earticle

영어

Objectives: As the drinking rate and drinking-related harms of adolescents has been increasing, it is emphasized to make efforts to prevent youth alcohol drinking. Despite the regulatory policy for restricting sales of alcoholic beverages to adolescents, they mostly buy alcohol at the convenience stores easily. However, there is a lack of empirical research on alcohol access and drinking of adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of convenience store accessibility in community on alcohol drinking of adolescents, and examine whether alcohol prevention education in schools can reduce the alcohol drinking risk of adolescents. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted on the middle schools students in urban areas who responded to the Youth Health Behavior Survey in 2016. We analyzed the influence of the convenience stores density in community on alcohol drinking experience of adolescents, and stratified analysis was also conducted according to the respondents’ experience of school-based alcohol prevention education. Results: Of the 29,047 respondents, 7,098 students(24.4%) had a drinking experience. The students who were boys, older, living without families, or those whose father’s education was lower were more likely to have drinking experience(p<.001). Those who perceived more severe stress or depression were also more likely to drink alcohol(p<.001). After adjusting for those individuals factors influencing on their drinking behaviors, the students whose schools were in a community with more convenience stores were more likely to drink alcohol(p=.010). According to the stratified analysis, the significant impact of convenience store density on adolescents’ drinking behaviors were not found with the students who had school-based alcohol prevention education(p=.106). Conclusions: In order to effectively prevent adolescents’ drinking behaviors and drinking-related harms, it is necessary to strengthen both the regulation of alcohol access and school-based education for adolescents’ drinking prevention.