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Parents who drink alcohol can influence their children both directly and indirectly about their perceptions to drinking according to a new study, and so they have been advised to curtail or even stop drinking.

Researchers looked at data from 4,731 adolescents and their parents through a Finnish-based population and found that while monitoring and discipline played the strongest role in children's behaviours, the magnitude of this effect was strongest in children's early years as opposed to older youths.

Michael Windle, Rollins Professor and chair of the department of behavioral sciences and health education at Emory University, said the findings were important because they showed that parents were more influential to children in their younger years, while a teen's peers had more power on their choices when they were older.

"This awareness may be viewed as an empowering finding for parents; and ideally, parents in need will be proactive and seek assistance to reduce their own drinking behaviour and/or strengthen their parenting skills," he said.

Article published on 07/02/2008 by DryOutNow.com

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