Religiosity and alcohol use in adolescents with orofacial cleft: correlational study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between religiosity and alcohol use among adolescents with orofacial clefts. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, developed in a Brazilian public and tertiary hospital, between December 2021 and March 2022. Data collection was hybrid, and three instruments were used: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Durel Religiosity Scale, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. For statistical analysis, the following tests were used: χ2, Fisher's Exact, Mann-Whitney and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient, in addition to analyses of linear correlation strength and bivariate logistic regression. The significance level adopted for all tests was 5% (p≤0.05). RESULTS: 370 adolescents participated, with a mean age of 15.2 years (±1.8). Among them, 23 (5.4%) used alcohol riskly or harmfully, being more frequent among male adolescents (p=0.001), those of mixed race (p=0.046), attending high school (p=0.011), with no religion (p<0.001), or who did not attend religious services (p<0.001). Levels of organizational, non-organizational and intrinsic religiosity were significantly lower among adolescents with risky or harmful alcohol use (p=0.005; p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). There was a moderate correlation between risky or harmful alcohol use and non-organizational (r=0.31; p=0.002) and intrinsic (r=0.36; p<0.001) religiosity. Male adolescents (p<0.001; OR=6.58), closest in age to 18 years (p<0.001; OR=1.37), and non-practitioners of religion (p<0.001; OR=6. 48) presented higher odds of risky or harmful alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with higher levels of organizational and intrinsic religiosity used less alcohol, while males, closest in age to 18 years, and non-practitioners of religion presented higher odds of using alcohol riskly or harmfully.

Multi-dimensional predictors of first drinking initiation and regular drinking onset in adolescence: A prospective longitudinal study.

Early adolescent drinking onset is linked to myriad negative consequences. Using the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) baseline to year 8 data, this study (1) leveraged best subsets selection and Cox Proportional Hazards regressions to identify the most robust predictors of adolescent first and regular drinking onset, and (2) examined the clinical utility of drinking onset in forecasting later binge drinking and withdrawal effects. Baseline predictors included youth psychodevelopmental characteristics, cognition, brain structure, family, peer, and neighborhood domains. Participants (N=538) were alcohol-naïve at baseline. The strongest predictors of first and regular drinking onset were positive alcohol expectancies (Hazard Ratios [HRs]=1.67-1.87), easy home alcohol access (HRs=1.62-1.67), more parental solicitation (e.g., inquiring about activities; HRs=1.72-1.76), and less parental control and knowledge (HRs=.72-.73). Robust linear regressions showed earlier first and regular drinking onset predicted earlier transition into binge and regular binge drinking (ßs=0.57-0.95). Zero-inflated Poisson regressions revealed that delayed first and regular drinking increased the likelihood (Incidence Rate Ratios [IRR]=1.62 and IRR=1.29, respectively) of never experiencing withdrawal. Findings identified behavioral and environmental factors predicting temporal paths to youthful drinking, dissociated first from regular drinking initiation, and revealed adverse sequelae of younger drinking initiation, supporting efforts to delay drinking onset.

Mindfulness facets are differentially related with reward processing stages in striatum and alcohol use in adolescence.

Attenuated functional processing of non-drug rewards in striatal regions is an important mechanism in the transition from normal to hazardous alcohol use. Recent interventions seek to enhance nondrug reward processing through mindfulness, a mechanism that targets attention regulation and self-regulatory processes. It is yet unclear which specific aspects of mindfulness and which stages of reward processing are relevant preventive targets, particularly in adolescence, where alcohol use is often initiated and reward relating processing streams undergo continuous maturation. Fifty-four 14- and 16-year-old adolescents (54% female) completed the monetary incentive delay task (MID) during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Alcohol use and dispositional mindfulness facets were measured using self-report instruments. Mindful Attention Regulation was positively associated with anticipatory reward processing in ventral striatum, whereas feedback-related processing in dorsal striatum was associated with the mindfulness facet Body-Listening. Only Attention Regulation was additionally associated with frequency of alcohol consumption and mediated the relationship between functional activation in ventral striatum during reward anticipation and alcohol use. Attention Regulation, beyond other mindfulness facets, might contribute to potentially triggering neural mechanisms of anticipatory, but not feedback-related reward processing and alcohol use, presenting a potential target for preventive efforts in combating transitions to substance-related disorders in adolescents.

Personality, Social Factors, Brain Functioning, Familial Risk, and Trajectories of Alcohol Misuse in Adolescence.

Importance: The development of an alcohol use disorder in adolescence is associated with increased risk of future alcohol dependence. The differential associations of risk factors with alcohol use over the course of 8 years are important for preventive measures. Objective: To determine the differential associations of risk-taking aspects of personality, social factors, brain functioning, and familial risk with hazardous alcohol use in adolescents over the course of 8 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: The IMAGEN multicenter longitudinal cohort study included adolescents recruited from European schools in Germany, the UK, France, and Ireland from January 2008 to January 2019. Eligible participants included those with available neuropsychological, self-report, imaging, and genetic data at baseline. Adolescents who were ineligible for magnetic resonance imaging or had serious medical conditions were excluded. Data analysis was conducted from July 2021 to September 2022. Exposure: Personality testing, psychosocial factors, brain functioning, and familial risk of alcohol misuse. Main Outcome and Measures: Hazardous alcohol use as measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores, a main planned outcome of the IMAGEN study. Alcohol misuse trajectories at ages 14, 16, 19, and 22 years were modeled using latent growth curve models. Results: A total of 2240 adolescents (1110 female [49.6%] and 1130 male [50.4%]) were included in the study. There was a significant negative association of psychosocial resources (ß = -0.29; SE = 0.03; P < .001) with the general risk of alcohol misuse as well as a significant positive association of the risk-taking aspects of personality with the intercept (ß = 0.19; SE = 0.04; P < .001). Furthermore, there were significant positive associations of the social domain (ß = 0.13; SE = 0.02; P < .001) and the personality domain (ß = 0.07; SE = 0.02; P < .001) with trajectories of alcohol misuse development over time (slope). Family history of substance misuse was negatively associated with general risk of alcohol misuse (ß = -0.04; SE = 0.02; P = .045) and its development over time (ß = -0.03; SE = 0.01; P = .01). Brain functioning showed no significant association with intercept or slope of alcohol misuse in the model. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest known risk factors of adolescent drinking may contribute differentially to future alcohol misuse. This approach may inform more individualized preventive interventions.

Individual and environmental correlates of tap water consumption among adolescents in Canada.

The study objective was to identify correlates of tap water consumption among adolescents. French-speaking adolescents from the province of Québec (Canada) were recruited in person and online from March to July 2023 using diverse recruitment strategies. Water consumption was measured using the validated French version of a questionnaire specifically designed to measure adolescents' beverage intake. Participants answered an online survey on their attitude towards tap and bottled water which also measured individual and environmental factors that can influence tap water consumption. A total of 218 adolescents (14-17 years; 55.5% female) completed the survey. On average, 79.2% of adolescents' water intake came from tap and 33.5% of them consumed exclusively tap water. Thinking that bottled water is more convenient than tap water was a significant correlate of adolescents' tap water consumption (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.95; p = 0.0219). Adolescents who believed that bottled water is more convenient than tap water were less likely to consume exclusively tap water. Public health interventions aimed at promoting adolescents' tap water should strive to make tap water intake be perceived as convenient as bottled water, such as encouraging teenagers to always carry along a reusable water bottle, installing drinking fountains in popular public areas, and increasing the visibility of such fountains.

Identifying the challenges of policy content related to high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant drugs, and alcohol consumption in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify policy content challenges related to high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant drugs, and alcohol consumption in Iranian adolescents. METHODS: This qualitative study analyzed high-level and national documents pertaining to adolescent health, high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant, and alcohol consumption in adolescents. The documents, which were published by public organizations between January 1979 and February 2023 and publicly available, were complemented by interviews with policymakers and executives. The study involved reviewing 51 papers and conducting interviews with 49 policymakers and executives at the national, provincial, and local levels who were involved in addressing adolescent behaviors related to high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant, and alcohol consumption. The data collected was analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: The study's results involved examining policy content and identifying challenges related to policy content. The analysis revealed that from the beginning of the Iranian revolution in 1979 until the late 1990s, the dominant approach in Iran was to deny the existence of high-risk behaviors among adolescents. However, in the early 2000s, the country began to adopt a new approach that acknowledged the social harms and ineffectiveness of previous strategies. As a result, a new policy framework was introduced to address high-risk behaviors among adolescents. The study's interviews with policymakers and executives identified 12 challenges related to policy content, including parallel programs, lack of institutional mapping, lack of evidence-based policymaking, lack of integrated approach regarding training, late parent training, lack of consideration of all occurrence reasons in adolescents' high-risk behaviors policymaking, and the existence of many abstinence policies regarding high-risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The study's findings suggest that high-risk behaviors among adolescents in Iran are primarily a health issue, rather than a social or ideological one. Unfortunately, ideological approaches, stigma, and policymaking based on anecdotes rather than evidence have had a significant impact on this area. To improve policymaking in this domain, it is crucial to address these challenges by tackling stigma, adopting an integrated and holistic approach, and implementing evidence-based policies that consider all relevant aspects, including adolescents' subcultures and policy audiences. Such an approach can also be useful for other countries facing similar conditions.

Identifying high school risk factors that forecast heavy drinking onset in understudied young adults.

Heavy alcohol drinking is a major, preventable problem that adversely impacts the physical and mental health of US young adults. Studies seeking drinking risk factors typically focus on young adults who enrolled in 4-year residential college programs (4YCP) even though most high school graduates join the workforce, military, or community colleges. We examined 106 of these understudied young adults (USYA) and 453 4YCPs from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) by longitudinally following their drinking patterns for 8 years from adolescence to young adulthood. All participants were no-to-low drinkers during high school. Whereas 4YCP individuals were more likely to initiate heavy drinking during college years, USYA participants did so later. Using mental health metrics recorded during high school, machine learning forecasted individual-level risk for initiating heavy drinking after leaving high school. The risk factors differed between demographically matched USYA and 4YCP individuals and between sexes. Predictors for USYA drinkers were sexual abuse, physical abuse for girls, and extraversion for boys, whereas 4YCP drinkers were predicted by the ability to recognize facial emotion and, for boys, greater openness. Thus, alcohol prevention programs need to give special consideration to those joining the workforce, military, or community colleges, who make up the majority of this age group.

Adolescent Sleep Quality and Alcohol Use: An Initial Examination of the Serial Indirect Effects of Anxiety Symptoms and Coping Motives for Alcohol Use.

Background: Insufficient sleep and insomnia are associated with alcohol use as well as anxiety during adolescence and young adulthood. A negative reinforcement path to explain the association between sleep difficulties and alcohol misuse has been proposed. Within this pathway, it is speculated that while sober, insomnia and insufficient sleep lead to increased anxiety as well as anxiolytic responses to alcohol, thereby increasing the risk for both alcohol use and alcohol use problems. No work to date has examined the negative reinforcement path to alcohol use among adolescents who have consumed alcohol. Objectives: The current study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining if sleep quality is related to adolescent alcohol use problems and frequency through serial indirect effects of adolescent anxiety symptoms and coping motives for alcohol use. A total of 147 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years (Mage = 16.31; SD = 0.96) from all geographic regions in the US were recruited using social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and Instagram). Participants who reported having tried alcohol at least once completed self-report measures to examine sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, alcohol use problems, alcohol use frequency, and coping motives for alcohol use. Results: Adolescent sleep quality was found to be associated with higher levels of both alcohol use problems and alcohol use frequency through the serial indirect effect of anxiety symptoms and coping motives for alcohol use. Conclusions: Overall, these findings represent a step towards understanding the complex relationship between sleep quality, alcohol, anxiety, and coping motives among adolescents.

The role of monitoring skills in mediating the association between parent's hazardous alcohol consumption and adolescents' drinking.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether parental monitoring skills mediate the effect of hazardous parental alcohol consumption on adolescents' lifetime alcohol use. METHODS: This three wave longitudinal study was conducted with 884 families (n = 1,768 participants) to evaluate the effectiveness of a family-based drug prevention program for adolescents and parents across 12 Brazilian cities. We used structural equation mediation modeling to analyze the effect of hazardous parental alcohol consumption at baseline on adolescents' lifetime alcohol use at 12-month follow-up, mediated by parental monitoring skills latent dimension at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: We found a significant indirect effect of parents' hazardous alcohol use on adolescents' alcohol use through parental monitoring (OR:1.18, 95%CI:1.02;1.36). CONCLUSION: Our finding underscores the importance of comprehensive preventive family alcohol approaches targeting adolescent alcohol use, which should consider both parental drinking behavior and monitoring practices.

Associations between emotional reactivity to stress and adolescent substance use: Differences by sex and valence.

Although stress is often related to substance use, it remains unclear whether substance use is related to individual differences in how adolescents respond to stress. Therefore the present study examined associations between substance use and daily emotional reactivity to stress within a year across adolescence. Adolescents (N = 330; Mage = 16.40, SD = 0.74 at study entry; n = 186 female; n = 138 Latine; n = 101 European American; n = 72 Asian American; n = 19 identifying as another ethnicity including African American and Middle Eastern) completed a longitudinal study, including three assessments between the 10th grade and 3-years post-high school. At each assessment, participants reported frequency of alcohol and cannabis use and the number of substances they had ever used. They also completed 15 daily checklists, in which they reported the number of daily arguments and their daily emotion. Multilevel models suggested that more frequent alcohol and cannabis use were related to attenuated positive emotional reactivity to daily stress (i.e., smaller declines in positive emotion on days when they experienced more arguments) for both male and female adolescents. Associations for negative emotional reactivity to stress varied by sex; more frequent alcohol use and use of more substances in one's lifetime were related to greater anxious emotional reactivity to stress among female adolescents, whereas more frequent alcohol and cannabis use and higher lifetime substance use were related to attenuated depressive emotional reactivity to stress among male adolescents. Taken together, substance use was related to emotional reactivity to daily stress within the same year during adolescence, although associations differed by valence and adolescent sex.

Sports participation moderates the risk of family-specific negative life events on alcohol use among adolescents: Evidence from the longitudinal MyLife study.

Negative life events (NLE) have been associated with increased alcohol use (AU) during adolescence. However, whether this risk association may be modified by leisure activities such as sports participation (SP) remains poorly understood. This study examined whether accumulated family-specific NLE in particular were associated with greater AU, and if so, whether SP moderated this association to reduce AU among high-NLE adolescents. We examined five annual assessments from a nationwide cohort of 3,422 Norwegian adolescents (13-15 year-olds; 55.3 % girls at baseline) who participated in the MyLife study. At each assessment, adolescents reported their AU on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C), the number of family-specific NLE in the past 12 months, SP days in the past 30 days, and multiple sociodemographic and individual-level characteristics (covariates). Changes over time in AU as a function of NLE, SP, and their interaction (NLExSP) were examined with a set of partially nested growth curve models. AU increased non-linearly over time in all models. The fully adjusted best-fitting model showed significant NLExSP interactions (estimate = -0.013, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.006]), such that the initial AUDIT-C scores were lower for high-NLE adolescents with high SP and greater for high-NLE adolescents with low SP. Further, linear increases in AU over time were marginally steeper for high-NLE adolescents with high SP (NLExSPxTime estimate = 0.034, 95% CI [-0.0002, 0.007]). Thus, SP appeared to have a protective role in reducing AU for high-NLE youth primarily during middle school years. Prevention efforts thus may utilize organized sports for youth facing family-specific NLE as a resource early on.

Examining within-person associations between alcohol and cannabis use and hooking up among adolescents and young adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined daily associations between alcohol use, cannabis use, and simultaneous alcohol and cannabis/marijuana (SAM) use with the likelihood of hooking up (uncommitted sexual encounter that may or may not include intercourse). METHOD: We used a longitudinal measurement burst ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design with 3-week EMA bursts with daily measurements repeated quarterly across 12 months. 1,009 (57 % female, Mean age = 20.00 [SD = 3.21]) Texan adolescents and young adults ages 15-25 participated in the study. Mixed effects logistic regression models were estimated using maximum likelihood estimation to evaluate the associations between substance use and hooking up. RESULTS: Within-person results indicated that participants were more likely to hook up on days with alcohol use and on days with cannabis use, but not on days with SAM use. Participants were also more likely to hook up on drinking days with higher-than-usual alcohol use. Between-person results indicated that participants who used alcohol more often or cannabis more often on average were more likely to hook up, and participants who tended to drink more on drinking days were more likely to hook up. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant daily-level associations between alcohol and cannabis use and hooking up behavior, public health initiatives should focus on developing interventions to reduce alcohol and cannabis use and promote safer hooking up behavior among adolescents and young adults.

[Motivations for alcohol consumption in schooled adolescents: analysis of discussion groups]. / Motivaciones para el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes escolarizados: análisis de grupos de discusión.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the motivations of adolescents for alcohol consumption. DESIGN: Qualitative methodology with discussion groups. PARTICIPANTS AND CONTEXT: 131 adolescents (15-17 years old) enrolled in nine schools in Tarragona (Spain). METHOD: Systematic coding strategy, adapted to focus groups. Educational centers were selected through a stratified purposive sampling by educational levels (segmentation criterion) and ownership of the center (public or private). Participants within the educational levels were randomly selected for the groups. Content analysis was conducted using an open and flexible coding strategy. RESULTS: Motivations for alcohol consumption were identified, revolving around six fundamental dimensions: a) seeking fun and new sensations, b) alleviating discomfort, c) consumption due to social contagion and group pressure, d) consumption as a rite of passage into adulthood, e) environmental availability of alcohol, and f) low perception of risk. This motivation varied according to the adolescent's gender. In girls, drinking behavior appeared related to overcoming negative emotional states, while for boys, belonging to the peer group took precedence: drinking reinforces hegemonic masculinity and ensures complicity among peers. Adolescents considered that the information they receive from educational centers is sufficient, but it does not motivate change. CONCLUSIONS: Public health strategies focused on preventing alcohol consumption in adolescents should incorporate their motivations to achieve greater efficiency, paying due attention to sex/gender variables.

"They start on the zero-alcohol and they wanna try the real thing": Parents' views on zero-alcohol beverages and their use by adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Zero-alcohol beverages containing 0.0-0.5% alcohol by volume may offer public health benefits if individuals use them to substitute for alcohol-containing products, thereby reducing alcohol use. There are, however, concerns that zero-alcohol beverages may encourage adolescents' earlier interest in alcohol and increase exposure to alcohol company branding. As this poses a challenge for parents, we studied parents' views on zero-alcohol beverages and their provision to adolescents. METHODS: We interviewed n=38 parents of 12-17-year-olds and used reflexive thematic analysis to interpret interview data. RESULTS: Parents considered zero-alcohol beverages to be 'adult beverages' that potentially supported reduced adult drinking but were unnecessary for adolescents. Parents were concerned that adolescent zero-alcohol beverage use could normalise alcohol consumption and be a precursor to alcohol initiation. There was a potential conflict between moderate provision in 'appropriate' contexts, and potential benefits, which were each supported by some parents. Uncertainty on health qualities was also reported. CONCLUSIONS: Parents reported conflicting and cautious views on zero-alcohol beverage provision to adolescents. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: As evidence on the impacts of zero-alcohol beverage availability develops, parent-targeted messages highlighting the potential risk of normalisation of alcohol use for young people could be developed, in conjunction with broader policy responses.

Mother-child dynamics: Examining reciprocal relations between parental knowledge, child disclosure, parental legitimacy beliefs, and adolescent alcohol use.

Early adolescent alcohol use is associated with adverse developmental and health outcomes. Parental knowledge can prevent or delay substance use, while youth behaviors may concurrently influence parenting. More research is needed to examine the role of youth's perceptions of legitimacy of parental authority. This multi-informant study examined prospective bidirectional effects between parental knowledge and child disclosure alongside youth-reported alcohol use and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Data were analyzed across three waves in a community sample of 304 mother-child dyads. A cross-lagged panel model was estimated using repeated measures of adolescent alcohol use, perceived legitimacy of parental authority, parental knowledge, and child disclosure. Positive reciprocal associations were found in early adolescence between child disclosure and both parental knowledge and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Legitimacy of parental authority negatively predicted alcohol use across adolescence. Child alcohol use also negatively predicted parental knowledge among mothers in later adolescence. Effects were not reciprocated nor sustained. Novel findings demonstrate that the parental legitimacy beliefs predict reduced alcohol use and have a reciprocal association with child disclosure. Clinical implications to mitigate youth alcohol use initiation, by enhancing parental self-efficacy and positive parenting, are discussed.

The role of parental maladaptive emotion socialization in the risk process for negative urgency and drinking behavior in adolescence.

INTRODUCTION: Negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when experiencing negative emotions) is a robust risk factor for a number of problem behaviors, including early adolescent drinking. Little is known about the factors that precede the development of negative urgency, and hence the full etiology of this component of risk. The current study aimed to investigate the possibility that facets of childhood maladaptive emotion socialization (the tendency for children's expressions of emotions to be met with punishment, minimized, or invoke a reaction of distress from their parents/caretakers) increases risk for the development of negative urgency and drinking behavior. METHOD: Self-report measures of negative urgency, subfacets of maladaptive emotion socialization, and drinking behavior were collected during the 2021-2022 academic year from a sample of 428 high school students (mean age = 14.7, SD = 0.09, 44% female), assessed twice over the course of a semester, reflecting a 4-month longitudinal window. RESULTS: Distress emotion socialization predicted increases in negative urgency, minimizing predicted decreases in negative urgency, and punitive did not provide significant prediction. Additionally, results found that higher levels of both negative urgency and distress emotion socialization increased adolescents' likelihood of having tried alcohol. These processes were invariant across race and gender. CONCLUSIONS: The present study may inform the future creation of prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing maladaptive emotion socialization and increasing adaptive emotion socialization. Successful reductions in negative urgency as a consequence of increased adaptive emotion socialization may then lead to decreases in adolescent drinking and other impulsigenic behaviors.

Negative Affect and Drinking among Indigenous Youth: Disaggregating Within- and Between-Person Effects.

Negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use among Indigenous youth in Canada remain a concern for many communities. Disparate rates of these struggles are understood to be a potential outcome of colonization and subsequent intergenerational trauma experienced by individuals, families, and communities. Using a longitudinal design, we examined change in alcohol use and negative affect, and reciprocal associations, among a group of Indigenous adolescents. Indigenous youth (N = 117; 50% male; Mage=12.46-16.28; grades 6-10) from a remote First Nation in northern Quebec completed annual self-reported assessments on negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use. A Latent Curve Model with Structured Residuals (LCM-SR) was used to distinguish between- and within-person associations of negative affect and alcohol use. Growth models did not support change in depression/anxiety, but reports of drinking increased linearly. At the between-person level, girls reported higher initial levels of depression/anxiety and drinking; depression/anxiety were not associated with drinking. At the within-person level, drinking prospectively predicted increases in depression/anxiety but depression/anxiety did not prospectively predict drinking. When Indigenous adolescents reported drinking more alcohol than usual at one wave of assessment, they reported higher levels of negative affect than expected (given their average levels of depression/anxiety) at the following assessment. Our findings suggest that when Indigenous youth present for treatment reporting alcohol use, they should also be screened for negative affect (depression/anxiety). Conversely, if an Indigenous adolescent presents for treatment reporting negative affect, they should also be screened for alcohol use.

Beyond the Laws: Parental Monitoring, Perceived Acceptability of Underage Drinking and Alcohol Use Among Belgian Youth.

Parental monitoring behaviors are negatively associated with adolescent substance use. Yet, the processes explaining these associations are still unclear. The current study examined adolescents' knowledge of minimum legal drinking age laws and their perceived acceptability of underage drinking as potential mediators of the links between parental monitoring behaviors and youth alcohol use. The sample included 1154 Belgian adolescents (Mage = 16.34, SD = 1.33; 71% girls), who were recruited in Wallonia (54.9%) and in Flanders (45.1%). Path analyses revealed that higher parental rule setting, but not solicitation, was related to lower alcohol use. Acceptability of underage drinking mediated this link, but not knowledge of the laws. Results suggest that beyond laws regulating the minimum legal drinking age, alcohol use prevention programs should consider the importance of parental rule setting and youth's perceived acceptability of underage drinking.

"An escape from the isolation": Youth thoughts about the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent sexual behavior and alcohol use.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic likely affected adolescent sexual behaviors and alcohol use, although how is not well understood. METHOD: Youth were sampled from the national, online longitudinal Growing up with Media study. They responded via text messaging to open-ended questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the sexual behavior and alcohol use of adolescents. Conventional content analysis summarized open-ended responses. RESULTS: 416 responses were analyzed from 335 participants (aged 15-30, US residents), 81 of whom provided data for both topics. Participants suggested that the pandemic affected some youths' sexual health precautions (increased and varying) and attitudes about sex (positive and negative). They discussed how adolescents met partners during the pandemic, including increased use of online platforms. Participants also suggested researchers investigate sexual risk in the realm of COVID-19 transmission and the practice of "safe sex." Many participants believed adolescents were drinking alcohol more as a result of the pandemic, both alone and with friends; however, others perceived adolescents were drinking less. Participants proposed researchers investigate adolescent drinking habits during the pandemic, as well as how this compares to before the pandemic and the type and quantity of alcohol consumed. CONCLUSIONS: Young people believe adolescent sexual relationships and drinking behaviors changed due to the pandemic, though how varied. Future research could examine the contexts and individual differences that shape these varying behaviors. Overall, this study highlights the importance of directly asking youth about their pandemic experiences and the diversity of views on how the pandemic has influenced adolescent behavior.

Childhood Aggressive Behavior and Adolescent Substance Use Initiation.

BACKGROUND: Drug and alcohol use before the age of 14 is associated with adverse outcomes over the life course. While previous studies have identified numerous sociodemographic characteristics associated with youth substance use initiation, few have examined the relationship between behavioral characteristics, such as childhood aggression, and substance use initiation in adolescence. METHODS: This longitudinal study consisted of 2985 children from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Aggression was measured using primary caregiver report when the children were about the age of 9 and cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use was measured using the child report when the children were age 9 and age 15. Separate multivariable Poisson regression models were fitted for each substance use initiation outcome. RESULTS: Childhood aggression was positively associated with the initiation of cigarette and marijuana use in adolescence (aRR = 2.3 [95% CI = 1.5,3.4] and aRR = 1.3 [95% CI = 1.1,1.6], respectively). Childhood aggression was not associated with adolescent alcohol use initiation (aRR = 1.2 [95% CI = 0.9,1.5]). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of aggressive behavior in childhood was associated with the initiation of cigarette and marijuana use in adolescence. These results may be used to identify children at higher risk of cigarette and marijuana use, who may benefit from additional monitoring for substance use initiation.