Parenting style may directly impact a teen's participation in heavy drinking

By Staff Writer

Researchers at Brigham Young University report that parenting style strongly influences the habit of heavy drinking in teenagers.

The team surveyed a total of 5,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 about drinking alcohol and their relationship with their parents. They examined the parents' level of accountability - defined as knowing where the child spent his or her time and with whom - and compared it to the teenager's likelihood of consuming five or more drinks in a row.

The results showed that the adolescents who were least prone to heavy drinking had parents who scored high on accountability and warmth. These teenagers were also more likely to have non-drinking friends.

Indulgent parents - those who scored low on accountability, but high on warmth - had three times the risk of having a child who participates in heavy drinking.

Meanwhile, strict parents - who scored high on accountability but much lower in warmth - more than doubled their teenager's risk for the habit.

"Parents can have a significant impact on the more dangerous type of drinking," the researchers concluded.