Association of parents' alcohol use and family interaction with the initiation of alcohol use by sixth graders: A preliminary study in Taiwan

Table 1 Predictors of alcohol use in the study sample

	Total		Alcohol use group
Variable	(n = 1183) n % mean ± SD		Never-user (n = 1000) n % mean ± SD		First-time user (n = 183) n % mean ± SD
Sex							χ² = 2.45
Male	545	46.1	451	45.1	94	51.4
Female	638	53.9	549	54.9	89	48.6
Residential area							χ² = 0.12
Taipei	639	54.0	538	53.8	101	55.2
Hsinchu	544	46.0	462	46.2	82	44.8
Parents' marital status/living arrangements							χ² = 0.34
Married and live together	1109	93.7	938	93.8	171	93.4
Other	74	6.3	62	6.2	12	6.6
Household monthly income (NTD)
<40000	173	14.6	156	15.6	17	9.3	χ² = 5.23
40000–100000	657	55.5	552	55.2	105	57.4
>100000	353	29.8	292	29.2	61	33.3
Father's education level							χ² = 5.80
Middle school and below	156	13.2	142	14.2	14	7.7
High school	674	57.0	563	56.3	111	60.7
University or research institute	353	29.8	295	29.5	58	31.7
Mother's education level							χ² = 1.72
Middle school and below	165	13.9	138	13.8	27	14.8
High school	784	66.3	670	67.0	114	62.3
University or research institute	234	19.8	192	19.2	42	23.0
Parents' matched alcohol use group							χ² = 5.56
Both parents ever-users	167	14.1	135	13.5	32	17.5
Mother ever-user, father never-user	60	5.1	48	4.8	12	6.6
Father ever-user, mother never-user	431	36.4	360	36.0	71	38.8
Both parents never-users	525	44.4	457	45.7	68	37.2
Parental support (score 7–28)	21.9 ± 5.0		22.1 ± 4.9		20.8 ± 5.3		t = 3.36	**
Family conflict (score 5–20)	8.8 ± 2.0		8.8 ± 1.9		9.2 ± 2.1		t = -2.63	**

**p < .01
Never-user defined as never used alcohol in 2002 and 2003, first-time user defined as never used alcohol in 2002 but ever used alcohol in 2003

ISSN: 1471-2458