Verhoef Melissa, van den Eijnden Regina J J M, Koning Ina M, Vollebergh Wilma A M
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
J Youth Adolesc. 2014 Aug;43(8):1333-45. doi: 10.1007/s10964-013-0075-6. Epub 2013 Dec 11.
Research has shown that early maturation is related to problematic alcohol use, yet the differential effect of early pubertal timing (i.e., younger age at menarche) on the onset of alcohol use and subsequent level of alcohol use has rarely been examined. This distinction is relevant, as younger age at menarche can have differential effects on these outcomes, which in turn can have long-lasting effects. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between age at menarche and adolescent alcohol use among girls, hereby distinguishing between onset and level of alcohol use. In addition, the moderating effects of alcohol-specific rules, child disclosure and class gender composition were examined. Participants were 430 girls from a Dutch four-wave survey, with a mean age of 12.17 years (SD = 0.50) at the beginning of the study. Results showed that the probability of onset of alcohol use was increased by younger age at menarche, but only when girls were younger than 15. Moderation analyses showed that younger age at menarche increased the risk of alcohol onset only in low risk girls (with high levels of alcohol-specific rules and in classes with a high percentage of girls). Once adolescent girls started drinking alcohol, younger age at menarche was associated positively with alcohol consumption only for girls in classes with a moderate to high percentage of girls. These findings confirm that younger age at menarche is a risk factor for the onset of alcohol use, but strongly suggest that this effect is strongest for girls having restrictive alcohol-specific rules and in classes with a high percentage of girls. Possibly, in the absence of social factors that "push" to alcohol use, biological factors (like age at menarche) become more important. Another possibility is that adolescent girls start drinking alcohol to oppose their parents if they set too strict alcohol-specific rules.
研究表明，早熟与酒精使用问题有关，但初潮时间较早（即月经初潮年龄较小）对酒精使用开始及后续酒精使用水平的差异影响很少被研究。这种区别很重要，因为月经初潮年龄较小可能对这些结果产生不同影响，进而可能产生长期影响。因此，本研究考察了女孩月经初潮年龄与青少年酒精使用之间的关系，在此区分酒精使用的开始和水平。此外，还考察了特定酒精规则、儿童披露情况和班级性别构成的调节作用。参与者是来自荷兰一项四波调查的430名女孩，研究开始时的平均年龄为12.17岁（标准差=0.50）。结果表明，月经初潮年龄较小会增加酒精使用开始的可能性，但仅在女孩年龄小于15岁时如此。调节分析表明，月经初潮年龄较小仅在低风险女孩（具有高水平的特定酒精规则且所在班级女孩比例高）中增加酒精使用开始的风险。一旦青春期女孩开始饮酒，月经初潮年龄较小仅在女孩比例中等至高的班级中与酒精消费呈正相关。这些发现证实月经初潮年龄较小是酒精使用开始的一个风险因素，但强烈表明这种影响在具有严格特定酒精规则且女孩比例高的班级中女孩身上最为明显。可能在没有“促使”饮酒的社会因素时，生物因素（如月经初潮年龄）变得更加重要。另一种可能性是，如果父母制定过于严格的特定酒精规则，青春期女孩会开始饮酒以反抗他们。
