ABSTRACT
To investigate the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the factors associated with binge drinking behavior amongadolescents in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. A cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample of 6,002 adolescents composed of students from public high schools in Pernambuco, Brazil, aged 14 to 19 years. Binge drinking behavior was used as a dependent variable. The following were evaluated as possible risk factors: sociodemographic variables (gender, maternal education, marital status, work, religion); indicators of psychosocial stress (feelings of sadness; suicidal thoughts; feelings of loneliness;friends) and health risk behaviors (physical inactivity; number of sexual partners; drug use; and involvement in fights in the last year). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR). A total of 6,002 adolescents participated, with 75% reporting having consumed alcoholic beverages at least once in their lives. The prevalence of binge drinking in the last month was 17%. Adolescents without a religion had 81% (95%CI: 1.51; 2.16) more chance of consuming alcohol in excess. Adolescents who felt sad were 29% more likely to binge drink (95%CI: 1.08; 1.54), and adolescents who had already thought about suicide had 41% (95%CI: 1.13; 1.76) more chance to drink excessively. Adolescents who used illicit drugs had 4.6 times the chance (95%CI: 3.51; 6.17)of excessive drinking. Adolescents who engaged in four or more fights during the year were twice as likely to binge drink as those who did not fight (95%CI: 1.36; 2.88). The prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking behavior was high. Sociodemographic factors, psychosocial stress and health risk behaviors were associated with binge drinking.