ABSTRACT
A cross-sectional study was applied to obtain factors associated with alcohol consumption since information among early adolescents in Thailand is limited. Data was collected from December 2016 to March 2017. A questionnaire was developed through a literature review and tested for validation and reliability. Multi-stage random sampling was used to recruit youths aged 10-14 years from Chonburi Province, Thailand. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), Chi-squared test, and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the age of participants was 12.07 years (1.42) with 50.23% being male. In total, 10.94% reported drinking alcohol in the past 12 months. Current drinking in the past year was positively associated with older youths of 14 years of age (AOR = 5.34, 95% CI = 2.91-9.81) having a positive attitude toward alcohol consumption behavior (AOR = 4.18 95% CI = 3.36-5.21), direct observation of friends' drinking (AOR = 4.21, 95% CI = 3.32-5.32), direct observation of villagers/community members' drinking (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.15- 3.48), adolescents whose parents stored alcohol at home (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06-1.55), and being exposed to alcohol advertising (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI =1.16-2.23). The factor most inversely associated with current drinking appears to be male gender (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI =0.64-0.94). Strategies for delaying and reducing drinking among early adolescents should accompany these risk factors into any preventive programs.
