Parental alcohol use and self-reported health among Swedish adolescents aged 10-18 years

Abstract

Abstract Background Including harm that is inflicted upon the drinker's social environment is vital when calculating the cost of harmful alcohol use to society. Knowledge about the true damage of alcohol is important in order to implement adequate public health responses. Research on children of alcoholics has demonstrated that parental alcohol misuse may affect offspring negatively in several ways. Studies on the general youth population have found that parental drinking is associated with offspring alcohol use. However, the links to offspring health are less explored. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between parental drinking and children's psychological complaints, somatic complaints, and perceived stress. Methods Data were obtained from the nationally representative Swedish Level-of Living survey of 2010. Parents and children (aged 10-18) living together completed surveys independently. The study sample consisted of 905 children, with information from at least one parent, in 627 households. Children's self-reports of psychological complaints, somatic complaints, and perceived stress were coded into binary measures and used as dependent variables. Based on self-reports of frequency and quantity of alcohol use, parents were categorised into abstainers, low consumers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. Gender, family structure, and parent-reported socioeconomic conditions were included as control variables. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed. Results In the fully adjusted models, children with heavy drinking parents were more likely to report psychological complaints (OR 2.52, p < 0.01), somatic complaints (OR 1.96, p < 0.01), and feeling stressed (OR 1.68, p < 0.05), compared to children whose parents were classified as moderate drinkers. Conclusions The study showed that children living with heavy drinking parents were more likely to report adverse health. Implementing policies that aim to protect these children may be beneficial. Key messages Children living with heavy drinking parents were more likely to report psychological complaints, somatic complaints, and perceived stress. Living with heavy drinking parents may affect children’s health negatively, and measures to mitigate the harms these children experience ought to be considered.