During adolescence, while the body is still in development, alcohol consumption can cause irreversible damages. Well-being and family, social and school environment may influence alcohol consumption among adolescents. According to their gender, they may be more or less receptive to some of these influences. Our aim was to identify potential gender differences in the correlates of alcohol consumption in early adolescence.

Analyses were based on 4,714 10–14-year-old adolescents attending schools in Wallonia, and included in the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) cross-sectional survey. Information were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Alcohol consumption was defined as having drunk at least one day during the last 30 days before the survey. Gender-stratified associations were estimated using multivariable logistic regressions.

Twenty percent of 10–14-year-old adolescents (boys: 21.6%; girls: 18.0%) reported having consumed alcohol during the past month. After adjustment, associations with age, frequency of contacts via social networks and frequency of outings with friends after class hours, were similar in both genders. Adolescents aged 13–14 years (vs. 10–12 years), those who communicated at least every week via social networks (vs. less than once a week) and those who met their friends at least once after class hours (vs. less than once a week) were more likely to consume alcohol.

Boys’ and girls’ 2nd-generation migrants and boys’ 1st-generation migrants (vs. natives) were less likely to have consumed alcohol in the past month. Furthermore, boys and girls with “low” Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and boys from “medium” FAS (vs. “high”) were less likely to have consumed alcohol.

In boys only, school satisfaction was significantly associated with alcohol consumption during the past month (vs. those who liked school a lot: those who liked school a bit (OR = 1.88 [1.13–0.84]) or did not like school very much (OR = 2.20 [1.32–3.66]) or did not like school at all (OR = 2.91 [1.69–5.02]).

In girls, family status (vs. two-parent families: stepfamilies (OR = 1.43 [1.05–1.95])) and life satisfaction (vs. “high”: “low” (OR = 1.63 [1.19–2.26])) were significantly associated with alcohol consumption.

Although both genders share common risk factors (age, peer relationships, migration status and socioeconomic status), some differences have been highlighted. In boys only, school satisfaction was inversely associated with alcohol consumption. High life satisfaction and living in two-parent families seemed to play a protective role in girls only. These results should help better identify adolescents to be targeted in campaigns preventing early alcohol consumption.