BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption in the under-aged is one of the main concerns regarding the Malaysian adolescents. There is no previous study about problematic alcohol use (PAU) among adolescents in Sarawak. This study aims to determine the prevalence of PAU, its associated variables and its relationship with depression.
METHODS: This is a cross sectional study. Socio-demographic data, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Children's Depression Inventory were administered to 327 secondary school students. Binary and multivariable logistic regression were employed to examine the relationship between the different variables.
RESULTS: 42.2% of adolescents had PAU. Urban adolescents had higher prevalence compared to rural adolescents (OR 1.612; 95% CI 1.036-2.508 p = 0.034). Female adolescents (56.8%) and Bumiputera Sarawak (76.8%) were found to represent a large proportion with PAU. Cultural norm (78.3%) and curiosity (68.1%) were the two main reasons for PAU. Only family history of alcohol use (OR 2.273; 95%CI 1.013-5.107; p = 0.047), ever consumed alcohol (OR 57.585; 95%CI 21.885-151.525; p < 0.001) and beer (OR 2.564; 95%CI 1.032-6.372; p = 0.043) were significantly associated with PAU. The prevalence of depression was 21.4%. Significant relationship between PAU and depression was established (OR 2.557; 95%CI 1.479-4.420; p = 0.001).
CONCLUSION: There is high prevalence of PAU among adolescents in Miri. It is essential to put in more effort and implement policies for this vulnerable group with collaboration among various agencies to ensure their mental and physical wellbeing and prevent negative impact later. Clinicians should be more vigilant in detecting depression among adolescents with problematic alcohol use to enable early intervention. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.