Parental alcohol intoxication and adverse health outcomes among offspring. A 4-year follow up HUNT study among 2399 Norwegian adolescents

This study aimed to investigate whether experience of parental alcohol intoxication was associated with adverse health outcomes among adolescents four years later. A population-based Norwegian cohort study of 2399 adolescents who participated in the Young-HUNT1 Survey 1995–97 (T1, 13–15 years old) was followed up four years later (T2) in 2000 (Young-HUNT2, 17–19 years old). Measures were based on adolescent self-report of exposure to parental alcohol intoxication, self-rated general health, mental distress (SCL-5) and lifetime hospital admission. Multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusted for gender, age and parental education were applied. Results show that half of the adolescents (51%) had seen parents intoxicated at age 13–15 years. Four years later, those who had reported parental alcohol intoxication at T1 had increased odds of admission to hospital with odds ratios ranging from OR1.3; CI 1.0–1.7 to OR 2.2; CI 1.3–3.9, poorer self-rated health (odds ratio ranging from 1.8;1.2–2.6 to 2.0;1.1–3.7) and more mental distress (odds ratio ranging from 1.7;1.1–2.5 to 1.9;1.0–3.6). Furthermore, the increased frequency of experience of parental alcohol intoxication are associated with higher prevalence of admission to hospital and mental distress and lower levels of self-rated health. Findings from this large, representative population of Norwegian adolescents indicate that adverse health outcomes among adolescents in a general population are related to relatively common heavy drinking behaviours among parents.