To identify risk factors for alcohol dependence during adolescence.
Integrative review of 21 articles published between 2000 and 2009, captured in the LILACS, BVS, MEDLINE, COCHRANE and IBECS databases, with keywords: adolescence, risk for dependence, and alcohol .
There is evidence that alcohol is the most consumed drug by adolescents, with initiation between 14 and 16 years. Risk factors for dependency are related to early onset of use, media influence, troubled relationship with parents, use by family member, sexual abuse, domestic violence, low self-esteem, curiosity, and peer pressure, among others. The articles pointed to genetic vulnerability to alcohol dependence and controversies in relation to gender and social class.
Health services should incorporate preventive strategies for identifying risk for dependency, control and monitoring specific to the group of dependent adolescents.
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