[Factors promoting Japanese adolescent problem drinking in a cohort study over 5 years]

This report outlines factors promoting adolescent problem drinking at 5 years after the start of a cohort study. We started the first longitudinal cohort study on Japanese adolescent alcohol use and misuse in 1997. The purpose of the cohort study was to show factors that promote adolescent drinking and whether adolescent problem drinking will develop into the early alcohol dependence syndrome. Eight hundred and two subjects whose mean age was 13.5 years old were recruited from four junior high schools in Kanagawa prefecture. The survey was conducted annually by mail using self-reported questionnaires concerning adolescent drinking and alcohol-related problems. In the 2002 survey at 5 years after the starting point, the respondents numbered 557 with a mean age of 18.8 year old, and the follow-up rate was 70%. In the 2002 survey, 17.5% of the subjects were found to be problem drinkers from the scores of the core-AUDIT. We divided the subjects into three groups according to the scores of the core-

problem drinkers, drinkers and abstainers. The three groups were compared concerning family relationships, first drinking age and drinking status of parents with the responses of the 1997 survey. In the comparison of the three groups, many factors were significantly different, and a logistic regression analysis was performed on these factors to determine drink promoting factors. Three factors were determined: having drinking experiences at 13.5 years old at the start of the survey, not refusing friends' temptations to drink and less communication with their parents. The results were very important because these three factors were described by many authors as adolescent drinking promoting factors.