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A Cross-National Critical Comparison and Analysis of Preventive Intervention Paths for Adolescent Alcohol Use: The Case of the United States and Brazil
This study focuses on the United States and Brazil, employing a literature review and comparative analysis method to systematically compare the prevalence, influencing factors, harms, and prevention policies of alcohol use among adolescents in both countries, revealing commonalities and differences, and providing a basis for global adolescent alcohol intervention strategies. The results show that the rate of alcohol consumption among American teenagers has declined and that their policies are mature, with harms primarily involving psychological and behavioural problems, although there is still a risk of underage abuse; in Brazil, alcohol consumption remains high and is increasingly prevalent among younger age groups, where policies are weak, the proportion of female drinkers is rising, and harms mainly involve acute fatal injuries. The common risk factors for the two countries are psychological problems and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), with significant differences in socioeconomics, policy regulation, alcohol availability and high-risk populations. Adolescents’ alcohol prevention and control should be tailored to local conditions. Low- and middle-income countries should strengthen early prevention, improve regulation, and focus on vulnerable groups, while developed countries need to precisely intervene with high-risk groups, optimise policy evaluation, and enhance the refinement of prevention and control.
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Supporting Agencies
- Funding: This research received no external funding.