| dc.description.abstract | Peer influence is a major contributing factor to the
upsurge in risky alcohol behaviors among school-going
adolescents. This trend has become a public health concern in
many parts of the world. Debate continues as to whether peer
influence, age, gender, and religion predict alcohol use in this
adolescent group. The purpose of the study was to establish the
relationship between peer influence and alcohol use among
school-going adolescents in Kasese Municipality. Two -structured
questionnaires; the Peer Inventory Tool (PPI) and the Alcohol Use
Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were used to obtain
information from 233 adolescents. Adolescents aged 12-19 years,
were randomly sampled from 10 secondary schools. Results
indicated that 35.6% were hazardous drinkers, 10.7% were
harmful drinkers, and 5.2% were dependent drinkers. Pearson
correlation analysis confirmed a weak positive correlation
(r=0.18) between age and alcohol use among school-going
adolescents. A positive peer influence was established between
adolescents and their peers and friends (PPI score of 12.18, on a
scaled range of -66 to +66). The Chi-square test confirmed that
there was no association between religion (p>0.05) or gender
(p>0.05), and alcohol use among school-going adolescents. The
results provide outcomes that can be used to promote positive peer
relationships among school-going adolescents and policy
regulation of alcohol use and abuse in schools | en_US |
