Abstract
In adolescence, friends are important due to their influence on the acquisition of habits such as alcohol consumption. However, there is a lack of studies that describe the structural context of adolescents, which would be useful to implement prevention strategies. Therefore, our research question was how adolescent friendship networks influence alcohol consumption. Our goal was to determine the structural profile of adolescent at-risk alcohol users and their relational context in the classroom. We designed a descriptive cross-sectional study based on social network analysis to analyze structural patterns. We recruited 195 students. Social-network and alcohol-consumption variables were analyzed using the UCINET and STATA programs. Some 86.67% of participants had consumed alcohol at some time in their lives and the prevalence of at-risk alcohol use was higher in females (50.48% vs. 49.52%; OR: 1.84; CI 95%: 0.99–3.43%; p = 0.036). The lower the intensity of friendship, the more contacts adolescent at-risk alcohol users had within the network, and the easier it was for them to access their peers. Consequently, we conclude that the structure of a class is a key factor that merits further research.
Highlights
According to the latest study by the World Health Organization (2018), published as part of the global strategy for reducing the harmful use of alcohol in 2018, levels of alcohol consumption have fallen worldwide in recent years
With regard to the association between the consumption of alcohol and other substances, we found a significant relationship between alcohol and tobacco, and between alcohol and cannabis (OR: 4.62; CI 95% 2.40–8.97; p = 0.001)
Our observation of the relationship between alcohol consumption in adolescents and sex is the relationship between alcohol consumption in adolescents and sex is consistent with the findings consistent with the findings reported in Spanish Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction [7], reported in Spanish Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction [7], whereby alcohol consumption whereby alcohol consumption is higher in males than in females, but at-risk use is higher in is higher in males than in females, but at-risk use is higher in females
Summary
According to the latest study by the World Health Organization (2018), published as part of the global strategy for reducing the harmful use of alcohol in 2018, levels of alcohol consumption have fallen worldwide in recent years. Alcohol use continues to present a major public health problem, causing many negative biopsychosocial outcomes in the population [1]. Alcohol consumption can affect any age group, adolescents are vulnerable, since adolescence is a crucial moment of transition from childhood to maturity, which involves many physical, affective, cognitive, and attitudinal changes [3]. Adolescents’ desire to seek new, intense experiences, expand their social networks, establish their independence, and construct their own identity renders them vulnerable to behaviors associated with alcohol consumption [4]. Public Health 2018, 15, 1795; doi:10.3390/ijerph15091795 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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