The theory
states that environmental, personal and behavioral characteristics contribute
to sustained healthful behavior. Environmental characteristics include
modeling, social support and opportunity, which lead to questions about
family, peer and media alcohol use, parents' acceptability of the behavior
by the child, and whether alcohol was easy to obtain, either at home or
elsewhere. Personal characteristics relate to individual differences regarding
beliefs and attitudes about the behavior. Items about beliefs associating
alcohol use with health, and general attitudes about how alcohol use can
affect responsibility, such as academic performance, were generated in this
domain. Behavioral characteristics address behavior directly, so children
were asked about their experience with alcohol, such as use/nonuse, frequency,
age of first experience, and with whom.