Effect of Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Use in Mexican Municipalities on Early Childhood Development

One of the most critical time periods in childhood is from birth to five years of age. Children exposed to alcohol and/or tobacco via family members and neighborhood are at risk for childhood developmental delays. This study evaluated the association of early childhood development with the prevalence of alcohol consumption and tobacco use in Mexican municipalities. This is a cross-sectional study. Early childhood development information from 2,345 children aged from 36 to 59 months was obtained from the 2015 Mexican National Survey of Boys, Girls, and Women (ENIM). Data on alcohol consumption and tobacco use come from the 2016 Mexican National Survey on Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Consumption (ENCODAT). Multilevel logistic models were fitted to evaluate the association of the prevalence of alcohol consumption and tobacco use with the inadequacy of early childhood development. Children living in municipalities with high prevalence of alcohol consumption (OR = 13.410; 95%CI: 2.986; 60.240) and tobacco use (OR = 15.080; 95%CI: 2.040; 111.400) were less likely to be developmentally on track regarding early childhood development after adjustment for individual variables related to the child's development and other environmental variables at municipal level. Childhood exposure to alcohol and tobacco in the neighborhood may directly contribute to inadequate early childhood development. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need to develop effective interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and tobacco use in municipalities to ensure adequate early childhood development.