Urban physical disorder and alcohol consumption among adolescents in Brazilian capitals: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to estimate the association between urban physical disorder and alcohol consumption in Brazilian adolescents. The sample was composed of 2,384 adolescents, aged 12 to 17, resident in Brazilian capitals and participants in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA), a school-based cross-sectional study undertaken in 2013 and 2014. The outcome variable was alcoholic beverage consumption characterized as having drunk an alcoholic beverage at least once in the previous 30 days. The exposure variable was urban physical disorder measured according to the urban features in the 2010 Demographic Census. The total effect of the indicators of exposure to urban physical disorder on the consumption of alcohol among adolescents was estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for each exposure, controlling for possible confounding variables. Adolescents living in areas with paved roads and manholes presented higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (adjusted PR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.02; 1.50 and adjusted PR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.01; 1.84, respectively). Conversely, the presence of wheelchair ramps and open sewers was associated with a lower prevalence of alcohol consumption (adjusted PR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.62; 0.99 and adjusted PR = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.66; 0.97, respectively). These findings suggest that urban contextual factors can influence alcohol consumption among adolescents. Understanding these factors may aid in the development of public health policies that promote healthier urban environments.