WELD COUNTY HKCS COUNTY-LEVEL SURVEY REPORT COLORADO PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS SUBMITTED TO WELD COUNTY PREVENTION PARTNERS AUGUST 2013

Transcription

1 WELD COUNTY HKCS COUNTY-LEVEL SURVEY REPORT COLORADO PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS SUBMITTED TO WELD COUNTY PREVENTION PARTNERS AUGUST 2013 CONTACT INFORMATION: ROCHELLE MCCAULEY, MPH KATIE PAGE, MPH OMNI INSTITUTE 899 LOGAN STREET, SUITE 600 DENVER, CO (303)

2 Contents Introduction... 3 Demographics... 6 Alcohol Use: Current Use, Binge Drinking Behavior, and Age of Initiation... 7 Current Alcohol Use... 7 Binge Drinking... 8 Age of Initiation of Alcohol Use Perception of Use Perception of Peer Past 30-Day Alcohol Use Perception of Peer Past 30-Day Binge Drinking Perception of Best Friends Alcohol Use in the Past Year Alcohol-related Risk Behavior Riding In A Car With A Drinking Driver Driving After Drinking Perceptions of Harm and Risk of Alcohol Use Perception of Alcohol Use as Harmful Perception of Binge Drinking as Harmful Attitudes towards Alcohol Use Youth Disapproval of Peer Alcohol Use Perception of Adult Neighbors Disapproval of Alcohol Use Perception of Parents Disapproval of Youth Alcohol Use Communication with Parents about Substance Use Access and Exposure to Alcohol Ease of Access to Alcohol Perception of Police Enforcement of Alcohol Laws Places Youth Obtain Alcohol Places Youth Drank Alcohol Drinking on School Property Exposure to Messages Regarding Alcohol and Other Substance Use Prevention Messages Promotion Messages Conclusion Appendix A. Sample Selection and Weighting Procedures Sample selection Survey Administration Weighting procedures

3 Introduction In the fall of 2012, Weld County Prevention Partners organized the administration of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) in a county-wide sample. This surveillance effort was supported through the Colorado Prevention Partnerships for Success (CPPS) grant, a federally funded initiative awarded to Colorado and four other states. The CPPS grant is administered through the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health, and focuses on preventing binge drinking behaviors statewide within the high school Hispanic/Latino population, as well as reducing underage drinking more generally. Four counties in Colorado, including Weld, were selected to represent the CPPS effort based on a number of factors including total youth population size, number of Hispanic/Latino youth, prevalence of underage and binge drinking rates, and demonstrated capacity to undertake large scale prevention work. Because the goals of this initiative are measured at the state level, funded counties are asked to implement a broad range of environmental strategies in order to impact a large number of youth. To complement this work, culturally appropriate statewide and county level social marketing campaigns have been developed to target key messages specific to reducing underage drinking and binge drinking behaviors. The initiative in each funded county is coalition-driven, and is led by a Community Coordinator and an Evaluation Coordinator. Each of the four counties has a Local Epidemiology Workgroup (LEW) that is a repository of community epidemiological information and expertise and informs the state prevention infrastructure by supplementing regional and state data with local level data gathering efforts. The HKCS data serve as a key source of information for LEWs, and are utilized to better understand youth behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes about alcohol and other substance use, in addition to a number of other health related behaviors such as unintentional injuries and violence, mental health, school safety and physical fighting, and physical activity and nutrition. Additionally, the survey contains demographic questions such as race, ethnicity, and language spoken at home. In Colorado, the HKCS is utilized statewide to meet the needs of several different initiatives. The instrument contains questions from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and questions related to risk and protective factors. 1 The HKCS is administered every other fall to a statewide sample of schools. The results of these statewide administrations are used to measure Colorado s progress towards meeting the CPPS goal to reduce 30-day binge drinking in Hispanic/Latino high school youth by 5% in 3 years (measured by the 2011 HKCS State sample) and by 8% in 5 years (measured by the 2013 HKCS State sample). Based on the 2011 State HKCS data, the prevalence of binge drinking among Hispanic youth was 22.3%, exceeding both the 3 rd and 5 th year CPPS goals. The project set a new goal to further reduce binge drinking among Hispanic youth to 20%, which aligns with the winnable battle targets for Colorado set by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Additionally, as a part of the CPPS initiative, funded counties are asked to use this instrument to collect representative county-wide data on youth attitudes and behaviors related to substance use and the factors that are known to put students at risk of, or protect them from, engaging in risky behaviors. The data collected through this survey can be utilized to inform needs assessment and strategic planning, as well as to identify the specific behaviors or beliefs that can be targeted to work toward state level change in underage and binge drinking behaviors. In each county, a random sample of schools is asked to participate in the survey each fall to monitor these behaviors over time. Changes in binge drinking behavior at the county level, as well as shifts in variables known to influence drinking behaviors may be used to assess the impact of county-wide strategies put in place through the CPPS initiative. 1 Arthur, M.W., Hawkins, J.D., Pollard, J.A., Catalano, R.F., & Baglioni, A. J. (2002). Measuring risk and protective factors for substance use, delinquency, and other adolescent problem behaviors: The Communities That Care Survey. Evaluation Review, 26,

4 In order to collect representative county-wide data, counties can either elect to survey all schools and students in their county (a full census), or participate in a random sample. A random sample is when a scientifically selected sub-set of students (based on schools and classrooms) are surveyed instead of surveying every single student. Results from this subset of students are then weighted, a method by which original survey data (e.g., collected from students at selected public high schools) are statistically adjusted to represent the population from which the sample is drawn (e.g., all public high school students in Weld County). Adjustments are made according to key demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, and grade), such that participants responses are weighted based on the demographic characteristics of the larger population that they represent. In order to reliably weight data, the sample of schools must be scientifically selected at the start of the effort, and additionally, there needs to be an adequately high survey response rate from both selected schools and students within those schools. For the purposes of this report, the required minimum response rate was set to 60%. 2 Further information related to collecting and weighting the HKCS data can be found in Appendix A. In the fall of 2012, Weld County elected to participate in a random sample, but also offered full census surveying at the school and district level for communities that wanted more localized data. Data from the schools selected to the sample were weighted and are presented in this report. A total of eight schools in Weld County were selected to participate in the sample, and within each selected school approximately half of the students were selected to participate in the survey. All eight randomly selected Weld County high schools participated in this surveillance effort, resulting in a school response rate of 100%. Within these schools, 1,377 students participated out of a total 2,317 selected, resulting in a student response rate of 60%. 3 Taken together, Weld County achieved an overall response rate of 60%, which met the threshold to reliably weight the data to reflect the larger high school population in Weld County. This report includes an in-depth presentation of the weighted results for alcohol related variables from the fall 2012 Weld County administration of the HKCS, and allows the county to track county level progress toward CPPS benchmarks and outcomes. This report contains data results for variables required in the state or federal evaluation, and is organized into different sections related to alcohol use, attitudes and perceptions, and access and exposure to alcohol and alcoholrelated messages. Results are presented for different demographic groups. Where appropriate, results are separated by gender, grade and race/ethnicity to better understand patterns within different student sub-populations. This report can be utilized in conjunction with the data report for counties to assess change over time. In addition, statistical testing has been conducted to determine whether significant change has occurred from the baseline results. As communities continue to collect additional years of data, testing will continue in order to track significant differences over time. It is important to note that differences between sub-populations (i.e., grade, gender, and race/ethnicity) observed in the figures or tables, and discussed in the text, were not tested for statistical significance. Therefore, this report should not be used to determine whether differences between sub-populations of students reflect statistically meaningful differences or not. In the report, weighted student responses to survey questions are presented in data tables. The first table for each question (shaded in blue) displays the weighted responses by gender and ethnicity. The second table (shaded in green) displays the weighted responses by grade and ethnicity. Each table also includes the unweighted number of youth (the actual number of youth who responded to that item) as well as the item response rate, or the percentage of students 2 The response rate threshold was set to match the response rate criteria set by the CDC for the YRBS. The overall response rate includes both the school participation and the student participation. 3 In addition to participation in the county sample, several additional schools chose to participate in the HKCS. Schools that administered a full census survey were provided with a school level report in order to better understand patterns of behavior and attitudes in their school. Data from a full census report can be compared with the data presented in this report for schools that achieved a response rate of 60% or higher. 4

5 from the sample that answered that particular question. Not all youth responded to every question, therefore total unweighted counts vary by item. For select items, figures are presented that depict the weighted percentages of youth who responded to items in specified patterns, broken down by race/ethnicity, or by race/ethnicity and gender. In most cases, response categories are collapsed in order to better present overall patterns. 5

6 Demographics Demographic information is helpful in understanding the sample and the results presented in the report. As noted above, a total of 1,377 students participated across eight different schools in Weld County. A total of 1,374 students provided valid data and are included in this report. Demographic information from survey participants in Weld County are displayed in tables 1 and 2 below. The tables show the unweighted count (the total number of students surveyed who had valid responses) as well as the weighted percentage of the sample by gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Demographic information for all Weld County high school students is also presented. Because the weighted percentages represent an adjusted sample, these percentages may be different than the percentages that would be calculated using the unweighted counts. Table 1. Demographics of Weld County survey participants Demographic Category TOTAL Weighted Sample Hispanic White, Non- Hispanic All Weld County High Schools TOTAL* Total Number Surveyed Grade Level 9th 28.0% 26.9% 28.4% 26.6% 10th 24.0% 24.7% 23.3% 24.2% 11th 22.2% 22.2% 22.7% 24.0% 12th 25.8% 26.2% 25.5% 25.3% Gender Female 48.8% 49.6% 47.8% 47.6% Male 51.2% 50.4% 52.2% 52.4% Note: The total number surveyed represents a count of the students who had valid completed surveys. Note: 101 students did not fall into either Hispanic/Latino or White, Non-Hispanic categories. *Percentages in this column represent all high school students in the county in October of Table 2. Race/ethnicity of Weld County survey participants Weighted Sample Unweighted Sample Race/Ethnicity TOTAL (%) TOTAL (N) Hispanic/Latino 43.6% 435 Non-Hispanic/Latino 56.4% 939 American Indian or Alaskan Native 6.7% 65 Black or African American 2.9% 38 Asian 1.2% 22 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 1.0% 11 White 84.0% 997 Multi-Racial 4.3% 49 Note: 165 students did not report their race. 4 County samples were selected based on data from the Colorado Department of Education student count, performed every October. In order to best match the sample, data are weighted against the same October count from which the sample was drawn, and typically reflect demographic information from the prior fall. 6

7 Alcohol Use: Current Use, Binge Drinking Behavior, and Age of Initiation It is important to understand the extent of alcohol use and key influences on youth drinking, as adolescent alcohol use is a significant public health issue. In the 2011 State HKCS, 65.5% of Colorado high school students reported that they had tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime, and 36.4% reported using alcohol in the 30 days prior to taking the survey. Additionally, more than one-fifth of Colorado high school youth reported that they engaged in binge drinking at least once in the past month. 5 Alcohol use among youth is associated with a number of poor social, behavioral, and health outcomes, including other drug use, risky sexual behavior, poor school performance, and future alcohol dependence or substance use disorders. 6 The risks associated with early binge drinking are even greater. By monitoring and identifying subpopulations that may be at greater risk for alcohol-related poor outcomes, communities can target prevention strategies to intervene at an early age, before problems and negative consequences emerge. 7 In this section, the prevalence of any alcohol use (i.e., days in which youth had at least one drink in past 30 days) and binge drinking behaviors (i.e., days in which youth had at least five consecutive drinks within a couple of hours) are examined. The age at which youth first tried alcohol is also presented. Current Alcohol Use Weld County youth were asked to report on current alcohol use, or the number of days in the past month that they had at least one drink of alcohol. Similar to the 2011 State results, approximately 35.7% of Weld County youth reported using alcohol in the past month. There was a significant decrease in alcohol use from 41.3% in 2010 to 35.7% in Tables 3 and 4 below display the weighted percentage of youth reporting each response, by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Table 3. Weld County youth self-report of 30-day alcohol use by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have at least one drink of alcohol? Unweighted N: 1278 Response Rate: 92.9% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: days 64.3% 77.7% 61.9% 59.2% 56.4% 57.1% 70.2% 55.8% 44.3% 55.1% 70.7% 84.4% 66.8% 71.3% 58.2% 1 or 2 days 18.3% 14.6% 20.4% 18.7% 20.1% 20.6% 20.2% 20.1% 24.3% 18.4% 16.1% 9.2% 20.4% 14.3% 21.5% 3 to 5 days 6.5% 4.2% 9.1% 6.6% 6.5% 7.7% 4.1% 12.8% 8.6% 5.8% 6.0% 4.8% 6.1% 5.8% 7.5% 6 to 9 days 4.6% 0.6% 2.9% 7.5% 8.0% 6.1% 1.2% 2.5% 9.8% 11.4% 3.1% 0.3% 3.0% 4.3% 5.1% 10 to 19 days 2.4% 0.4% 2.2% 2.1% 4.8% 2.5% 0.5% 2.7% 1.4% 5.1% 2.5% 0.4% 2.0% 2.7% 5.3% 20 to 29 days 1.2% 1.0% 0.9% 1.5% 1.7% 2.3% 1.2% 1.7% 3.6% 2.9% 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 0.0% 0.0% All 30 days 2.7% 1.6% 2.7% 4.5% 2.5% 3.8% 2.6% 4.4% 8.0% 1.2% 1.6% 1.0% 1.4% 1.6% 2.6% 5 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 2011 State Report. df 6 McCoy, S. I., Jewell, N. P., Hubbard, A., Gerdts, C. E., Doherty, I. A., Padian, N. S., & Minnis, A. M. (2010). A trajectory analysis of alcohol and marijuana use among Latino adolescents in San Francisco, California. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47(6),

8 Table 4. Weld County youth self-report of 30-day alcohol use by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have at least one drink of alcohol? Unweighted N: 1278 Response Rate: 92.9% Unweighted N: days 64.3% 67.4% 61.1% 57.1% 64.1% 49.4% 70.7% 70.8% 70.6% 1 or 2 days 18.3% 19.2% 17.4% 20.6% 21.8% 19.2% 16.1% 17.0% 15.2% 3 to 5 days 6.5% 5.9% 7.2% 7.7% 6.4% 9.1% 6.0% 5.7% 6.3% 6 to 9 days 4.6% 3.3% 5.8% 6.1% 3.4% 9.0% 3.1% 3.1% 3.0% 10 to 19 days 2.4% 1.7% 3.1% 2.5% 0.6% 4.6% 2.5% 2.9% 2.2% 20 to 29 days 1.2% 1.6% 0.9% 2.3% 2.3% 2.3% 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% All 30 days 2.7% 1.0% 4.4% 3.8% 1.4% 6.4% 1.6% 0.4% 2.7% Binge Drinking The overall goal of the CPPS grant is to reduce binge drinking behavior in Hispanic/Latino youth statewide by 5% in the first 3 years, and by 8% over 5 years. While the State HKCS administrations in 2011 and 2013 measure progress toward these state goals, the county level HKCS results from CPPS communities allow for a better understanding of progress made toward goals within funded counties. It should be noted that the state samples present state level change over a two year period while county samples are conducted every year. Overall, in 2012, 22.5% of all youth, and 27.1% of Hispanic/Latino youth, in Weld County report binge drinking in the 30 days prior to the survey. These results were not significantly different from data collected in 2010 (27.2% and 31.1%). Tables 5 and 6 below display the weighted percentage of youth reporting each response, by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Table 5. Weld County youth self-report of 30-day binge drinking by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row, that is, within a couple of hours? (Binge Drinking) Unweighted N: 1278 Response Rate: 92.9% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: days 77.5% 88.4% 79.5% 70.6% 69.5% 72.9% 82.7% 76.4% 59.5% 69.9% 81.8% 93.5% 81.5% 79.9% 70.7% 1 day 8.6% 6.2% 8.5% 9.4% 10.8% 9.9% 9.2% 6.7% 13.6% 11.0% 7.2% 3.7% 10.1% 5.8% 9.6% 2 days 4.2% 2.8% 3.4% 4.9% 5.8% 4.3% 4.1% 2.8% 5.6% 5.0% 4.0% 1.8% 4.1% 4.0% 6.4% 3 to 5 days 4.4% 0.6% 3.0% 4.7% 9.7% 6.3% 1.5% 4.2% 6.4% 12.9% 3.0% 0.0% 1.9% 3.8% 6.7% 6 to 9 days 1.8% 0.5% 0.9% 4.4% 2.1% 1.2% 0.0% 0.8% 3.0% 1.2% 1.8% 0.0% 1.1% 4.4% 2.3% 10 to 19 days 1.1% 0.0% 1.8% 1.8% 1.1% 1.7% 0.0% 3.7% 3.7% 0.0% 0.8% 0.0% 0.4% 0.5% 2.3% 20 or more days 2.3% 1.6% 2.9% 4.3% 1.0% 3.8% 2.6% 5.4% 8.2% 0.0% 1.4% 1.0% 0.9% 1.6% 2.1% 8

9 Table 6. Weld County youth self-report of 30-day binge drinking by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row, that is, within a couple of hours? (Binge Drinking) Unweighted N: 1278 Response Rate: 92.9% Unweighted N: days 77.5% 79.7% 75.2% 72.9% 77.8% 67.5% 81.8% 82.2% 81.5% 1 day 8.6% 8.3% 9.0% 9.9% 9.1% 10.8% 7.2% 7.1% 7.2% 2 days 4.2% 4.2% 4.1% 4.3% 5.5% 3.0% 4.0% 2.8% 5.1% 3 to 5 days 4.4% 4.1% 4.8% 6.3% 3.7% 9.1% 3.0% 4.6% 1.5% 6 to 9 days 1.8% 1.5% 2.2% 1.2% 0.6% 1.8% 1.8% 1.5% 2.2% 10 to 19 days 1.1% 1.3% 0.9% 1.7% 1.4% 2.0% 0.8% 1.4% 0.2% 20 or more days 2.3% 1.0% 3.7% 3.8% 1.8% 5.8% 1.4% 0.4% 2.3% Figure 1 displays percentages of youth who reported drinking alcohol at least once and youth who reported any binge drinking in the past month, by race/ethnicity and gender. Figure 1. Weld County youth self-report of past 30-day alcohol and binge use 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Any Use Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Binge Use 9

10 Age of Initiation of Alcohol Use Research shows that youth begin drinking at a young age. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, the average age of initiation is 14 years old, though 21% of high school students have tried alcohol by the age of The long-term consequences of early initiation to alcohol and binge drinking include greater risk for alcohol dependence or abuse later in life, school and employment problems, greater conflict and violence in social relationships, and lower participation in positive activities and communities. 9 The table below displays the age at which youth in Weld County first tried alcohol, by ethnicity and gender. Table 7. Weld County youth self- report age of first alcohol use by gender How old were you when you had your first drink of alcohol other than a few sips? Unweighted N: 1271 Response Rate: 92.4% Unweighted N: I have never drunk alcohol 37.8% 40.1% 35.5% 32.2% 35.9% 28.2% 41.6% 42.1% 41.2% 8 years old or younger 7.1% 4.1% 10.2% 11.1% 5.8% 16.9% 3.4% 1.8% 5.0% 9 or 10 years old 4.9% 3.6% 6.3% 5.5% 3.4% 7.7% 4.6% 3.5% 5.6% 11 or 12 years old 9.7% 10.1% 9.4% 11.2% 12.9% 9.4% 8.8% 8.2% 9.5% 13 or 14 years old 22.0% 21.9% 22.2% 22.2% 21.6% 22.9% 22.1% 23.5% 20.8% 15 or 16 years old 15.5% 17.3% 13.7% 14.2% 15.4% 12.9% 17.2% 20.1% 14.5% 17 years or older 2.8% 2.9% 2.7% 3.6% 5.0% 2.1% 2.3% 0.9% 3.5% As seen in Table 7 and in Figure 2, the largest percentage of youth in Weld County (22%) report trying alcohol for the first time between ages 13 and

11 Figure 2. Weld County youth self-report age of first alcohol use by race/ethnicity 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% I have never drunk alcohol 8 years old or younger 9 or 10 years old 11 or 12 years old 13 or 14 years old 15 or 16 years old 17 years or older Perception of Use In addition to asking about actual alcohol use and binge drinking behavior, youth were asked how often they thought their peers (a typical student at their school) and their friends engaged in these behaviors. Often, as was the case in Weld County, there is a large difference between actual use and perceived use, and these differences can be utilized to inform effective prevention strategies through social norms campaigns. 10 Perception of Peer Past 30-Day Alcohol Use Weld County students were asked to report how many days a typical student at their school used alcohol in the past month. Tables 8 and 9 below display the percentage of youth reporting each response, by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender

12 Table 8. Weld County youth perception of peer 30-day alcohol use by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, on how many days do you think a typical student at your school drank alcohol? Unweighted N: 1346 Response Rate: 97.9% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: days 29.4% 33.8% 30.1% 30.5% 23.1% 31.2% 38.9% 31.4% 33.6% 21.0% 26.3% 25.7% 29.3% 27.2% 23.5% 1 or 2 days 22.4% 24.6% 22.5% 17.5% 24.1% 22.2% 23.8% 20.5% 12.1% 30.8% 22.9% 26.9% 22.4% 23.2% 18.5% 3 to 5 days 21.7% 18.2% 20.6% 20.8% 27.3% 21.2% 16.3% 19.3% 20.3% 29.0% 22.9% 20.1% 22.1% 21.5% 27.8% 6 to 9 days 12.2% 10.8% 13.1% 12.0% 12.9% 10.5% 8.8% 15.0% 7.5% 10.6% 14.0% 13.6% 12.8% 14.6% 14.9% 10 to 19 days 7.6% 7.1% 8.6% 7.9% 6.9% 6.0% 7.4% 7.1% 4.9% 4.4% 9.0% 7.2% 10.1% 10.4% 8.9% 20 to 29 days 1.7% 2.4% 1.0% 1.7% 1.6% 1.0% 0.6% 0.8% 2.9% 0.0% 1.8% 3.8% 0.7% 0.4% 1.8% All 30 days 5.1% 3.1% 4.2% 9.7% 4.1% 7.9% 4.3% 5.9% 18.7% 4.3% 3.2% 2.6% 2.6% 2.8% 4.6% Table 9. Weld County youth perception of peer 30-day alcohol use by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, on how many days do you think a typical student at your school drank alcohol? Unweighted N: 1346 Response Rate: 97.9% Unweighted N: days 29.4% 25.6% 33.0% 31.2% 26.5% 35.8% 26.3% 22.6% 29.7% 1 or 2 days 22.4% 21.6% 23.1% 22.2% 25.1% 19.3% 22.9% 19.0% 26.3% 3 to 5 days 21.7% 24.9% 18.6% 21.2% 25.2% 17.3% 22.9% 25.9% 20.1% 6 to 9 days 12.2% 13.6% 10.8% 10.5% 11.6% 9.4% 14.0% 16.1% 12.1% 10 to 19 days 7.6% 8.9% 6.4% 6.0% 5.3% 6.6% 9.0% 11.7% 6.6% 20 to 29 days 1.7% 1.9% 1.5% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.8% 2.1% 1.5% All 30 days 5.1% 3.5% 6.6% 7.9% 5.1% 10.6% 3.2% 2.6% 3.7% Figure 3 below displays the percentage of youth who reported any alcohol use and their perception of the frequency of use by typical students in the past month. As described above, 35.7% of youth in Weld County reported using alcohol in the past 30 days. Interestingly, youth s perception of alcohol use among their peers was substantially higher than actual use. Youth in Weld County perceived that 70.6% of their peers used alcohol at least once within the past month, a significant decrease from the 2010 administration (77.6%). This significant decrease illustrates that the gap between actual and perceived use has narrowed. 12

13 Figure 3. Weld County youth self-report 30-day alcohol use and perception of peer 30-day alcohol use 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Self-Reported Alcohol Use Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Perception of Peer Alcohol Use Perception of Peer Past 30-Day Binge Drinking Students were also asked to report on the number of days that they thought a typical student at their school engaged in binge drinking behavior in the past month. Tables 10 and 11 display the percentage of youth reporting each response, by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Table 10. Weld County youth perception of peer 30-day binge drinking by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, on how many days do you think a typical student at your school had five or more drinks of alcohol? Unweighted N: 1351 Response Rate: 98.3% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: days 37.4% 45.9% 40.9% 33.3% 28.6% 39.1% 46.6% 45.6% 33.4% 30.2% 34.3% 41.9% 36.1% 33.6% 25.3% 1 or 2 days 26.2% 25.7% 25.8% 24.8% 28.3% 23.9% 23.7% 20.2% 21.3% 29.6% 28.2% 28.6% 29.3% 29.0% 26.0% 3 to 5 days 14.9% 11.4% 13.4% 16.7% 18.2% 13.9% 12.3% 13.5% 16.2% 13.9% 16.2% 11.0% 14.4% 16.6% 23.1% 6 to 9 days 9.8% 6.9% 11.2% 8.5% 12.5% 9.0% 5.8% 10.9% 5.4% 13.6% 10.7% 9.0% 12.1% 9.4% 12.3% 10 to 19 days 6.2% 6.9% 4.0% 7.5% 6.4% 5.8% 6.7% 3.6% 8.0% 5.0% 6.8% 7.3% 4.6% 7.2% 8.1% 20 to 29 days 1.0% 0.5% 1.5% 1.5% 0.8% 1.4% 0.5% 2.4% 1.7% 1.2% 0.8% 0.6% 0.8% 1.5% 0.5% All 30 days 4.6% 2.7% 3.2% 7.8% 5.2% 7.0% 4.5% 3.7% 13.9% 6.6% 2.9% 1.6% 2.7% 2.7% 4.7% 13

14 Table 11. Weld County youth perception of peer 30-day binge drinking by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, on how many days do you think a typical student at your school had five or more drinks of alcohol? Unweighted N: 1351 Response Rate: 98.3% Unweighted N: days 37.4% 31.2% 43.2% 39.1% 33.4% 44.6% 34.3% 27.1% 41.0% 1 or 2 days 26.2% 28.4% 24.1% 23.9% 29.5% 18.4% 28.2% 27.7% 28.6% 3 to 5 days 14.9% 18.4% 11.5% 13.9% 17.0% 10.9% 16.2% 20.5% 12.3% 6 to 9 days 9.8% 10.4% 9.2% 9.0% 8.8% 9.2% 10.7% 12.4% 9.1% 10 to 19 days 6.2% 7.7% 4.8% 5.8% 6.4% 5.2% 6.8% 8.7% 5.1% 20 to 29 days 1.0% 0.8% 1.3% 1.4% 0.6% 2.2% 0.8% 1.1% 0.6% All 30 days 4.6% 3.1% 6.0% 7.0% 4.3% 9.6% 2.9% 2.5% 3.3% Similar to current alcohol use, youth in Weld County perceive that the prevalence of binge drinking behavior is much higher than actual reported binge drinking behavior demonstrates. Weld County youth believe that 62.6% of their peers engaged in binge drinking at least once during the last 30 days, whereas 22.5% of Weld County youth reported binge drinking at least once during the last 30 days. Reported perceived binge use decreased significantly between 2010 (68.2%) and 2012 (62.6%). Therefore, the gap between perceived and actual use narrowed in Weld county suggesting that in 2012 youth have a more realistic idea of binge use than they did in

15 Figure 4. Percentage of Weld County youth self-report 30-day binge drinking and perceptions of peer 30-day binge drinking 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Self-Report Binge Drinking Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Perception of Peer Binge Drinking 15

16 Perception of Best Friends Alcohol Use in the Past Year In addition to perception about past month use, youth also reported how many of their four best friends had tried alcohol without their parents knowledge in the past year. Peer use is important to monitor, as it is one of the strongest predictors of youth alcohol use. Youth with peers who drink are much more likely to try alcohol, and to use more alcohol over time, than those whose peers abstain from alcohol. 11 Tables 12 and 13 display the percentage of youth reporting each response, by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. The tables show that 63.8% of Weld County youth reported having at least one best friend who tried alcohol in the past year, and 23.8% reported that all four of their closest friends drank alcohol in the last year. Table 12. Weld County youths perception of best friends alcohol use in past 12 months by race/ethnicity and grade Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year (12 months), how many of your best friends have tried beer, wine, or hard liquor when their parents didn't know about it? Unweighted N: 1338 Response Rate: 97.3% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: None of my friends 36.2% 46.7% 39.1% 31.3% 26.5% 33.8% 43.6% 33.5% 29.4% 27.6% 39.3% 51.3% 46.1% 32.9% 25.8% 1 of my friends 14.7% 14.4% 16.9% 15.6% 12.2% 14.7% 15.6% 20.3% 10.2% 12.1% 14.9% 13.7% 12.5% 20.6% 13.1% 2 of my friends 16.8% 15.5% 16.9% 16.1% 18.9% 17.7% 14.7% 20.0% 15.7% 20.4% 15.2% 14.2% 13.0% 15.9% 17.5% 3 of my friends 8.5% 10.3% 5.7% 5.9% 11.2% 7.7% 9.8% 5.8% 4.6% 9.9% 9.3% 12.0% 5.3% 7.6% 11.2% 4 of my friends 23.8% 13.1% 21.5% 31.1% 31.2% 26.1% 16.2% 20.3% 40.0% 29.9% 21.4% 8.9% 23.0% 22.9% 32.3% Table 13. Weld County youths perception of best friends alcohol use in past 12 months by race/ethnicity and gender Think of your four best friends (the friends you feel closest to). In the past year (12 months), how many of your best friends have tried beer, wine, or hard liquor when their parents didn't know about it? Unweighted N: 1338 Response Rate: 97.3% Unweighted N: None of my friends 36.2% 36.2% 36.3% 33.8% 34.1% 33.4% 39.3% 38.7% 39.9% 1 of my friends 14.7% 14.2% 15.1% 14.7% 14.0% 15.3% 14.9% 14.6% 15.1% 2 of my friends 16.8% 17.6% 16.1% 17.7% 18.7% 16.8% 15.2% 15.4% 14.9% 3 of my friends 8.5% 10.0% 7.0% 7.7% 9.6% 5.8% 9.3% 9.9% 8.6% 4 of my friends 23.8% 22.0% 25.5% 26.1% 23.6% 28.6% 21.4% 21.3% 21.5% 11 Curran, P. J., Stice, E., & Chassin, L. (1997). The relation between adolescent alcohol use and peer alcohol use: A longitudinal random coefficients model. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65,

17 Alcohol-related Risk Behavior This section examines youth reports of the frequency in which they engaged in unsafe alcohol-related risk behaviors. A major cause of unintentional injury and death among Colorado youth is driving after drinking, or riding with another individual who drove after drinking alcohol. 12 In the 2011 State HKCS, nearly 22% of Colorado youth reported that they rode at least one time in the past month with a driver who had been drinking, while a lower percentage (6%) reported that they drove after drinking at least once in the past month. 13 The tables below detail the percentages of youth in Weld County who reported riding in a car with a driver who had been drinking, and driving a car after drinking by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Riding In A Car With A Drinking Driver In 2012, nearly one-fifth of Weld County youth reported that they rode in a car with someone who had been drinking alcohol (18.5%), marking a significant decline from 2010 (24.1%). Table 14. Frequency of times Weld County youth rode in car with driver who was drinking by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, how many times did you ride in a car or other vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol? Unweighted N: 1371 Response Rate: 99.7% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: times 81.5% 86.5% 80.7% 83.7% 74.8% 77.4% 83.1% 78.7% 79.7% 68.5% 85.6% 89.2% 82.3% 88.4% 82.0% 1 time 7.4% 6.9% 9.5% 6.8% 6.5% 8.7% 8.9% 9.3% 9.4% 7.4% 6.5% 6.0% 10.2% 4.1% 5.7% 2 or 3 times 6.7% 4.9% 4.5% 4.6% 12.4% 8.2% 5.5% 5.9% 3.1% 17.4% 5.4% 4.5% 3.7% 6.0% 7.4% 4 or 5 times 1.4% 0.9% 1.2% 0.1% 3.2% 1.7% 0.6% 1.8% 0.0% 4.1% 0.7% 0.3% 0.7% 0.0% 1.6% 6 or more times 3.0% 0.8% 4.0% 4.8% 3.0% 4.0% 1.9% 4.4% 7.7% 2.6% 1.9% 0.0% 3.1% 1.5% 3.2% Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 2011 State Report. df 17

18 Table 15. Frequency of times Weld County youth rode in car with driver who was drinking by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, how many times did you ride in a car or other vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol? Unweighted N: 1371 Response Rate: 99.7% Unweighted N: times 81.5% 81.4% 81.5% 77.4% 80.6% 74.2% 85.6% 82.9% 88.0% 1 time 7.4% 8.0% 6.8% 8.7% 8.6% 8.8% 6.5% 7.6% 5.4% 2 or 3 times 6.7% 6.9% 6.5% 8.2% 8.3% 8.1% 5.4% 6.2% 4.7% 4 or 5 times 1.4% 1.3% 1.5% 1.7% 0.3% 3.0% 0.7% 1.2% 0.2% 6 or more times 3.0% 2.4% 3.6% 4.0% 2.2% 5.8% 1.9% 2.1% 1.7% Driving After Drinking The 2011 statewide HKCS and the 2012 Weld County HKCS convey comparable frequencies of youth driving after drinking. Approximately 9.1% of Weld county youth reported having driven after drinking as compared to 6% reported by Colorado youth in 2011, indicating a need to further focus on articulating the risks of drinking and driving. Table 16. Frequency of times Weld County youth drove a car after drinking by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 30 days, how many times did you drive a car or other vehicle when you had been drinking alcohol? Unweighted N: 1289 Response Rate: 93.7% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: times 90.9% 97.2% 92.7% 88.0% 84.9% 88.8% 95.8% 88.3% 83.2% 86.6% 93.4% 98.8% 96.6% 92.8% 85.0% 1 time 3.1% 0.7% 2.6% 4.4% 5.0% 3.4% 1.3% 3.3% 5.0% 4.1% 2.7% 0.3% 1.6% 4.0% 5.4% 2 or 3 times 2.1% 0.6% 0.8% 3.4% 3.9% 2.5% 1.0% 0.8% 4.8% 3.8% 1.4% 0.4% 0.7% 1.7% 3.0% 4 or 5 times 0.8% 0.5% 0.1% 0.9% 1.7% 1.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.5% 2.6% 0.5% 0.0% 0.3% 0.6% 1.1% 6 or more times 3.1% 1.0% 3.7% 3.3% 4.6% 4.3% 1.9% 7.5% 5.5% 2.9% 1.9% 0.5% 0.8% 1.0% 5.4% Table 17. Frequency of times Weld County youth drove a car after drinking by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 30 days, how many times did you drive a car or other vehicle when you had been drinking alcohol? Unweighted N: 1289 Response Rate: 93.7% Unweighted N: times 90.9% 92.6% 89.2% 88.8% 93.8% 83.4% 93.4% 92.7% 94.1% 1 time 3.1% 3.1% 3.0% 3.4% 3.2% 3.6% 2.7% 3.3% 2.2% 2 or 3 times 2.1% 1.5% 2.7% 2.5% 0.9% 4.3% 1.4% 1.7% 1.2% 4 or 5 times 0.8% 0.6% 1.0% 1.0% 0.0% 2.1% 0.5% 0.7% 0.2% 6 or more times 3.1% 2.1% 4.1% 4.3% 2.2% 6.7% 1.9% 1.5% 2.2% 18

19 Figure 5. Weld County youth prevalence of unsafe alcohol-related behaviors in past 30 days by race/ethnicity and gender 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Rode with Drinking Driver Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Drove After Drinking Perceptions of Harm and Risk of Alcohol Use Survey items in this section measured the extent to which youth perceived frequent alcohol use and binge drinking behavior to be harmful or risky. When youth perceive greater risks and harmful consequences of drinking, they are less likely to engage in regular or binge drinking behavior. 14 Patterns of responses among Weld County youth for daily use and binge use are presented in the tables below by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender

20 Perception of Alcohol Use as Harmful Table 18. Percentage of Weld County youth who perceive daily alcohol use to be risky by race/ethnicity and grade How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day? Unweighted N: 1308 Response Rate: 95.1% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: No risk 9.4% 9.5% 6.8% 12.2% 9.3% 12.1% 12.4% 9.8% 19.1% 8.0% 5.7% 4.5% 3.9% 6.4% 7.8% Slight risk 21.7% 20.9% 21.9% 22.0% 22.1% 19.2% 23.2% 21.6% 13.9% 17.4% 24.1% 21.2% 24.1% 27.1% 24.7% Moderate risk 36.2% 34.7% 36.1% 35.4% 38.7% 35.2% 30.1% 32.6% 35.8% 42.2% 37.1% 37.0% 38.8% 34.9% 37.6% Great risk 32.7% 35.0% 35.2% 30.5% 29.9% 33.5% 34.3% 36.1% 31.1% 32.4% 33.1% 37.3% 33.2% 31.6% 29.9% Table 19. Percentage of Weld County youth who perceive daily alcohol use to be risky by race/ethnicity and gender How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day? Unweighted N: 1308 Response Rate: 95.1% Unweighted N: No risk 9.4% 4.4% 14.3% 12.1% 3.9% 20.3% 5.7% 3.0% 8.0% Slight risk 21.7% 16.8% 26.4% 19.2% 15.8% 22.7% 24.1% 17.7% 29.9% Moderate risk 36.2% 37.3% 35.1% 35.2% 37.2% 33.1% 37.1% 37.8% 36.5% Great risk 32.7% 41.5% 24.3% 33.5% 43.1% 23.9% 33.1% 41.5% 25.6% Perception of Binge Drinking as Harmful Table 20. Percentage of Weld County youth who perceive binge drinking to be risky by race/ethnicity and grade How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways), if they have five or more drinks once or twice each weekend? Unweighted N: 1350 Response Rate: 98.2% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: No risk 9.8% 8.9% 9.3% 11.6% 9.7% 12.0% 13.3% 12.7% 16.4% 6.6% 6.7% 4.6% 5.9% 6.4% 10.0% Slight risk 20.3% 22.8% 18.0% 17.8% 21.8% 20.5% 23.1% 16.2% 19.6% 22.5% 19.6% 21.9% 20.4% 15.9% 19.5% Moderate risk 34.9% 33.3% 32.8% 33.9% 39.2% 33.9% 30.3% 32.6% 27.1% 44.5% 36.6% 35.2% 34.3% 39.6% 37.4% Great risk 35.1% 35.0% 39.9% 36.7% 29.3% 33.6% 33.4% 38.6% 37.0% 26.4% 37.2% 38.3% 39.4% 38.0% 33.2% 20

21 Table 21. Percentage of Weld County youth who perceive binge drinking to be risky by race/ethnicity and gender How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways), if they have five or more drinks once or twice each weekend? Unweighted N: 1350 Response Rate: 98.2% Unweighted N: No risk 9.8% 6.3% 13.2% 12.0% 7.2% 16.9% 6.7% 4.9% 8.3% Slight risk 20.3% 18.7% 21.8% 20.5% 17.9% 23.1% 19.6% 18.6% 20.5% Moderate risk 34.9% 37.1% 32.7% 33.9% 36.7% 31.1% 36.6% 37.5% 35.6% Great risk 35.1% 37.9% 32.3% 33.6% 38.2% 29.0% 37.2% 38.9% 35.6% Overall, 69% of youth in Weld County perceive that regular alcohol use poses moderate risk or great risk of harm and 70% of youth in Weld County perceive that binge drinking poses moderate risk or great risk of harm (see Figure 6). Nearly 10% of youth felt that there is no risk of harm involved in these behaviors. Figure 6. Percentage of Weld County youth who perceive daily drinking and binge drinking to be a moderate risk or great risk 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Risk from 1-2 Drinks Daily Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Risk from Binge Drinking 21

22 Attitudes towards Alcohol Use In this section, youth s reports of their attitudes towards alcohol use, as well as their perceptions of parents and neighbors attitudes, are presented by race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Youth were asked how wrong they think it is for someone their age to drink alcohol, and were also asked how wrong they thought adults in their neighborhood would think it is for someone their age to drink. Youth were also asked how wrong their parents would think it is for them to drink alcohol. Peers and parents are important social influences on youth behavior. As such, parent and peer disapproval of alcohol use can have a protective effect on youth drinking. Research on risk and protective factors associated with teenage drinking indicates that social acceptance by parents and peers, and societal ambivalence regarding drinking behavior can lead to increased rates of youth alcohol use. 15,16 Youth Disapproval of Peer Alcohol Use Table 22. Weld County youth self-reported disapproval of youth alcohol use by race/ethnicity and grade How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1345 Response Rate: 97.8% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: Very wrong 35.9% 46.4% 40.5% 28.9% 26.0% 36.6% 43.0% 46.0% 26.7% 29.6% 35.7% 49.9% 35.8% 31.5% 23.7% Wrong 31.9% 34.0% 31.6% 35.7% 26.7% 30.2% 35.5% 25.2% 37.0% 23.3% 33.3% 33.3% 36.0% 34.9% 29.4% A little bit wrong 23.6% 14.0% 21.9% 24.6% 34.7% 24.1% 13.8% 24.0% 21.4% 37.3% 23.6% 13.3% 21.7% 26.9% 33.7% Not wrong at all 8.6% 5.6% 6.0% 10.8% 12.6% 9.1% 7.7% 4.8% 14.8% 9.8% 7.4% 3.4% 6.5% 6.7% 13.2% Table 23. Weld County youth self-reported disapproval of youth alcohol use by race/ethnicity and gender How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1345 Response Rate: 97.8% Unweighted N: Very wrong 35.9% 38.3% 33.6% 36.6% 40.7% 32.6% 35.7% 37.3% 34.2% Wrong 31.9% 32.5% 31.3% 30.2% 32.4% 27.9% 33.3% 32.4% 34.2% A little bit wrong 23.6% 22.1% 25.0% 24.1% 19.6% 28.5% 23.6% 24.2% 23.1% Not wrong at all 8.6% 7.1% 10.1% 9.1% 7.2% 11.0% 7.4% 6.1% 8.5% 15 Hawkins, J.D., Catalano, R.F., & Miller, J.Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112, McCoy, S. I., Jewell, N. P., Hubbard, A., Gerdts, C. E., Doherty, I. A., Padian, N. S., & Minnis, A. M. (2010). A trajectory analysis of alcohol and marijuana use among Latino adolescents in San Francisco, California. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47(6),

23 Perception of Adult Neighbors Disapproval of Alcohol Use Table 24. Weld County youth perception of adult neighbors disapproval of youth alcohol use by race/ethnicity and grade How wrong would most adults in your neighborhood, or the area around where you live, think it is for kids your age to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1347 Response Rate: 98.0% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: Very wrong 49.9% 57.4% 50.9% 49.4% 41.1% 46.9% 53.6% 50.8% 46.9% 36.5% 52.0% 58.7% 49.1% 52.1% 47.0% Wrong 32.7% 28.3% 32.2% 34.1% 36.8% 33.3% 30.1% 27.9% 34.9% 40.1% 33.8% 29.4% 37.8% 32.8% 35.9% A little bit wrong 12.0% 11.7% 11.1% 9.8% 15.2% 12.5% 11.5% 12.3% 7.5% 17.9% 10.9% 10.9% 10.3% 11.8% 10.4% Not wrong at all 5.4% 2.7% 5.7% 6.6% 6.8% 7.3% 4.7% 9.0% 10.7% 5.5% 3.4% 1.0% 2.7% 3.2% 6.7% Table 25. Weld County youth perception of adult neighbors disapproval of youth alcohol use by race/ethnicity and gender How wrong would most adults in your neighborhood, or the area around where you live, think it is for kids your age to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1347 Response Rate: 98.0% Unweighted N: Very wrong 49.9% 52.4% 47.4% 46.9% 52.1% 41.7% 52.0% 53.2% 50.9% Wrong 32.7% 32.6% 32.9% 33.3% 34.5% 32.1% 33.8% 32.6% 34.9% A little bit wrong 12.0% 10.5% 13.6% 12.5% 7.9% 17.2% 10.9% 10.9% 10.9% Not wrong at all 5.4% 4.5% 6.2% 7.3% 5.6% 9.1% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% As seen in the tables above, 67.8% of youth believe that it is wrong or very wrong for kids their age to drink. A higher percentage of youth (82.6%) perceived that their adult neighbors think it is wrong or very wrong for young people to use alcohol. Both indicators showed a significant increase in perception of disapproval from 2010 (62.6% for peer disapproval and 76.9% for adult disapproval), suggesting a positive shift in social norms. 23

24 Figure 7. Weld County youth disapproval of alcohol use and perception of adult neighbors disapproval of youth alcohol use 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Peers Total Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic White Adult Neighbors Perception of Parents Disapproval of Youth Alcohol Use Table 26. Weld County youth perception of parents disapproval of alcohol use by race/ethnicity and grade How wrong do your parents or guardians feel it would be for you to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1344 Response Rate: 97.7% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: Very wrong 62.4% 72.0% 62.2% 59.9% 54.5% 60.4% 71.2% 59.3% 60.6% 50.2% 64.0% 73.7% 62.4% 59.4% 58.7% Wrong 22.0% 18.2% 22.1% 26.2% 22.6% 21.4% 17.2% 23.6% 21.6% 23.5% 22.6% 17.8% 22.1% 29.5% 22.4% A little bit wrong 11.2% 7.3% 12.0% 8.1% 17.3% 12.6% 8.7% 11.8% 7.3% 21.9% 10.6% 7.4% 13.1% 9.1% 13.1% Not wrong at all 4.3% 2.5% 3.8% 5.8% 5.7% 5.6% 3.0% 5.3% 10.6% 4.3% 2.8% 1.2% 2.4% 2.1% 5.8% 24

25 Table 27. Weld County youth perceptions of parents disapproval of alcohol use by race/ethnicity and gender How wrong do your parents or guardians feel it would be for you to drink alcohol regularly (at least once or twice a month)? Unweighted N: 1344 Response Rate: 97.7% Unweighted N: Very wrong 62.4% 66.4% 58.6% 60.4% 66.5% 54.4% 64.0% 65.6% 62.4% Wrong 22.0% 20.7% 23.3% 21.4% 19.9% 22.9% 22.6% 22.2% 23.0% A little bit wrong 11.2% 9.1% 13.2% 12.6% 9.1% 16.1% 10.6% 9.7% 11.3% Not wrong at all 4.3% 3.8% 4.9% 5.6% 4.5% 6.7% 2.8% 2.4% 3.2% Similar to results found for adult neighbor disapproval, the tables above demonstrate that youth perceive higher rates of disapproval from their parents. The great majority of Weld County youth (84%) perceive that their parents think it is wrong or very wrong for them to drink alcohol. Figure 8. Percentage of Weld County youth who believe their parents think it is wrong or very wrong for them to drink alcohol 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Female Male 30% 20% 10% 0% 25

26 Communication with Parents about Substance Use Studies have shown that parent involvement can reduce the risk of youth alcohol use. 17 When parents are aware of their teen s activities and talk to them about the consequences of alcohol use, they can help them develop strategies to make positive choices and handle risky situations. 18 As seen in the tables below, 46% of Weld County youth reported talking with their parents about alcohol or other substance use risks in the past year, a significant decrease from 2010 (52.8%). While the state social marketing campaign directly calls for more dialogue between parents and youth about alcohol use, data indicate the need to learn more about the reach of the campaign in Weld County. Table 28. Percentage of Weld County youth who talked with parents about substance use in past 12 months by race/ethnicity and grade During the past 12 months, have you talked with at least one of your parents about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use? Unweighted N: 1310 Response Rate: 95.3% Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Total 9th 10th 11th 12th Unweighted N: Yes 45.8% 50.9% 48.5% 45.4% 38.4% 42.5% 50.0% 43.2% 41.4% 35.6% 49.6% 56.2% 51.8% 48.2% 41.7% No 42.7% 35.2% 39.6% 45.4% 51.1% 46.2% 39.5% 44.2% 45.0% 55.6% 39.7% 30.3% 36.7% 45.4% 47.5% Not sure 11.5% 13.9% 11.9% 9.2% 10.5% 11.3% 10.5% 12.6% 13.7% 8.9% 10.7% 13.5% 11.5% 6.4% 10.8% Table 29. Percentage of Weld County youth who talked with parents about substance use in past 12 months by race/ethnicity and gender During the past 12 months, have you talked with at least one of your parents about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use? Unweighted N: 1310 Response Rate: 95.3% Unweighted N: Yes 45.8% 47.3% 44.4% 42.5% 39.6% 45.5% 49.6% 56.1% 43.6% No 42.7% 42.2% 43.1% 46.2% 49.4% 42.9% 39.7% 34.5% 44.5% Not sure 11.5% 10.5% 12.5% 11.3% 11.0% 11.6% 10.7% 9.3% 11.9% Access and Exposure to Alcohol Several survey items assessed Weld County youths perceived ability to obtain alcohol and where they obtained it, and the extent to which sanctions against youth drinking were enforced. Research shows that when there is easy social access (e.g., through peers, parents) and commercial access to alcohol among youth, underage drinking rates are 17 McCoy, S. I., Jewell, N. P., Hubbard, A., Gerdts, C. E., Doherty, I. A., Padian, N. S., & Minnis, A. M. (2010). A trajectory analysis of alcohol and marijuana use among Latino adolescents in San Francisco, California. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47(6),