Analysis of alcohol exposure in secondary school students in Zhejiang

Objective　To determine the alcohol exposure in middle school students in Zhejiang province, providing evidence for drinking control and health education. Methods　The multi-stage random cluster sampling method was employed and self-administered questionnaires were delivered to all junior and senior students of 249 classes from 221 schools in 30 counties in Zhejiang province. The questionnaire-based investigation was completed in the classroom under strict quality control. Results　A total of 11 638 valid questionnaires were retrieved with the qualification rate of 99.88%. It was shown that 7326 subjects had been drinking alcohol with the proportion of 62.95%; (67.14% for urban areas, significantly higher than 60.33% for rural areas). 70.71% male versus 54.93% female students had alcohol exposure. A total of 3198 subjects had drinking habits for the moment with the proportion of 27.48% (31.66% for urban areas and 24.87% for rural areas), of which 32.94% were male and 21.84% were female. 23.91% respondents had drunk experience at least once. Conclusion　Prevalent alcohol exposure was shown among secondary school students in Zhejiang province. Therefore, strengthened health education is vital to aggressive and effective control.