Exploring the Association between Alcohol Drinking and Physical Activity in Adolescence; Two-Year Prospective Study in Younger Adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Natasa Zenic, Małgorzata Lipowska, Dora Maric, Sime Versic, Hrvoje Vlahovic and Barbara Gilic
Additional contact information
Natasa Zenic: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Teslina 6, 21000 Split, Croatia
Małgorzata Lipowska: Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
Dora Maric: PhD Program in Health Promotion and Cognitive Sciences, Sport and Exercise Research Unit, Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Education Sciences, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy
Sime Versic: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Teslina 6, 21000 Split, Croatia
Hrvoje Vlahovic: Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Barbara Gilic: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Teslina 6, 21000 Split, Croatia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: Insufficient physical activity and alcohol consumption (AC) are important health-threatening behaviors in adolescence, but there are controversial findings regarding the association that may exist between AC and physical activity levels (PALs) at this age. This study aimed to prospectively examine the relationship that may exist between AC and PAL in younger adolescence, considering the potential confounding effect of sports participation. The participants ( n = 669, 337 females) were adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina who were tested on two occasions, at baseline (14 years of age) and again at follow-up (16 years of age). The variables included AC (as indicated by the AUDIT questionnaire), sports participation, age, gender (predictors), and PAL (obtained by the PAQ-A questionnaire) criterion. The results indicated that PAL at baseline was higher in those adolescents (boys) with a higher AUDIT score, but this association was partially confounded by sports participation. Multinomial regression indicated a higher risk of a decline in PAL over the study course in adolescents with a higher AUDIT score at baseline (OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.11–1.54 for being in the high-risk group for a decline in PAL). The most probable explanation is likely found in the high drop-out from sports in the studied period and earlier initiation of AC in adolescents involved in sports. Public health and sports authorities should urgently act preventively and develop educational programs against alcohol drinking in youth athletes.

Keywords: physical activity; puberty; AUDIT; alcohol; substance misuse; sport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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