Predictors of Drinking and Signs of Heavy Drinking among High School Students

Abstract

This paper reports an investigation of factors associated with drinking and heavy drinking among high school students. The relative importance of social characteristics, parental drinking, and parental rejection and control are assessed. Data were obtained from 1,439 students in two high schools. It is found that most students drink, but most drink infrequently (less than once a week and one or two drinks at a time). Multivariate analysis using the MCA program indicates that students who frequently get drunk are those who are heavy drinkers, drink away from home and in cars, and whose drinking is not known to their parents. Parents' drinking and parental rejection and control have little unique explanatory power. It is suggested that parental modeling may be of most importance at the outset of drinking, whereas place and extent of drinking is most important in predicting the signs of heavy drinking.