Association of supply sources of alcohol and alcohol-related harms in adolescent drinkers: the baseline characteristics of a high school cohort across Thailand

Background The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between parental supply of alcohol, alcohol-related harms, and the severity of alcohol use disorder in Thai 7th grade middle school students. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study obtained the baseline data from the project named the Thailand Parental Supply and Use of Alcohol, Cigarettes & Drugs Longitudinal Study Cohort in Secondary School Students in 2018. The sample size was 1187 students who have ever sipped or drank alcohol in the past 12 months. Pearson's Chi square, binary logistic regression, and ordinal logistic regression are applied in the analysis. Results A single source of parental supply is not significantly associated with any alcohol-related harm and the severity of alcohol use disorder, while parental supply with peers and siblings supply of alcohol plays an important role in both outcomes. The increasing number of sources of alcohol supply increases the risk of alcohol-related harm and the severity of alcohol use disorder. Other risk factors found in both associations included binge drinking, alcohol flushing, low household economic status, distance from the student's family, and poor academic performance. Gender, exposure to alcohol ads on social media and location of residency were not associated with alcohol-related harms or severity of alcohol use disorder. Conclusions The results did not support parental guidance in teaching or giving children a drink or sip of alcohol within family to prevent related harms when drinking outside with their peers.

Automated summary

Parental supply of alcohol is associated with alcohol-related harms and severity of alcohol use disorder in Thai middle school students. Supply of alcohol from peers and siblings plays an important role in both outcomes. An increasing number of sources of alcohol supply increases the risk of alcohol-related harm and severity of alcohol use disorder.