earticle

영어

Several studies have found that the majority of adolescents have consumed alcohol, although the minimum legal drinking age is 19 in Korea. Drinking rates among adolescents have steadily increased in recent years. With increasing alcohol use, adolescents' risk-taking heath behaviors have increased. Empirical research has demonstrated relationships between alcohol use and other risk taking behaviors such as cigarette use and sexual behaviors.
This study is to identify the prevalence of binge drinking and is to examine associations between binge drinking and other risk-taking behaviors in adolescents. A cross sectional study based on a stratified cluster sample of 129 junior and senior high schools in Seoul during May 2003 was used. The associations were examined with χ2, Fishers exact test, and multiple logistic regression.
The main results are as follows:
First, the prevalence of alcohol use which is defined as the consumption of alcohol use at least one time during last month was 25.6% for junior high school students and 35.6% for high school students. The prevalence of binge drinking (which is defined as the consumption of at least 5 drinks in a row for male students or 4 drinks in a row for female students during the 2 weeks before the completion of the questionnaire) was 3.3% for junior high school students and 7.2% for senior high school students.
Second, the rate of binge drinking was higher among students reported senior high school students (higher grade), lower perceived school performance, having girl friends or boy friends.
Third, the rate of binge drinking was higher among students who used cigarette use, and sexual behaviors.
Fourth, cigarette use and sexual behaviors predicted to be binge drinkers among adolescents after adjusting socio-demographic variables. Those who have experienced cigarette use, smoke at least one cigarette everyday, and sexual intercourse had 8.77, 3.66, 2.31 times respectively higher to be binge drinkers compared with those with non-risk taking behaviors.