Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking, in a representative sample of English pupils. MethodData from 13,635 school pupils in the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) on usage of cigarettes from 2004 (typical age 14) to 2006 (age 16) and alcohol from 2004 to 2007 (age 17), analyzed with latent growth curve models. ResultsThe weighted percentage of pupils drinking alcohol increased from 26% at age 14 to 71% by age 17, smoking from 12% to 27% by age 16. Pupils with lower socio-economic status were more likely to smoke but less likely to drink alcohol regularly. Both behaviors were positively correlated at age 14, adjusted for several confounding factors. The rate of increase over time was also positively correlated. ConclusionCigarette smoking and alcohol drinking are already correlated by age 14, are socio-economically patterned, and ‘move together’ during adolescence. Future studies and interventions should be targeted at a younger age range, to identify early smoking and potentially hazardous alcohol drinking patterns.
Highlights
Cigarette smoking in adolescence has been associated with alcohol use both cross-sectionally (NHS Information Centre, 2011) and longitudinally (Donovan, 2004; Mathers et al, 2006)
We evaluated whether different cut points for regular smoking and alcohol drinking influenced the findings
Pupils who reported alcohol use in 2004 had recanting rates of 4.6% in 2005, 2.4% in 2006, and 1.6% in 2007. These pupils were removed from the analysis, resulting in an analytic sample size of 13,635 pupils who had data on covariates and either smoking or alcohol use at least once
Summary
Cigarette smoking in adolescence has been associated with alcohol use both cross-sectionally (NHS Information Centre, 2011) and longitudinally (Donovan, 2004; Mathers et al, 2006). There have been reductions in the overall prevalence of smoking by English school pupils since the mid-1990s (NHS Information Centre, 2011). Factors such as age, sex, parental socio-economic status (SES) and parental educational attainment may influence the onset of smoking and alcohol use. In a cohort of adolescents in the UK (Boyd et al, in press), higher SES was associated with earlier alcohol use, lower SES with earlier smoking and more hazardous alcohol use (Melotti et al, 2011). Evidence for ‘gateway’ effects has acquired mixed support
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
