Alcohol‐specific parenting within a cluster‐randomized effectiveness trial of a Swedish primary prevention program

Within the framework of an ongoing cluster‐randomized effectiveness trial of a parental prevention program, the aim of the present study is to investigate attitudes towards under‐age drinking and use of program components, i.e. alcohol‐specific parenting behaviors, in parents who did and did not take part in the programme.

Non‐parametric tests were used to analyze cross‐sectional data from 1,239 14‐year‐olds and their parents, collected at a 12‐month follow‐up.

Strict attitudes and alcohol‐specific rule‐setting were more frequently reported among parents in the experimental group than among parents in the control group (89.2 v. 81.7 percent, p < 0.001, respectively 92.8 v. 88.5 percent, p < 0.01). Parental reports were supported by that significantly fewer youths in the experimental group reported being served alcohol at home (36.6 v. 44.7 percent, p < 0.01).

Most of the measures were not included at the baseline measurement. However, the validity of the results is increased by the finding that parent and youth reports converge.

The results substantiate a previous study finding on maintained attitudinal restrictivity and extend one's knowledge on parents' use of programme components (e.g. having and communicating alcohol‐specific rules). The present study tentatively suggests that two brief presentations to parents might result in changes in alcohol‐specific parenting.