Severity of alcohol use and problem behaviors among school-based youths in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVES: The present study sought to: (a) categorize youths into groups based on their level of alcohol use and number of symptoms of alcohol abuse and dependence defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), and (b) examine whether these categories were associated with other problem behaviors in which youths engage (marijuana use, sexual intercourse, and having been arrested or having trouble with the law). METHODS: The study is based on a cross-sectional survey administered to 972 school-based youths from one middle school and one high school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Youths were categorized based on their alcohol use and alcohol problems. These categories were then examined for associations with lifetime marijuana use, lifetime sexual intercourse, and having been arrested or having had trouble with the law in the past year. The original eight categories of alcohol use were collapsed into six categories based on the results. RESULTS: For virtually every group characterized by higher severity of alcohol use and alcohol problems, researchers found an increasing prevalence of marijuana use in their lifetimes, increasing odds of sexual intercourse in their lifetimes, and having had trouble with the law in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing about variations in alcohol use and alcohol problems may be instrumental in measuring the degree to which youths may also be engaging in a range of other elevated risk behaviors and a progression to more serious forms of alcohol and drug use.

Severity of alcohol use and problem behaviors among school-based youths in Puerto Rico / Magnitud del consumo de alcohol y comportamientos problemáticos en jóvenes escolarizados en Puerto Rico

OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to: (a) categorize youths into groups based on their level of alcohol use and number of symptoms of alcohol abuse and dependence defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), and (b) examine whether these categories were associated with other problem behaviors in which youths engage (marijuana use, sexual intercourse, and having been arrested or having trouble with the law). METHODS: The study is based on a cross-sectional survey administered to 972 school-based youths from one middle school and one high school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Youths were categorized based on their alcohol use and alcohol problems. These categories were then examined for associations with lifetime marijuana use, lifetime sexual intercourse, and having been arrested or having had trouble with the law in the past year. The original eight categories of alcohol use were collapsed into six categories based on the results. RESULTS: For virtually every group characterized by higher severity of alcohol use and alcohol problems, researchers found an increasing prevalence of marijuana use in their lifetimes, increasing odds of sexual intercourse in their lifetimes, and having had trouble with the law in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing about variations in alcohol use and alcohol problems may be instrumental in measuring the degree to which youths may also be engaging in a range of other elevated risk behaviors and a progression to more serious forms of alcohol and drug use.

OBJETIVOS: Se buscó: a) categorizar a los jóvenes según su nivel de consumo de alcohol y el número de síntomas de abuso y dependencia del alcohol definidos en el Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales (DSM-IV); y b) analizar si esas categorías están asociadas con otros comportamientos problemáticos de los jóvenes (consumo de marihuana, relaciones sexuales y arrestos o problemas con la ley). MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal basado en una encuesta aplicada a 972 jóvenes que asistían a una escuela secundaria y una preparatoria en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Los jóvenes se categorizaron según el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y los problemas del alcoholismo. Se buscaron asociaciones entre esas categorías y el consumo de marihuana y las relaciones sexuales -ambas en toda la vida-, así como con los arrestos o problemas con la ley en el año anterior a la encuesta. A partir de los resultados, las ocho categorías iniciales según el consumo de alcohol se reagruparon en seis. RESULTADOS: Prácticamente en todos los grupos caracterizados por un mayor consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y mayores problemas del alcoholismo se observó un aumento en la prevalencia de consumo de marihuana y la probabilidad de haber tenido relaciones sexuales, ambas en toda la vida, así como de haber tenido problemas con la ley durante el año anterior. CONCLUSIONES: Conocer las variaciones en el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y los problemas del alcoholismo puede servir para medir el grado en que los jóvenes pueden involucrarse en diversos comportamientos de mayor riesgo y avanzar a formas más peligrosas de consumo de alcohol y drogas.