Relationship of binge drinking and other health-compromising behaviors among urban adolescents in China

Abstract

Purpose: To describe frequency and patterns of alcohol use and explore the association between binge drinking and other health-compromising behaviors among adolescents in urban China.

Methods: Data on alcohol use and other behavioral risk factors were obtained from the 2004 China Adolescent Behavioral Risk Factor Survey conducted in 18 provincial capitals. Chi-square test was used to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use and compare differences in drinking frequency by gender, school type, and grade. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between binge drinking and other health-compromising behaviors.

Results: Data were available on 54,040 students in grades 7 to 12. In all, 51.1% of students reported ever using alcohol (male: 58.6%; female: 44.3%), 29.7% reported drinking before 13 years of age, and 14.1% had gotten drunk at least once during the past year. In the 30 days preceding the interview, 25.2% students reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink (male: 31.4%; female: 19.6%) and 10.3% reported at least one episode of binge drinking (male: 14.4%; female: 6.6%). Male students from vocational senior high schools reported the highest frequency of alcohol use. The prevalence of other risk behaviors, such as smoking, drug use, and fighting were significantly higher among students with a positive history of binge drinking.

Conclusions: Alcohol use among urban adolescents is a major problem in China. A comprehensive alcohol control policy is needed, incorporating measures to educate the public about the dangers of adolescent alcohol use and regulating access and purchase of alcohol by minors.