The prevalence of and factors related to alcohol consumption among young people in Thailand: a systematic review of observational studies

Background: The present study aimed to critically review the current evidence for factors associated with alcohol consumption and its prevalence. Method: EBSCOhost (Medline), ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, TCI, and ThaiJO were systematically searched for relevant studies published between January 2000 and December 2018. Studies were included if the prevalence of current alcohol use and/or the factors associated with alcohol consumption among young people 10-24 years-old in Thailand were measured. A modified descriptive study quality appraisal assessment tool was used. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was reported by using the median and interquartile range (IQR). Results: Thirty studies (N = 253,465) were included. The median prevalence rates of alcohol use in the past month were 18.6% (IQR = 13.32) and in the previous year were 19.03% (IQR = 41.25). The factors closely associated with alcohol use among young people were age (15 years of age and older), gender (male), education (attending grade 9 and above), religion (Buddhists). Conclusions: This systematic review provides the prevalence rates and potential circumstances associated with alcohol consumption to guide policy development. More research is needed to gain new insight regarding psychosocial-factors, the role of parental, geographical area, and social media for further studies.