Maung Maung Than Htike. Effect of family and peer connectedness on tobacco and alcohol consumption among high school adolescents in the Northern Shan State, Myanmar . Master's Degree(Population and Social Research). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Effect of family and peer connectedness on tobacco and alcohol consumption among high school adolescents in the Northern Shan State, Myanmar
Abstract:
This study aims to determine the impact of family and peer connectedness
on tobacco and alcohol consumption among high school adolescents. The
secondary data on cross-sectional survey in ten townships of Northern Shan State,
Myanmar, 2004 which explored knowledge, attitude and behaviours on
reproductive health among 894 high school students, were analyzed by using
binary logistic regression.
This study found that greater percentage of tobacco and alcohol users were
male adolescents. Family connectedness acts as a significant protective factor in
both tobacco and alcohol use. Peer connectedness has a significant positive effect
on adolescent alcohol use but not on tobacco use. Alcohol consumption does vary
depending upon the ethnic group. It is also highlighted that, once adolescents adopt
one of the health risk behaviours, they are more prone to engage in the other. The
results point out that further gender sensitive risk reduction programmes,
addressing gender disparities in response to tobacco and alcohol use, are in need
for adolescents. It is also stressed that existing risk prevention programmes should
be revised from a holistic view by integrating current tobacco and alcohol control
programmes and by adding a bio-psychosocial standpoint of the adolescents.