Risk Factors and Their Relation to Initiation of Alcohol Use among Early Adolescents

This study examined the relationship between risk factors and initiation of alcohol use over a 15-month period among a cohort of 7th graders who were abstainers at the time of initial testing. The relationship between risk factors and alcohol use was examined using a discriminant function analysis. At the univariate level, rejection of parental authority, deviant behavior, and sensation seeking were statistically significant. The discriminant function retained only three of the risk factors: rejection of parental authority, deviant behavior, and religious commitment. Implications for school-based prevention programs are discussed, particularly the need to target primary prevention programs based upon adolescents' risk.