Citation

Ozdemir M, Koutakis N. Addiction 2015; 111(2): 263-271.

Affiliation

School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Örebro, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.13177

PMID

26381442

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Örebro Prevention Program (ÖPP) was previously found effective in reducing drunkenness among adolescents (Cohen's d = .35, NNT = 7.7). The current study tested the mediating role of parents' restrictive attitudes to underage drinking in explaining the effectiveness of the ÖPP, and the potential moderating role of gender, immigration status, peers' and parents' drinking, and parent-adolescent relationship quality.

DESIGN: A quasi-experimental matched-control group study with assessments at baseline, and at 18-, and 30-month follow-ups. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 895 target youths at ages 12-13, 811 youths and 651 parents at baseline, 653 youths and 524 parents at 18-month, and 705 youths and 506 parents at 30-month follow-up participated in the study. MEASUREMENTS: Youths reported on their past month drunkenness, their parents' and peers' alcohol use, and the quality of their relationship with parents. Parents reported on their attitudes to underage drinking.

FINDINGS: The mediation analyses using Latent Growth Curve Modeling showed that changes in parents' restrictive attitudes to underage drinking explained the impact of the ÖPP on changes in youth drunkenness, which was reduced, and onset of monthly drunkenness, which was delayed, relative to controls. Mediation effect explained 57% and 45% of the effects on drunkenness and onset of monthly drunkenness, respectively. The program effects on both parents' attitudes and youth drunkenness were similar across gender, immigrant status, parents' and peers' alcohol use, and parent-youth relationship quality.

CONCLUSIONS: Increasing parents' restrictive attitudes to youth drinking appears to be an effective and robust strategy for reducing heavy underage drinking regardless of the adolescents' gender, cultural origin, peers' and parents' drinking, and relationship quality with parents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en