Citation

Lawal AM. Vulnerable Child. Youth Stud. 2020; 15(3): 236-245.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17450128.2019.1695993

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Abuse of alcohol is one of the risk-taking behaviours that is prominent among adolescents in secondary schools despite global awareness on misuse and adverse effects of psychoactive substances in human body. The study investigates age, home-based involvement, school-based involvement and home-school communication as predictors of alcohol use among secondary school students. In a school-based cross-sectional approach, a convenience sample of 323 (50.8% males & 49.2% females) secondary school students currently taking alcohol aged 10 to 22 years (M = 14.19, SD = 2.29) completed self-report questionnaires. Bivariate correlations analysis was done as a preliminary statistics, while multiple regression was computed to analyse the data and provides answers to the research question.

RESULTS of four-model hierarchical multiple regression showed that all predictor variables jointly contributed to alcohol use with home-school communication recording highest score. Independently, age, home-based involvement, school-based involvement and home-school communication predicted alcohol use. It is concluded that intervention through either home-based involvement or school-based involvement alone may not have much impact in reducing levels of alcohol use in secondary school student population. Combined efforts of both parents/guardians and school teachers are passionately recommended for effective alcohol-use/risk reduction intervention.

Language: en

Keywords

age; Alcohol use; home-based involvement; home–school communication; school-based involvement