Parental alcohol supply in early childhood and adolescent drinking: Evidence from a prospective cohort

Parental alcohol supply in early childhood may increase the risk of alcohol use in late adolescence. This study examined its longitudinal impact and the distinct roles of mothers' and fathers' drinking.

We studied 1,891 mother-child pairs from the Czech European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Mothers reported parental alcohol supply at ages 3, 5, 7, and 11 years, while adolescent alcohol use was reported by mothers, pediatricians, and youth at ages 18 and 19 years. Structural equation modeling assessed the longitudinal link between early alcohol supply (three classes: none, occasional, and frequent) and adolescent alcohol use, accounting for parental drinking and covariates, including the child's sex, mother's education, and family structure.

Alcohol supply began in early childhood, with 14% of children exposed by age 3 and around 20% by age 11. By age 19, one-third of individuals reported frequent alcohol use. Adolescents' alcohol use was associated with concurrent mothers', but not fathers' alcohol use (β = .24, p < .001). Early alcohol supply predicted higher adolescent use for both occasional (β = .14, p = .041) and frequent (β = .22, p = .005) classes. Mothers' and fathers' alcohol use at 6 months was associated with frequent alcohol supply, and fathers' alcohol use was also associated with occasional alcohol supply. Significant indirect effects were found from early parental drinking to adolescent use via these classes.

Public health messaging should emphasize the risks of early alcohol consumption, including its potential harm to the developing brain.