Factors affecting alcohol drinking behaviour among secondary school students in Vientiane Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background This study investigated alcohol consumption prevalence among adolescents in school settings in Lao People's Democratic Republic and identified factors associated with alcohol consumption to establish better school-based interventions. Methods Self-administered questionnaires containing items assessing alcohol drinking behaviour and underlying factors were administered to 393 secondary school students ages 10–19 y. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict factors associated with drinking behaviour. Results Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported ever drinking alcohol. Among the drinkers, 52.6% were light drinkers, 16.8% were moderate drinkers, 27.0% were heavy drinkers and 3.5% were very heavy drinkers. Older age group (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.2 [95% confidence interval {CI} 2.6 to 10.1]); peer pressure, particularly when more than two-thirds of friends drank alcohol (AOR 8.0 [95% CI 2.2 to 29.5]); and siblings’ drinking behaviour (AOR 2.8 [95% CI 1.4 to 5.5]) were positively associated with alcohol use, while no permission to drink at home (AOR 0.2 [95% CI 0.1 to 0.6]), uncertain of permission to drink at home (AOR 0.06 [95% CI 0.02 to 0.1]) and never attempting to buy alcohol (AOR 0.2 [95% CI 0.1 to 0.4]) were negatively associated with respondents’ alcohol use. Conclusions By the age of 19 y, most participating students had started drinking alcohol. One-third of them were permitted to drink by family members and drinking was strongly accelerated by peer pressure. Educational programmes are needed for adolescents attending school and their families that employ peer learning to raise awareness of the ill effects of alcohol use.

Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders and Self Esteem Levels among Undergraduate Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at Kampala International University's Western Campus, Uganda

“…Factors such as academic stress, peer pressure, and social norms can influence alcohol use behaviors among undergraduate students. Understanding the prevalence of alcohol use disorders within this demographic is crucial for developing effective interventions to mitigate its negative impact [22][23][24]. Kampala International University's Western Campus (KIU-WC) serves as a significant educational institution in Western Uganda [25][26][27].…”