Alcohol consumption by female teenagers: the family as a risk and a protection factor

Alcoholic beverage consumption during adolescence is considered as a serious health problem. Moreover, the differences in the past consumption pattern between boys and girls have decreased, which draws attention to the effects of such behavior in female adolescents. Because family can act as both risk and protective factors for the use of alcohol, the objective of this study was to comprehend the family influence on alcohol use among female adolescents. The research is qualitative and it was performed in an exploratory, descriptive and cross-sectional way. Two focus groups were conducted, one in a private school and another in a public one, both in a city in Southern Brazil, in order to discuss the topic with the adolescents. Afterwards, the participants were invited to attend an individual interview, in addition to answering a questionnaire on alcohol use and the Family Support Perception Inventory. In total, the groups consisted of 17 adolescents, from which 12 were interviewed. The data was submitted to thematic content analysis. The results indicated that the participating adolescents had a pattern of social alcohol use similar to their families. Fathers were more prohibitive to their daughters drinking than mothers, who were more permissive. For this sample, clear rules for drinking, family support and emotional closeness with female figures served as protection mechanisms, corroborating data from previous surveys.