A Case Control Study on School Dropouts in Children of Alcohol-Dependent Males Versus that in Abstainers/Social Drinkers’ Children

OBJECTIVE: To study and compare in the children of alcohol-dependent males versus those in a socio-demographically similar control group, the occurrence of school dropouts, and to examine the link between certain factors like parental education and socioeconomic status on school dropout. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a community-based case control study. The participants were 107 family units in both study group (alcohol-dependent male, wife, at least one child less than 14 years of age) and control group (abstainer/social drinker, wife, at least one child less than 14 years of age). It was conducted in an urban slum community in Mumbai. Interview technique was used for data collection. The study was conducted for a period of 1 year. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Using software SPSS version 17.0, percentages, Chi-square test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The number of school dropouts was significantly higher (45.31%, P < 0.001) in the children of alcohol-dependent males as compared to 22.47% in the abstainers/social drinkers’ children. In the study group, there was higher number of school dropouts among boys (52.73%, P < 0.05) as compared to girls (35.37%). There was a statistically significant association between parental illiteracy and school dropout in children in both the groups. In the control group, significantly higher number of school dropouts of socioeconomic class IV and V had dropped out as compared to those of socioeconomic class III and II.