Factors related to adolescent drinking in Appalachia.
To examine the relationships among parental monitoring, perceptions of peer drinking, and adolescent alcohol consumption. Tenth- and 12th-grade students (N=648) in a rural, Appalachian county were surveyed. A binomial logistic regression revealed a composite of those who had perceptions that many peers drank, low parental monitoring, and no biological male guardian in the home were 8.496 times more likely to have ever been drunk. Other characteristics resulted in lower odds. Parental monitoring and perceptions of peer drinking were important predictors of drinking in this rural sample. Prevention efforts in school and at home should address both variables.