Modelo de predisposición adquirida para el uso de alcohol en adolescentes argentinos

The acquired preparedness model was examined in a sample of Argentinian adolescents. This model suggests that disinhibition has an indirect effect, through cognitive variables, on alcohol consumption. A sample of 343 adolescents from the city of Cordoba (Argentina) from public secondary education schools took part in the study. Standardised measurements were used to assess impulsivity, alcohol expectancies, social norms of alcohol drinking, and drinking patterns. A path analysis was conducted to determine the effect of these variables on quantity of alcohol consumption. Two theoretical models, that differed in the inclusion — or not — of social norms of alcohol drinking, were evaluated. The results, according to the acquired preparedness model, indicate that impulsivity influences alcohol consumption through alcohol expectancies. The model that incorporates the effect of social norms of alcohol drinking showed an excellent fit to the data. This study — the first in Argentina that evaluates this model — emphasises the usefulness of addressing impulse control and alcohol expectancies when developing interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption.