Binge drinking among adolescents

Background Adolescence is a period marked by significant physical, psychological, and emotional changes as youngsters transition into adulthood. During this time, many adolescents consume alcohol, and in some cases, this leads to binge drinking, a behavior associated with various health risks and ot...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Diaz Moreno, Adrian|||0009-0007-6451-7737, Bonilla, Iván|||0000-0002-0817-8132, Chamarro Lusar, Andrés|||0000-0002-8059-5467, Ballabrera, Queralt|||0000-0002-3955-6423, Gómez Romero, Maria José|||0000-0003-2488-7649, Griffiths, Mark|||0000-0001-8880-6524, Limonero García, Joaquim T.|||0000-0003-0573-791X
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:303972
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/303972
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.7717/peerj.18479
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Adolescence
Binge drinking
Stress
Problematic internet use
Emotional regulation
Alcohol consumption
Descripción
Sumario:Background Adolescence is a period marked by significant physical, psychological, and emotional changes as youngsters transition into adulthood. During this time, many adolescents consume alcohol, and in some cases, this leads to binge drinking, a behavior associated with various health risks and other problematic behaviors. However, knowledge about binge drinking in this population remains limited. Additionally, many adolescents engage in intensive technology use, which has been linked to mental health issues and substance abuse. Stress is often considered a precursor to both alcohol consumption and problematic internet use. In this context, emotional regulation could serve as a protective factor. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between stress, problematic internet use, emotional regulation, and binge drinking among adolescents using structural equation modeling. Methods A cross-sectional survey was completed by a sample of 876 high school adolescents (63.57% female, mean age 16.86 years). Data were collected using an online survey, which included sociodemographic information and measures of perceived stress, emotional regulation, excessive alcohol consumption, and problematic internet use. Problematic alcohol use was assessed using several questions adapted from the 'Survey on Drug Use in Secondary Education in Spain'. Results Problematic internet use emerged as a mediator between stress and binge drinking, suggesting that stress contributes to the development of problematic internet use, which in turn increases the likelihood of binge drinking. Furthermore, stress was negatively correlated with emotional regulation, indicating that inadequate emotional management may predispose adolescents to problematic internet use and binge drinking. The complex interplay between stress, emotional regulation, problematic internet use, and binge drinking underscores the need for comprehensive interventions targeting these factors among adolescents. Conclusions The results provide insights into potential pathways linking stress and binge drinking via problematic internet use and highlight the importance of emotional regulation as a protective mechanism against maladaptive behaviors.