Heavy drinking and patterns of sociability at the end of adolescence: a French survey

Abstract

Many alcohol-related problems at adolescence occur during or as a result of peer-oriented activities, so it is necessary to understand how drinking habits are embedded in sociability and lifestyle. to study patterns of peer-oriented activities among heavy drinkers, and to investigate factors associated with these patterns. A national random sample of 13,623 French adolescents aged 17-18 years, and a subgroup of 762 heavy drinkers (reporting either 20 drinking occasions or more during the prior 30 days, or 20 episodes of drunkenness or more during the previous 12 months). Respondents answered to a self-administered closed-ended questionnaire. Questions on peer-oriented activities were used for conducting a cluster analysis among heavy drinkers. Logistic regressions were used for studying factors associated with the resulting clusters. Among heavy drinkers the dominant pattern was characterized by the combination of heavy drinking and peer-oriented activities. But in two other profiles heavy drinking was associated with either strong involvement in formal sporting practice or low participation in peer-oriented activities. The expected relationship between heavy drinking, mood disorders, other drug use, violence and victimization depended on which pattern was considered. The strong links observed between drinking habits and sociability underline the need to counteract the social acceptability of drinking and focus on the social contexts in which it occurs, but preventive action programs should also take into account the diversity of sociability patterns among heavy drinkers.