Mom's Perceptions May Steer Child's Alcohol Use

Mom's Perceptions May Steer Child's Alcohol Use

Friday, September 26, 2008

An Iowa State University research team released unexpected results after concluding a three-year study of mothers and their connection to their children's alcohol habits. "When mothers overestimated their teens' future use of alcohol, the teens developed the self-view that they were likely to drink alcohol in the future, which ultimately led them to drink more," said Stephanie Madon, the lead author of the study. The researchers also want to emphasize that teaching kids that adolescent drinking is unacceptable still continues to have a positive effect on their choices later on. "The more acceptable teens believed adolescent alcohol use was, the more alcohol they tended to drink themselves," Madon said.

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