CONTRIBUCIONES DE UN ESTUDIO EMPÍRICO PARA EL ANÁLISIS DE LA PROBLEMÁTICA DEL CONSUMO DE SUSTANCIAS PSICOACTIVAS EN NIÑOS

Se presenta el analisis de los principales resultados de una investigacion UBACYT que indago el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en una poblacion clinica de ninos entre 8 y 12 anos, que recibe asistencia psicologica en un servicio comunitario. Se indago tambien el consumo en los adultos responsables que acompanan a los ninos a la consulta. Asimismo se conformo un grupo control de poblacion no-clinica con ninos de la misma franja etarea que asisten a una escuela publica. Las muestras de poblacion clinica estan conformadas por 55 ninos (17 ninas y 38 ninos) y 55 adultos responsables (47 mujeres y 8 varones). La muestra no-clinica esta conformada por 63 ninos (19 varones y 44 mujeres). Instrumentos: CORIN (Conductas de riesgo en ninos); CEA-N (Cuestionario de Expectativas hacia el Alcohol en Ninos); cuestionario para padres y protocolo de datos sociodemograficos. Resultados: Se registro la presencia del consumo ocasional de alcohol en ambas muestras de ninos. Por su parte, se registraron importantes proporciones de consumo abusivo entre los adultos. Se infiere que el consumo ocasional de alcohol por parte de ninos se asocia a las caracteristicas de su contexto familiar y a los habitos de consumo de sus adultos responsables. Palabras clave Ninos, Alcohol, Familia, Poblacion clinica y no-clinica ABSTRACT CONTRIBUTIONS OF AN EMPIRICAL STUDY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEMS OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES CONSUMPTION IN CHILDREN The study explores the main results of a research UBACYT that investigates the use of psychoactive substances in a clinical population of children between 8 and 12 years of age, receiving psychological assistance in a community service. Consumption was also investigated in the responsible adults accompanying those children. A control group was also formed, consisting of a non-clinical population with children of the same age, attending to a public school. Clinical population samples are composed of 55 children (17 girls and 38 boys ) and 55 responsible adults (47 women and 8 men). The non-clinical sample consisted of 63 children (19 boys and 44 girls) . Instruments: CORIN (Children Risk behavior); CEA -N (Questionnaire of Alcohol Expectancy in Children); parent questionnaire and sociodemographic data protocol. Results: The presence of occasional alcohol consumption in both samples of children was recorded. Meanwhile, significant proportions of alcohol abuse were reported among adults. The study shows that the occasional consumption of alcohol by children is associated with the characteristics of their family background and the consumption habits of the responsible adults. Key words Children, Alcohol, Family, Clinical and non-clinical population