This research investigates the associations between adolescent alcohol use and parental monitoring practices. Telephone interviews were conducted with randomly selected adolescents (ages 14-19) and their parents in Maryland. Parent monitoring behaviors, parents perceptions of their adolescents drinking behavior and adolescents self reports of drinking behaviors were assessed. Drinking behaviors included underage consumption of alcohol, drinking and driving and riding with a driver who has been drinking. Analyses of these data revealed that although parents perceived themselves as vigilant in monitoring their teens, they utilized a limited number of strategies to keep track of their teens, and severely underestimated their adolescents drinking. Parents also used a limited number of different consequences for teen misbehavior. These results suggest that parent education programs that target teen drinking should enable parents to use more varied and effective parenting strategies. - underage alcohol use, parent monitoring, parenting strategies - Human Subjects & Human Subjects: Interview, Questionaires, or Surveys Only

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01HD002120-05
Application #
6290245
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (PRB)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Beck, K H; Shattuck, T; Haynie, D et al. (1999) Associations between parent awareness, monitoring, enforcement and adolescent involvement with alcohol. Health Educ Res 14:765-75