Contribution of frequency and structured leisure activities features to the alcohol use: perception of adolescents from the northwest county of Croatia

ABSTRACT One of the most important contexts for adolescent development, along with family, school, and community, is leisure. However, leisure time can be associated with risk behaviours such as substance use, as adolescence is also known as a time of experimentation. This study aims to determine the extent to which adolescents’ frequency of participation in structured leisure activities (SLA), perceptions of context, motivational factors, and the experience of participating in SLA contribute to adolescents’ alcohol use (lifetime prevalence, monthly prevalence, binge drinking). Regression analyses were conducted with 1.431 high school students who reported having participated in SLA. This cross-sectional study showed that perceptions of context, motivational factors, and experience of participating in SLA contribute to adolescent alcohol use. The study confirms that leisure context can have a protective effect on the substance use path. The findings may be helpful in developing strategies and interventions within SLA context.