Factors Related to Alcohol Drinking and Drinking Behaviors in High School Students Serm Ngam District, Lampang Province

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with alcohol drinking and prevalence of alcohol drinking behavior among high school students in Serm Ngam district, Lampang province. The study was conducted on the basis of a descriptive cross-sectional study design, at high schools in Serm Ngam district, Lampang province among 304 students during August to September 2021. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire. Data analysis of descriptive statistics has included frequency, percentage, and analytic statistics such as Chi-square test and Fisher’s Exact test. The statistical significance level of p<0.05 was set. The findings from the study showed that factors associated with alcohol drinking were class levels, family monthly income, grade point average, history of drinking in family, smoking or consumption of other narcotic drugs but gender, parent marital status, people students are living with, expectation towards students’ future, activities during leisure time were not associated with alcohol drinking. Prevalence of alcohol drinking among high school students in Serm Ngam district, Lampang province was 42.8%, 27.3% of female students drank alcohol. The most common age of first use of alcohol ranged from 13 to 15 years. They bought alcohol from convenient stores. They most likely drank alcohol at their own home of their friends’ homes. The most frequently consumed alcohol was beer. They most frequently drank alcohol on Saturday-Sunday and persons whom they most frequently drank alcohol with were friends/senior friends/junior friends. The main reason affecting alcohol consumption was socialized on festival. Most of them had no effect caused by alcohol consumption. The percentages of low-risk, hazardous, harmful, and high-risk alcohol drinking pattern were 61.5%, 27.7%, 6.9%, and 3.9%. It was also found that class levels were associated with risk levels of alcohol drinking behaviors.