Parental alcohol use and adolescent school adjustment in the general population: Results from the HUNT study

Abstract

BackgroundThis study investigates the relationship between parental drinking and school adjustment in a total population sample of adolescents, with independent reports from mothers, fathers, and adolescents. As a group, children of alcohol abusers have previously been found to exhibit lowered academic achievement. However, few studies address which parts of school adjustment that may be impaired. Both a genetic approach and social strains predict elevated problem scores in these children. Previous research has had limitations such as only recruiting cases from clinics, relying on single responders for all measures, or incomplete control for comorbid psychopathology. The specific effects of maternal and paternal alcohol use are also understudied.MethodsIn a Norwegian county, 88% of the population aged 13-19 years participated in a health survey (N = 8984). Among other variables, adolescents reported on four dimensions of school adjustment, while mothers and fathers reported their own drinking behaviour. Mental distress and other control variables were adjusted for. Multivariate analysis including generalized estimation equations was applied to investigate associations.ResultsCompared to children of light drinkers, children of alcohol abusers had moderately elevated attention and conduct problem scores. Maternal alcohol abuse was particularly predictive of such problems. Children of abstainers did significantly better than children of light drinkers. Controlling for adolescent mental distress reduced the association between maternal abuse and attention problems. The associations between parental reported drinking and school adjustment were further reduced when controlling for the children's report of seeing their parents drunk, which itself predicted school adjustment. Controlling for parental mental distress did not reduce the associations.ConclusionsParental alcohol abuse is an independent risk factor for attention and conduct problems at school. Some of the risk associated with mothers' drinking is likely to be mediated by adolescent mental distress. Despite lowered adjustment on the externalizing dimensions, children of alcohol abusers report that they enjoy being at school as much as other children.

Adolescent mental health and earnings inequalities in adulthood: evidence from the Young-HUNT Study

“…Our measures of attention and conduct problems were calculated using items from a module on school adjustment. Questions from this module have been used in several studies, although in different ways 26 27. The attention problems score included the statements ‘cannot sit still’ and ‘have difficulties concentrating’.…”

Family-Environmental Factors Associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Chinese Children: A Case-Control Study

“…Parents were asked about their children’s exposure to domestic tobacco smoke and domestic alcohol consumption. Study factors were defined as binary variables - that is, domestic tobacco smoke (yes/no) and domestic alcohol consumption (yes/no) [33], [34]. Based on questions included on the 2009 US middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) [35], parents and teachers were asked to report physical activity of the study subjects (“During the past 7 days, on how many days was the child physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day?”).…”

Intergenerational effects of parental substance-related convictions and adult drug treatment court participation on children’s school performance.

“…For children, parental substance use increases risks of: experiencing abuse/neglect (Cunningham & Finlay, 2012; Miller & Jang, 1977; Young, Boles, & Otero, 2007); using substances as an adolescent (Obot, Wagner, & Anthony, 2001); and developing mental health problems (Cuijpers, Langendoen, & Bijl, 1999; Kelley & Fals-Stewart, 2004; Obot & Anthony, 2004) and/or behavioral problems (Stanger et al, 1999). Existing literature on the relationship between parental substance use and their children’s school performance generally finds that children exposed to parental substance use do worse than others (Chandy, Harris, Blum, & Resnick, 1993; Hyphantis, Koutras, Liakos, & Marselos, 1991; Jennison, 2014; Marcus, 1986; McGrath, Watson, & Chassin, 1999; Rimmer, 1982; Serec et al, 2012; Torvik, Rognmo, Ask, Røysamb, & Tambs, 2011). …”