Alcohol Use and Associated Environmental Factors Among Middle and High School Students in Sfax (Tunisia)

AbstractOur objective was to investigate the prevalence and the environmental determinants of alcohol use among students in the region of Sfax in Tunisia. We carried out a cross-sectional study among 315 middle and high school students. We used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to identify risky alcohol consumption, and we used the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) to assess the students ’ perceptions of their parents’ parenting styles. The results show that 19.7% reported drinking alcohol at least once in their lifetime. Among them, 21% scored as dependent alcohol users, according to the AUDIT. Those who drank alcohol at least once were more likely to have parents with a permis sive parenting style (p <  0.001; Cramer’sV = 0.287), and a father (p <  0.001; Cramer’sV = 0.258), a mother (p = 0.025; Cramer’sV = 0.158), or a friend (p <  0.001; Cramer’sV = 0.341) who drinks. Students perceiving their parents’ parenting style as permissive had the highest AUDIT score (p = 0.005; partialη2 = 0.132). The authoritarian style score was significantly higher for students who were current alcohol users (p = 0.028; Cohen’sd = 0.57). Our study highlights the influence of peers, family drinking, and parenting styles on alcohol use among middle and high school students. Therefore, particular attention should be given to students that are at risk of having the abovementioned envir...
Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Category: Addiction Source Type: research