Determinants Shaping the Development of Alcohol Use Among Non-Muslim School-Age Adolescents

Abstract

In recent years, alcohol use among non-Muslim school-age adolescents has become rampant and unchecked, and spurred them to noticeable disciplinary and social problems in school, family and community. Previous studies in adolescence alcohol use were focused on quantitative methodology to examine the issue. However, the present study aims to examine the alcohol use among non-Muslim school-age adolescents between 14-18 years old from the perspectives of various determinants shaping the development of alcohol use. A total of 30 participants were involved in this descriptive qualitative case study. They were comprised of 15 school-going adolescents, five drop-outs and ten juveniles from the northern state of peninsula Malaysia. A qualitative descriptive case study approach was deployed in the current study to provide a more exhaustive and comprehensive findings on the development of alcohol use among non-Muslim school-age adolescents. Semi-structured questions were administered during the in-depth interviews to collect the data and thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data collected. In the findings, the psychological determinants for shaping the development of alcohol use were comprised of depression, self-gratification, conduct problems and maturity. However, in the findings of social and cultural determinants, social events, cultural practices and parental factors were identified. Last but not least, the environmental determinants identified for shaping the development of alcohol use were alcohol advertising, accessibility of alcohol and the drinking act implemented.