A Study on The Factors that Influence Alcohol Consumption among the Korean High School Girls in a Region of Seoul, Korea

This study was designed to examine the factors associated with alcohol consumption among the Korean high school girls. 238 female students were sampled from two high schools in Seoul, Korea. They were given questionnaires and were asked to fill in and return them during a class hour. The factors included in the questionnaire were analyzed to see their contributions to alcohol consumption using chi-square. Alcohol consumption was associated with lower school performance (p=.001). High alcohol expectancies increased alcohol consumption (p=.000) : however, depression did not show a statistically significant relationship to alcohol consumption. Mothers’ alcohol consumption, having many alcohol consuming friends and watching TV commercials picturing alcohol were found to be associated with alcohol consumption, p=.049, .000, .000, respectively. Results may imply that alcohol consumption may not be a coping behavior of the depressed high school girls. Parents in Korea should be more concerned about alcohol consumption and its impacts on their daughters. Media effects on alcohol consumption need to be stressed and deserve attention from the public.ope