Parental beliefs, initiation of alcohol consumption, and binge drinking among Brazilian adolescents
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: to analyze the association between adolescent alcohol consumption and parental beliefs. METHOD: a cross-sectional study nested within a cluster randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of a program to strengthen family bonds in preventing drug use among adolescents. A total of 859 families with adolescents aged 10-14 years participated in the study. Participants completed a virtual questionnaire, and descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess the associations of interest. RESULTS: parents who believed it was safer to teach their children to drink at home doubled the chances of their children starting to use alcohol (OR= 2.10). The belief that "if a teenager only drinks at parties, it will not affect their development" almost tripled (OR= 2.61) the chances of their children engaging in binge drinking. The study found that parents/guardians who used alcohol harmfully or were likely to be dependent increased the chances of their children consuming alcohol eightfold. CONCLUSION: the results suggest that more permissive parental beliefs about harmful alcohol consumption by parents can significantly increase the chances of early initiation and binge drinking in adolescence.
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221157638