ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND SOCIAL-FACTORS AMONG 11 TO 15-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

The objective of the article is to describe alcohol consumption and its association with social factors among children, 11, 13 and 15 years old. The study includes 1,671 children from a nationwide random sample of schools in Denmark 1988. The proportion having tried to drink alcohol in the three age groups is 63%, 80% and 94%. The proportion drinking alcohol at least once a month is 16%, 21% and 60% in the three age groups and the proportion who has been really intoxicated is 18%, 32% and 62%. Frequent alcohol consumption is strongly associated with age, sex (male), poor self-assessed health, poor school assimilation, and strong peer group integration. Alcohol consumption shows no clear association with urbanization, social class, and contacts with adults.