Abstract
Alcohol use among early adolescents is a growing problem in South Africa (SA). To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding alcohol use among early adolescents at primary schools in Johannesburg, a cross-sectional study from September 2023 to November 2023 was conducted. A sum of 215 early adolescents (54.9% female, 44.7% male) aged between 9 and 15 completed self-administered, anonymised, paper questionnaires. The results revealed that 100% of the respondents knew that children should not consume alcohol, above 80% held a negative attitude towards underage drinking but 13.5% had already consumed alcohol. Notwithstanding, many of the adolescents noted inclusive school-based alcohol prevention interventions as an effective approach to curb underage drinking. Such a study is relevant for health promotion specialists and policy makers aiming to implement early interventions to address early alcohol consumption.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 65-83 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Mar 2024 |
Keywords
- alcohol
- attitudes
- early adolescents
- Knowledge
- practices
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
