The Association between Gender Role Attitudes and Alcohol Use among Early Adolescents in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Background

Adolescent alcohol use was a major social and public health concern given its negative impacts. Previous studies indicated gender role attitudes (GRA) were associated with alcohol use; however, few studies focused on early adolescents (10 to 14 years) and similar researches were not found in China. Objective: This study sought to explore the association between GRA and alcohol use among early adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students in grades six to eight across three public secondary schools in Shanghai, China. Data were collected by Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (CASI) questionnaire on mobile tablets. Alcohol use was measured by self-report, and six items with 5-point Likert-type options assessed the attitude toward traditional gender roles. The logistic regression model was adopted to examine the associations between GAR and alcohol use. Results: Totally 1,631 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years with 50.33% of boys included in this study. The mean score of GRA in drinkers was significantly higher than nondrinkers among boys (3.03 vs. 2.78, p < 0.001) but not girls (2.15 vs. 2.18, p = 0.499). After controlling the covariates of age, depression, peers’ substance use, social cohesion, etc., we found that more traditional GRA was associated with a higher risk of alcohol use among boys (OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.11–1.75), whereas the association was not significant among girls (OR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.74–1.24). Conclusions: Traditional GRA may increase the risk of alcohol use among early adolescent boys, suggesting that altering traditional GRA among this population group may help to prevent alcohol use.

Keywords:

• Gender role attitudes
• early adolescents
• alcohol use
• cross-sectional study

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The GEAS operates in conjunction with the World Health Organization and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Support for the study is made possible in part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The GEAS in Shanghai was supported by the Innovation-oriented Science and Technology Grant from NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (grant no. CX2017-05).

Funding

The GEAS operates in conjunction with the World Health Organization and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Support for the study is made possible in part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The GEAS in Shanghai was supported by the Innovation-oriented Science and Technology Grant from NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (grant no. CX2017-05).