Mild or borderline intellectual disability as a risk for alcohol consumption in adolescents - A matched-pair study

Studies that investigate the association between mild or borderline intellectual disability (MBID) and alcohol use in adolescents have not examined whether MBID is an independent risk factor for drinking.

It is important to examine whether MBID is a risk factor for alcohol consumption by controlling concomitant factors in a matched-pair design.

Overall, 329 students from two schools for children with MBID self-reported their drinking behavior via questionnaires, and 329 students from regular schools were matched to this group by gender, age, family composition, and parental drinking behavior. Matched pairs were compared based on alcohol consumption and motivation to drink.

MBID is a protective factor, as disabled adolescents drink less on average. This effect is mainly due to larger proportions of youth with MBID who are abstinent. When male adolescents with MBID begin to drink, they are at an increased risk for intoxication and subsequent at-risk behaviors. Motivations to drink were explained by an interaction between MBID and consumption patterns.

For male adolescents with MBID, there appears to be an "all-or-nothing" principle that guides alcohol consumption, which suggests a need for special interventions for this group.