Abstract
ObjectivesTo measure the effects of peer influence and peer selection on drinking behavior in adolescence through a rigorous statistical approach designed to unravel these interrelated processes.MethodsWe conducted systematic searches of electronic databases, thesis collections and conference proceedings to identify studies that used longitudinal network design and stochastic actor-oriented modeling to analyze drinking behavior in adolescents. Parameter estimates collected from individual studies were analyzed using multilevel random-effects models.ResultsWe identified 26 articles eligible for meta-analysis. Meta-analyses for different specifications of the peer influence effect were conducted separately. The peer influence effect was positive for every specification: for average similarity (avSim) mean log odds ratio was 1.27 with 95% confidence interval [0.04; 2.49]; for total similarity (totSim) 0.46 (95% CI = [0.44; 0.48]), and for average alter (avAlt) 0.70 (95% CI = [-0.01; 1.41]). The peer selection effect (simX) was also positive: 0.46 (95% CI = [0.28; 0.63]). Conversion log odds ratio values to Cohen’s d gives estimates from 0.25 to 0.70, which is considered as medium to large effect.ConclusionsAdvances in methodology for social network analysis have made it possible to accurately estimate peer influence effects free from peer selection effects. More research is necessary to clarify the roles of age, gender, and individual susceptibility on the changing behavior of adolescents under the influence of their peers. Understanding the effects of peer influence should inform practitioners and policy makers to design and deliver more effective prevention programs.
Highlights
Alcohol consumption at a young age is a global public health problem that leads to multiple immediate and long-term detrimental consequences [1,2,3,4]
The peer influence effect was positive for every specification: for average similarity mean log odds ratio was 1.27 with 95% confidence interval [0.04; 2.49]; for total similarity 0.46, and for average alter 0.70
Peer relationships constitute a social context in the development of young people; children and teenagers are susceptible to peer influence due to the enormous importance of peers at this developmental stage [8,9,10]
Summary
Alcohol consumption at a young age is a global public health problem that leads to multiple immediate and long-term detrimental consequences [1,2,3,4]. Understanding the factors associated with alcohol consumption is imperative for the development of effective prevention programs. Among the most consistent and important factors related to adolescent drinking are social influences [5,6,7]. Peer relationships constitute a social context in the development of young people; children and teenagers are susceptible to peer influence due to the enormous importance of peers at this developmental stage [8,9,10]. There are two processes that may contribute to this association: social influence, in which a person changes their behavior to be more in line with the behavior of their friends, and social selection, in which people tend to befriend those who engage in similar behaviors. The estimation of influence effects must consider selection effects, and without knowledge of the latter, the effect size of the former cannot be estimated correctly [18, 19]
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