Intervención educativa en las prácticas sobre consumo de alcohol en estudiantes adolescentes en Santiago

Introduction: Alcohol consumption and abuse are associated with various complications such as respiratory depression, traffic accidents, liver diseases, and neurocognitive disorders. Multiple studies have evidenced its prevalent use among the adolescent population, with the Dominican Republic ranking sixth in Latin America regarding alcohol consumption among 14 to 29-year-olds, according to studies conducted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Objective: To determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention on alcohol consumption practices among adolescent students in the province of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Methods: A pre-experimental study will be conducted using primary sources from February to May 2021 in the Liceo Profesor Altagracia de Gutiérrez in the province of Santiago de los Caballeros. The general population will comprise 431 adolescent students, aged 11 to 19 years, obtained through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Results: 53.4% of students report having consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, with 45.5% of them trying it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17. According to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), 96.5% of adolescents have a low risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: The data obtained was controversial compared to previous literature. Despite not presenting statistically significant results, the variable of religion was the only one that yielded similar results to previous studies.