The influence of environmental factors on the consumption of addictive substances among adolescents

Adolescenti se nalaze u razvojno vrlo dinamičnom životnom razdoblju, a mnogi okolinski čimbenici utječu na izgradnju njihovih životnih, pa tako i ovisničkih životnih stilova. U radu su ispitana postojanja i varijacije ovisničkih oblika ponašanja kod adolescenata u dijelu Splitsko-dalmatinske županije. Rezultati ovog rada upućuju na veću konzumaciju alkohola i cigareta kod adolescenata u manjim mjestima. Okolinski čimbenici rizika i zaštite u ovom istraživanju povezuju ovisnička ponašanja adolescenata s permisivnim odgojnim roditeljskim stilovima i roditeljskim postupcima u kojima se tradicionalno prihvaćaju obrasci ovisničkih ponašanja i odsutnost nadzora i kontrole roditelja ili «drugih važnih osoba» u životu adolescenata, posebno u njihovu slobodnom vremenu. Škola, zaposlenost i religioznost roditelja u ovom se istraživanju nisu pokazali statistički značajnim čimbenicima, za razliku od utjecaja vršnjaka, medija i literature. Rezultati mogu poslužiti kao temelj za izradu preventivnih programa na indiciranoj i selektivnoj razini.Adolescents, who go through a very dynamic period, are exposed to various environmental factors that influence the choice of their life styles, including the addictive ones. This work examines the existence and the variations of the addictive behaviour patterns among adolescents in a part of the Split-Dalmatia County. The results of this research indicate a more extensive alcohol and cigarette consumption among the adolescents who live in small rural areas. The environmental risk and protection factors described in this research, represent a link between the adolescents’ addictive behavior and their parents’ permissive attitudes which, traditionally, approve the addictive behaviour patterns, the lack of parents’ control or those of other people who are important in adolescents’ lives, especially in their free time. Parents’ education, employment and religiousness have been proved as statistically insignificant factors in this research, as opposed to the peer pressure, the media and literature influence. The results of this research could be used as a basis in creating the prevention programmes at the indicative, as well as at the selective level