Associated risks factors of experimental use of alcohol in adolescence

• Grant number: 21/01102-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: December 03, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Regina Noto
• Grantee: Marília Ignácio de Espíndola
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The amount of alcoholic beverage ingested characterized "experimentation" it not a consensual. International studies suggest the Sipping (Experimentação de Primeiro Gole in Portuguese), in later childhood and early adolescence has been identified as an important indicator of problems with the use of alcohol later in life, associated with negative personal and social outcomes. However, there is a dearth of studies in the literature that consider a variety of risk factors that can increase susceptibility to sipping. Furthermore, research in Brazil on alcohol experimentation does not provide data on sipping as it does not define what the amount of alcoholic beverages consist in "experimentation". The aim of this study is to explore biopsychosocial risk factors associated with EPG, considering the level of chaos in the family microsystem, peer influence and socioeconomic conditions, as well as individual characteristics such as impulsivity, pubertal status and pubertal timing. The present proposal is linked to two thematic projects: one that explores biopsychosocial factors associated with self-regulation of behavior in adolescence and another that proposes interventions to reduce alcohol use. The study of behaviors related to alcohol consumption in adolescence has been considered of fundamental importance, since abuse in consumption patterns typical of this age group, such as episodic heavy drinking, has increasingly worried authorities, schools and family members for having become increasingly common in Brazil and worldwide. In addition, the present study is a pioneer in analyzing the role of the family microenvironment, measured by the CHAOS scale, in the context of the microsystem and including interactions with mesosystem and exosystem that will be validated for use in Brazil. This study is cross-sectional and will use quantitative methodologies in a first phase, with data already collected from a thematic project (280 adolescents with typical development of both sexes) between 9 and 15 years old of both sexes from public and private schools in the city from Sao Paulo. Methodologically, it will be proposed to construct structural equation modelling that considers variables of pubertal development, impulsivity, family microenvironment and socioeconomic level/risk, among others, as possible risk factors for early EPG startup, as well as indicative of an increase in consumption of alcohol in early adolescence, the phase that occurs at puberty. Analyzes will also be used using the method of partial least squares (partial least square) seeking to form latent indices that combine several risk factors that have shared variance in relation to the association with EPG. Once these latent indexes have been identified, it is possible to determine whether or not they are associated with EPG and/or heavier use of alcoholic beverages in different contexts. Confirmatory factor analysis will also be used to validate the CHAOS Scale in Brazil. In order to provide subsidies for preventive health actions, this project also constitutes an essential step for the elaboration of a preventive intervention proposal. Following the research methodology and intervention structure, the present proposal consists of the notification phase through the collection of bibliographic data on EPG plus techniques of qualitative methodology with adolescents and/or parents or guardians for the elaboration of preventive actions. (AU)