Faculty Sponsor: Maryam Gooyabadi
Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: Why do adolescents drink? Adolescent alcohol use remains a critical public health issue influenced by diverse environmental and behavioral factors. Its adverse impacts extend beyond short term problems, leading to future health and well-being consequences. This study examines the independent impacts of family and home environment, peer engagement and violent behavior using a nationally representative sample of adolescents from the ADDHEALTH data set. Results reveal that low familial satisfaction, high peer engagement and violent behaviour significantly correlate with increased alcohol consumption. By addressing these variables separately and including grade specific patterns, this research offers insights for more targeted prevention strategies. Schools could create preventative sessions that focus on decreasing conformity to peer pressure. Moreover, more research towards home environment and parental relationships can be analysed to enhance parenting techniques.