Social Norms, Alcohol Expectancies, Parental Monitoring, Parental Perceptions And Adolescent Patterns of Alcohol Consumption In Athens And Cardiff: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Alcohol use is widespread in many cultures and alcohol experimentation in adolescence may be construed as a ‘’normal’’ practice. However excessive adolescent alcohol consumptionhas potentially detrimental effects on adolescents including impaired health, academic failure and adult alcohol-related problems(Hingson et al 2009). Adolescent patterns of alcohol consumption differ across cultures. In some cases, even when similaritiesin consumption rates are reported, different patterns of alcohol-related problems and consequences are observed across cultures(Hibell et al 2012). These differences may not be attributed solely to biological factors but may be related to specific cultural patterns of beliefs and expectations (Heath 2000). The aim of the present thesis was to investigate the differences between the two samples in the cities of Athens(Greece)and Cardiff (Wales)in drinking patterns as well as in several key factors that have been identified in the literature as predictors of risky adolescent alcohol use and alcohol related negativeconsequences. Specifically thisthesis investigated the differences in descriptive and injunctive norms, alcohol expectancies, parental monitoring and parental factors such as alcohol provision and parental attitudes, by utilizing a mixed-methods approach, including an adolescent self-report questionnaire and parental semi-structured interviews.

xvRisky/hazardous alcohol-related behaviour, injunctive and personal norms, alcohol expectancies and parental monitoring elements such as parental control and child disclosurediffered significantly in respect of city(Cardiffvs. Athens) (p<0.005).Astepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that age-group, Cardiff residency, Fast Alcohol score, Parental control, Alcohol expectancies regardingRisk and Aggression/Liquid Courage/Sociabilityand Child disclosurewere all statistically significant independent predictive factors for high Saturday alcohol consumptionsignificantly in respect of city(Cardiffvs. Athens, p=0,012).From the thematic analysis of the semi-structured parental interviews,certain differences were highlightedin relation to parental perceptions and practises; including context-specificparental provision of alcohol at home in Cardiff and an emphasis on the perceived influence of othersin relation to adolescent drinking in Athens.Several implications for policy formation and intervention strategies arise from the results. Interventionsattempting to address problematic drinking in adolescence should beadapted to reflect cultural realitiesand targeted towards specific components such as perceived parental permissiveness and personal norms of alcohol-related behaviour.