Parental Alcohol Drinking Habit as a Predictor of Alcohol Use among Secondary School Students in Barbados

Background: In Barbados and the wider Caribbean region, alcohol is widely consumed by adolescents and youngpeople, including those in secondary schools. The high prevalence of alcohol use, and its potential adverse effects area source of concern to policy makers and the general population, which calls for better understanding of the drivers ofthis problem. This study thus aimed at investigating whether parental alcohol drinking habit is a predictor of alcoholuse among secondary school students in the country. Methods: The predictor variables and response variables in thestudy were categorical, and so descriptive, univariate analysis consisted of computation of frequencies and percentages.Bivariate analysis using Pearson’s Chi Square was done to test for significant differences in the response variablesamong groups. Logistic regression modeling was used in multivariate analysis to determine the predictor variablesthat were significantly associated with the response variables. Results: Significant associations were seen betweenstudents’ age, (P= 0.00), grade (P=0.00), fathers’ drinking habit (P=0.00), mothers’ drinking habit (P=0.00), and bothpast year and past month alcohol use, in bivariate analysis. Logit model shows that students whose fathers drink onlyon weekends, sometimes during the week, or every day, respectively, had significantly increased risk of alcohol use inthe past month (AOR= 2.62, 95%CI= 1.81- 3.77; AOR= 1.85, 95%CI= 1.19- 2.85; AOR= 2.18, 95%CI= 1.49- 3.18).Students whose mothers drink only on special occasion had significantly higher risk of alcohol use in the past year andpast month (AOR= 1.99, 95%CI= 1.06- 3.74; AOR= 2.30, 95%CI= 1.36- 3.89 respectively). Conclusion: Having fatherswho drink only on weekend, sometimes during the week and every day were significantly positively associated withalcohol use in the past month. Having mothers who drink only on special occasion was a risk factor for past year andpast month alcohol use. However, having mothers who drink every day was, counterintuitively, significantly inverselyassociated with alcohol use in past year and past month.