Alcohol consumption and its associated factors among adolescents in a rural community in central Thailand: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Early onset of alcohol use was associated with alcohol dependence and other health problems. We aimed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with alcohol consumption among adolescents in a rural community in Thailand. A mixed-methods study was carried out in 2021 using an explanatory sequential design. The study enrolled a total of 413 adolescents. On average, young adolescents initiated alcohol consumption at age 13. The lifetime drinking prevalence among adolescents was 60.5%, while the 1-year drinking prevalence was 53.0%. The prevalence of hazardous drinking among current drinkers was 42.0%. Alcohol consumption was associated with females (adjusted prevalence ratio (APR): 1.19; 95% CI 1.01–1.41), age ≥ 16 years (APR: 1.28; 95% CI 1.09–1.50), having close friends consuming alcohol (APR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.43–2.14), night out (APR: 1.93; 95% CI 1.53–2.45), being a current smoker (APR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.15–1.69), and having relationship (with boyfriend/girlfriend) problems (APR: 1.18; 95% CI 1.01–1.38). Qualitative data demonstrated that individual and environmental factors, including friends, family, social media use, and alcohol accessibility, affect alcohol use in this population. Therefore, effective strategies should be implemented across multiple levels of the socio-ecological model simultaneously to alleviate alcohol consumption and attenuate its complications.

What Sustains Mask-Wearing Behavior among Elders in a Rural Community in the Post-COVID-19 Era: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study

“…An exploratory sequential mixed-method qualitative–quantitative study was conducted to explore the specific influencing factors for participants residing in rural areas on their mask-wearing behaviors. Our study site was the border area of 4 of 19 villages in Phraphlong Subdistrict, Khao Chakan District, at the border area of Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand, 190 km east of Bangkok [ 14 ]. This area has been teaching community medicine for Phramongkutklao College of Medicine since 2002 [ 14 ].…”

“…Our study site was the border area of 4 of 19 villages in Phraphlong Subdistrict, Khao Chakan District, at the border area of Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand, 190 km east of Bangkok [ 14 ]. This area has been teaching community medicine for Phramongkutklao College of Medicine since 2002 [ 14 ]. The current study was divided into three phases.…”

Exploring the alcohol consumption of students in a higher education institution during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A case study

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Sociological Bout on the ‘Kushlization’ of Sierra Leonean Juveniles: A Freetown Clogging Communal Health Apocalypse

“…Social peer pressure as element for narcotic utilization is also inferred by an inquiry embarked by [12] who discovered, with an eighty eight point nine percent accuracy, that juveniles who disclosed deep-rooted dipsomania were essentially probably to have comrades who utilize booze or liquor. Based on [13], adolescents were three to six times further potentially to have utilized liquor and to have been involved in satiate boozing in the following month if they had comrades who utilized liquor. Their social inquiry depicted that adolescents were gifted their foremost booze by comrades rather than other folks.…”