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BackgroundBackground
The municipality of Teylingen asked the Academic Workplace Public Health to investigate the background of the alcohol use of their youth. We were particularly interested in the role of going-out and alcohol use in adolescents’ daily lives, with a special focus on the meaning of and motives for drinking alcohol, as well as the context in which drinking occurs. Furthermore, we were interested in the communication between adolescents and their mothers about alcohol. We chose to investigate these RQs among 15 year olds because the legal age for drinking alcohol in the Netherlands is 16.
ParticipantsParticipants
All 380, 15-year olds andtheir mothers in Teylingen were invited to participate.
93 responded positively, of whom 6 girls and 6 boys,and their mothers, wereselected for an interview(1 – 1,5 hours).
In most cases the mothers underestimated the amountof alcohol their kids drank(see Table).
Data were analysed using Atlas-ti.
Drinking youngsters felt that alcohol is “logically” connected to “going out”. They never drank during schooldays, but in weekends, they felt they should relax and have fun with friends. Alcohol is not necessary, but does “ease things up”. Since 16 is the Dutch legal age for drinking alcohol, both drinkers and non-drinkers felt that it is safe to drink alcohol then, “as long as you don’t drink too much”. Non-drinkers thought they would be likely to try alcohol at the age of 16. Drinkers said that peer pressure did not influence their behavior, but being part of a “fun” group did. Compared to their friends, they felt that they were moderate drinkers. Boy - It is more like, just make it a fun evening, and drink somethingMothers of drinking adolescents felt that it was normal for them to start drinking, and that it is better for them to get used to drinking “responsibly”. They did not want to argue about it, because of other -more important- issues (e.g., doing homework, bedtime, and smoking). They also feared adverse effects from forbidding alcohol. Mothers of non-drinking adolescents thought that their child was “not into it”, and would likely start drinking at 16. Mother - Yeah, I think she will drink something at parties. But I, I do not know really, you cannot really see it with children… But I do not think very much. I think maybe two wines, maybe three sometimes, I think. Mother – We think that if you order them to do things, they will do it anyway, behind your back.Both adolescents and their mothers indicated that alcohol use was only addressed circumstantially and implicitly (e.g., “be safe tonight”). The youngsters on the other hand felt that their parents clearly have the right to comment on their drinking behavior, and did take into account their parents feelings, i.e., not wanting to drink (much) more than they think their parents would allow them to. Mother – Possibly I did ask one time “Did you have a drink?”, or something like that. But not a serious conversation in the way of “F., please tell me..” No, I cannot remember. Girl – She does not want me to do things that are unhealthy, that is only quite logical I think.
Winifred A. GebhardtWinifred A. Gebhardt11, Sarie van Torenburg, Sarie van Torenburg11, Marloes Vooijs, Marloes Vooijs11, Aafke van Rhijn, Aafke van Rhijn22, & Hanneke Tielen, & Hanneke Tielen22
1 Clinical & Health Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands2 Centre for Municipal Health, Leiden, The Netherlands
ConclusionsConclusions The “logical” connection between going out, having fun and drinking alcohol is the most important motive to drink. Legal age has an extremely important direct effect on alcohol use of both drinking and non-drinking youngsters, as well as on their perception that drinking alcohol is a “normal” part of (adult) life. Legal age influences the stance mothers take, i.e., aiming at not drinking too much instead of forbidding alcohol. Parents do not communicate specifically about alcohol-rules, because they are afraid of adverse effects. Parents are unaware of the great influence they have on their kids in the case of alcohol: even though kids communicate “don’t you interfere”, they do take careful consideration of their parents’ wishes.
Meaning of, and motives for, alcohol use: Views from 15-year old Dutch adolescents and their mothers
ResultsResults
Alcohol /month(kid’s report)
Alcohol /month(mom’s report)
boy 0 0
boy 0 0
girl 0 0
girl 0 0
girl 3 – 6 0
girl 5 5
girl 8-10 1 – 2
boy 9 – 12 12
boy 12 6 – 8
boy 15 – 20 7
girl 20 – 30 5 – 10
boy 60 60
Before a night’s out After a night’s out
