Consumption of alcoholic beverages by expectations and contexts in adolescents from Córdoba and Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Abstract

Aim: the study analyzed the alcohol consumption, in terms of age of drinking onset and average amount consumed weekly by schooled adolescents, of both sexes, from Córdoba and Santiago del Estero (Argentina), in function of positive and negative expectancies towards alcohol and drinking contexts. Materials and Method: the sample was made up of 259 participants between 13 and 18 years old. the alcohol expectancy Questionnaire - adolescent and the drinking Contexts Questionnaire - adolescent form were used. nonparametric statistics were applied in order to analyze differences and associations. type I error was set at ≤ 0.05. Results: Both alcohol consumption and positive expectancies towards alcohol were higher in men than in women. The age of drinking onset was inversely associated only with the consumption contexts parental control. remarkably, the average amount of alcohol consumed by adolescents weekly was positively associated with the expectancies towards alcohol, both positive and negative, and with all consumption contexts. however, those associations varied among adolescents from Córdoba and Santiago del Estero. Conclusions: part of these findings contradicts what the literature states on the association between negative expectancies towards alcohol and less alcohol consumption. the findings and implications of this study were discussed.