use among the Czech youth in recent years, alcohol drinking in adolescence remains an important challenge for the national health policy. Further research will show whether these changes in adolescent health-related behavior are of a temporary or a permanent nature.Significance for public healthSubstance use during the period of adolescence is one of the most significant priorities of the public health agenda. The study provides with a unique 20-year time series of data on adolescent alcohol use since the establishment of the Czech Republic in the early 1990s. Detailed analysis stratified by genders and specific age-groups of adolescents is conducted. The analysis confirmed significant changes in adolescent alcohol use. After a long period of continuous increase, which was present particularly among girls, a sharp drop across genders and all age-groups was recorded. The drop is in contrast with a steady and continuous decline recorded in most of the countries of Western Europe and North America. The specific factors and institutional settings present in Czechia are discussed.