Initiation of Alcohol Consumption Among the Tribal Male Adolescents in Dooars Region of West Bengal: A Failure Event Analysis Approach.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is a significant social and health problem among tribal male adolescents. The Dooars region of West Bengal has the highest concentration of the tribal population. This study aimed to examine the role of various factors in the early initiation of alcohol consumption among tribal male adolescents. METHODS: This study relied on primary data and included 600 tribal adolescents. To fulfil the objective, the Cox regression hazard model was employed. Additionally, hazard rates were calculated to identify the changing hazard rates over a specific age. The Kaplan-Meier failure graph was also used to illustrate the occurrence of alcohol consumption events among different groups of tribal adolescents. FINDINGS: The risk of alcohol consumption was higher among tribal adolescents who dropped out of the educational system (HR 2.94), did not participate in outdoor games (HR 3.10), worked for pay (HR 3.23), smoked (HR 12.55), drank traditional liquor (HR 3.61), and had siblings (HR 4.27) or peers (HR 3.60) who used substances or fathers who consumed alcohol (HR 3.80). Unsupervised time with peers (HR 3.61) and stress (HR 3.61) also increased the risk of alcohol consumption. In contrast, self-esteem was found to be protective (HR 0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The government has introduced various interventions and schemes to reduce alcohol consumption, but more targeted actions are needed at the household and individual levels. In the tea gardens of the Dooars region, NGOs and the government should promote education, organize extracurricular activities for adolescents' holistic development, and raise awareness in tribal communities about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.