Abstract
Frequent alcohol use and binge drinking are associated with numerous negative health outcomes. Using data from 17,497 grade 9 to 12 students participating in the COMPASS Study (Year 1), we examined the factors associated with current alcohol use and current binge drinking. Overall, 38.4% of students were considered current alcohol users and 25.5% were current binge drinkers. Tobacco or marijuana use, bullying others, weekly spending money, ethnicity, and grade were associated with increased likelihood of current alcohol use and current binge drinking. It is evident that a substantial number of youth in the Year 1 COMPASS sample report frequently using alcohol and in volumes considered harmful to their health. Considering that numerous risk factors were found to predict alcohol use and binge drinking, future research should evaluate the impact of tailoring interventions to change the modifiable factors associated with high-risk drinking or targeting interventions to at-risk youth.
Highlights
Alcohol use is associated with the leading causes of death among youth [1]
As shown in Model 1 of Table 2, students were more likely to be current alcohol users if they were current smokers, if they were current or non-current marijuana users, if they met the Canadian physical activity guideline, if they had bullied someone else in the past month, if they were in a higher grade, or if they had more weekly spending money
Alcohol use was common among this large sample of underage youth and that the factors associated with current alcohol use were generally the same as those associated with binge drinking
Summary
Alcohol use is associated with the leading causes of death among youth [1]. Evidence suggests alcohol use is very common and more prevalent than other forms of substance use among Canadian youth [2]. In order to develop and appropriately target prevention interventions, it is important to understand the factors associated with high-risk alcohol use. Recent evidence suggests that bullying behaviour is associated with binge drinking among youth [7]. The present brief examines how these factors, when considered concurrently, are associated with current alcohol use and binge drinking among a large sample of underage youth
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