Contextual correlates of the duration of drinking: Confirmation of ethnographic findings with a self-report instrument

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between the number of drinking companions and duration of drinking events with a representative sample of adult current drinkers. The findings indicated that number of companions is significantly related to duration in both public and private settings. Drinking events are of longer duration when two or more persons are present. Age was found to interact with number of companions. Small group size tends to limit duration with young drinkers while larger groups increase duration among the oldest drinkers. These findings support and extend the results of earlier ethnographic studies.