Peer Alcohol Use Research Articles

Perceived peer engagement in HIV-related sexual risk behaviors and self-reported risk-taking among female sex workers in Guangxi, China

Searching for modifiable perceptions that are associated with sexual risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs) are considered a priority in HIV/sexually transmitted disease preventions. Perception of peers' involvement in risk behaviors, a key correlate of individual risk behaviors, has barely been studied among FSWs. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 1022 FSWs in Guangxi, China, a country with rapid growth in both HIV epidemic and commercial sex. Multiple imputation using chained equation (MICE) was applied to handle missing values (1–10%) in the data-set. Regression analysis that focused on relationship between perceived peers' risk involvement and FSWs' risk-taking was performed on full data-sets generated by MICE. FSWs who perceived more peer alcohol use was significantly more likely to have sex under the influence of alcohol. Those who perceived more unprotected sex among peers had a higher likelihood to use condom inconsistently with both stable and casual partners. Perceiving more peers engaging in sex after using alcohol was positively associated with having sex with clients who were intoxicated and/or high on drugs, and with having sex under the influence of alcohol. Perceived peer promiscuity, defined as having sex with any types of clients at any price offered, was positively associated with inconsistent condom use with casual partners, but negatively associated with having sex under the influence of alcohol. These data suggest that the potential for intervention programs to address behavioral change among FSWs through modifying perceptions of peer involvement in sexual risk behaviors. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and qualitative researches will be essential for the clarification of mechanisms behind associations found in the current study and for the actual design of effective norm-based interventions among FSWs.

A feasibility trial to examine the social norms approach for the prevention and reduction of licit and illicit drug use in European University and college students

BackgroundIncorrect perceptions of high rates of peer alcohol and tobacco use are predictive of increased personal use in student populations. Correcting misperceptions by providing feedback has been shown to be an effective intervention for reducing licit drug use. It is currently unknown if social norms interventions are effective in preventing and reducing illicit drug use in European students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of a multi-site cluster controlled trial of a web-based social norms intervention aimed at reducing licit and preventing illicit drug use in European university students.Methods/DesignAn online questionnaire to assess rates of drug use will be developed and translated based on existing social norms surveys. Students from sixteen universities in seven participating European countries will be invited to complete the questionnaire. Both intervention and control sites will be chosen by convenience. In each country, the intervention site will be the university that the local principal investigator is affiliated with. We aim to recruit 1000 students per site (baseline assessment). All participants will complete the online questionnaire at baseline. Baseline data will be used to develop social norms messages that will be included in a web-based intervention. The intervention group will receive individualized social norms feedback. The website will remain online during the following 5 months. After five months, a second survey will be conducted and effects of the intervention on social norms and drug use will be measured in comparison to the control site.DiscussionThis project is the first cross-national European collaboration to investigate the feasibility of a social norms intervention to reduce licit and prevent illicit drug use among European university students.Final trial registration numberDRKS00004375 on the ‘German Clinical Trials Register’.

Parent, sibling and peer associations with subtypes of psychiatric and substance use disorder comorbidity in offspring

BackgroundParental substance use disorder (SUD) is associated with a range of negative offspring outcomes and psychopathology, but the clustering of these outcomes into subtypes has seldom been examined, nor have the familial and environmental contexts of these subtypes been reported. The present study examines the clustering of offspring lifetime substance use and psychiatric disorders into subtypes and characterizes them in terms of familial and non-familial influences using an offspring-of-twins design. MethodTelephone-administered diagnostic interviews were used to collect data on psychiatric disorders and SUD from 488 twin fathers, 420 biological mothers and 831 offspring. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to derive subtypes of lifetime comorbidity in offspring. Familial risk and environmental variables associated with each subtype (i.e., parenting, childhood physical or sexual abuse, perceived sibling and peer substance use) were identified using multinomial logistic regression. ResultsFour classes identified by LCA were characterized as (1) unaffected, (2) alcohol abuse/dependence, (3) alcohol abuse/dependence comorbid with anxiety and depression, and (4) alcohol, cannabis abuse/dependence and nicotine dependence comorbid with conduct disorder. Inconsistent parenting, childhood physical/sexual abuse, and perceived sibling and peer substance use were significantly associated with profiles of offspring comorbidity after adjusting for familial vulnerability. Some associations were specific (i.e., perceived peer alcohol use to the AUD class), while others were general (peer smoking to all 3 comorbidity classes). ConclusionsWe observed distinct subtypes of psychiatric and SUD comorbidity in adolescents and young adults. Subtypes of offspring psychopathology have varied associations with parental psychopathology, family environment, and sibling and peer behaviors.

School Bonding As a Moderator of the Effect of Peer Influences on Alcohol Use Among American Indian Adolescents

Previous research suggests that substance use among American Indian youth is associated with disproportionate rates of morbidity and substance misuse. Additional work to understand risk and protective factors for alcohol use is needed. The current study examined the role of school bonding in buffering the effect of peer alcohol use on a student's own alcohol use among American Indian adolescents. The present study is part of a larger examination of alcohol use among American Indian youth. Survey data were collected from middle and high school students during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years from 37 school districts in the United States. The sample consisted of 2,582 students ages 11-19 years: 1,606 were younger than 16, and 976 were age 16 or older. All students self-identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native. The sample was approximately equally divided by gender (49% male). For all students, peer alcohol use was a risk factor for (a) lifetime alcohol use and (b) level of alcohol use among users. School bonding was associated with a lower likelihood of lifetime alcohol use for adolescents younger than age 16 and a lower level of use among users for all adolescents. School bonding emerged as a protective factor that buffers against peer alcohol use among adolescent alcohol users younger than 16. Results of the study demonstrate the influence of exposure to alcohol-using peers and the protective role of school bonding on alcohol use among American Indian adolescents. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Alcohol Use of African Americans and Whites From Ages 9–20: Descriptive Results From a Longitudinal Study

African American and White youth (N = 405) were assessed annually for 8 years, providing alcohol use data spanning from ages 9–20 years. Alcohol use increased with age, as did binge drinking, drunkenness, peer alcohol use, and ease of obtaining alcohol. At younger ages, the usual alcoholic drink was wine; other drinks were preferred at older ages. Fewer African Americans than Whites reported alcohol use, binge drinking, drunkenness, peer alcohol use, and encouragement of alcohol. These results support and extend previous findings and suggest that contextual influences may help explain alcohol use differences and similarities between African American and White youth.

A Substance Use Survey With Old Order Amish Early Adolescents: Perceptions of Peer Alcohol and Drug Use

Students in a junior high school serving a large Old Order Amish settlement completed a survey of attitudes, opinions, and intentions regarding substance use. A total of 1,031 students participated across a four-year span, approximately equally divided between Amish and non-Amish youths. Amish youths maintain attitudes that suggest perceived greater use of substances by their peers and greater concern about this use; however, they also express the intent to use alcohol and tobacco at a higher rate than non-Amish counterparts. The study addresses implications for interventions among Amish youths as they mature and enter an often culturally sanctioned period of alcohol use.

Exposure to childhood neglect and physical abuse and developmental trajectories of heavy episodic drinking from early adolescence into young adulthood

BackgroundAlthough the literature suggests that childhood maltreatment (CM) relates to adolescent heavy episodic drinking (HED), few studies have examined the long-term effects of CM on adolescent HED. This study is the first to examine associations between exposure to CM and trajectories of HED from adolescence to young adulthood for the US population. MethodsFour waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used. A total of 8503 adolescents followed from adolescence (7th–12th grades) into young adulthood (ages 24–32) were assessed on CM and past-year HED frequency. Using growth curve modeling, trajectories of adolescent HED were examined, with subtype, frequency, and severity of CM as the primary independent variables. All of our analyses controlled for common risk factors for adolescent HED, including demographics, parental and peer alcohol use, parental education and employment, family income, parent–child relationship, and adolescent depression. ResultsAfter controlling for potential risk factors, neglect and physical abuse, both individually and in conjunction, were associated with faster increases in HED during adolescence and persistently elevated HED over much of adolescence and young adulthood. The frequency of neglect and physical abuse, individually and in conjunction, was also associated with the trajectory of HED, such that additional instances of these types of maltreatment were associated with faster increases in HED during adolescence and higher rates of peak use during young adulthood. ConclusionChild neglect and physical abuse appear to have long-lasting adverse effects on HED beyond adolescence and throughout much of young adulthood.

Brief Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Peer Violence and Alcohol Use in Teens: One-Year Follow-up

Brief Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Peer Violence and Alcohol Use in Teens: One-Year Follow-up

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Aggression in a Longitudinal Sample of High-Risk, Urban Youth

To estimate trajectories of aggression among African Americans and Hispanics using a longitudinal sample of urban adolescents, and test multiple domains of risk factors to differentiate profiles of aggression. Participants included 3,038 adolescents followed from sixth to eighth grade. Trajectories of aggression were estimated for African Americans and Hispanics separately, and multinomial regression procedures were used to evaluate the effect of multiple domains of risk and protective factors. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the indirect effects of contextual variables on aggression. Four profiles of aggression were identified. Among Hispanics, groups included: (1) low-aggression, (2) desistors, (3) escalators, and (4) consistent aggression; among African Americans: (1) low-aggression, (2) escalators, (3) moderate-consistent aggression, and (4) consistent aggression. Differences in the multiple domains of risk factors emerged between racial/ethnic groups. Contextual variables (peer alcohol use, adult alcohol consumption, and access to alcohol at home) increased risk for aggression differentially by racial/ethnic group.

Risk and Protective Factors for Trajectories of Violent Delinquency Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Early Adolescents

To estimate trajectories of violence using a longitudinal sample of adolescents, considering the effects of multiple domains of influences as differentiators between profiles of violent behavior. A nationally representative sample of 9,421 adolescents ages 15-26. Trajectories were estimated, and multinomial regression procedures were used to evaluate factors predicting membership in high-violence trajectory groups. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the mediated effect of distal influences on violence. Three groups of violence trajectories were identified: (a) nonviolent (73.1%); (b) escalators (14.6%); and (c) desistors (12.3%). Peer alcohol use predicted both escalation and desistance; however, these effects were mediated through individual-level variables. Aside from baseline violence, no other risk factor predicted membership in the "escalator" group. The lack of significance in predicting escalation highlights the need for further study on the etiology of late onset violence. Implications for violence prevention are discussed.

Very young adolescents and alcohol: Evidence of a unique susceptibility to peer alcohol use

AimThe aim of this study is to examine the susceptibility of very young adolescents (10–12years of age) to peer alcohol-related influences, compared to older adolescents (13–14years of age). MethodsThe analysis sample consisted of 7064 adolescents in grade 6 (modal age 11) or grade 8 (modal age 13) from 231 schools in 30 communities across three Australian States. Key measures were adolescent reports of alcohol use (past 30days) and the number of peers who consume alcohol without their parent's awareness. Control variables included parent alcohol use, family relationship quality, pubertal advancement, school connectedness, sensation seeking, depression, length of time in high school, as well as age, gender, father/mother education, and language spoken at home. A multi-level model of alcohol use was used to account for school-level clustering on the dependent variable. ResultsFor both groups, the number of peers who consumed alcohol was associated with alcohol use, but Grade 6 students showed a unique susceptibility to peripheral involvement with peer drinking networks (having one friend who consumed alcohol). ConclusionThe results point to the importance of monitoring and responding to comparatively minor shifts in the proportion of peers who use alcohol, particularly among very young adolescents.

Alcohol-related sexual consequences during the transition from high school to college

Alcohol use and risky sexual behavior are significant problems on college campuses. Using a prospective design, the present study sought to explore the relationship between alcohol use and experience of alcohol-related sexual consequences (ARSC) during the transition from high school to the first year of college. During the senior year of high school, and following the first year of college, participants completed assessments of alcohol use, problem drinking behavior, ARSC, and potential influences on drinking behaviors, including parental knowledge of alcohol use, peer influences, motivation for alcohol use, and mood state. Data indicated that 29% of men and 35% of women indicated some form of ARSC during the last year of high school, rates that increased by 6–7% for the first year of college (36% of men and 41% of women). The onset or recurrence of ARSC in college was not explained by differential increases in alcohol use between high school and college. Low levels of positive affect, low motivation to consume alcohol to cope, and high levels of peer alcohol use were associated with repeated ARSC in high school and college; whereas drinking to enhance positive affect and low parental knowledge of alcohol use were associated with the onset of such consequences in college. Implications for intervention are discussed.

The Role of Attitudes, Family, Peer and School on Alcohol Use, Rule Breaking and Aggressive Behavior in Hispanic Delinquent Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine ecodevelopmental risk factors associated with alcohol uses, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors among Hispanic delinquent adolescents. Specifically, this study tests the effect of attitudes, family, peer, and school bonding on alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors in Hispanic delinquent youth. METHODS: A sample of 235 heterogeneous Hispanic delinquent adolescents was recruited through referrals from the Miami-Dade County's Department of Juvenile Services and from the Miami-Dade County Public School system. Logistic regression methods were utilized to examine the independent effect of each risk factor (attitudes, family, peer, school) and to determine the extent to which these factors are associated with alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors. RESULTS: Family functioning was inversely and significantly related to past 90-day alcohol use in univariate regression (β = -.24, p = .035) but was not significant in multiple regression (β = -0.09, p = .556). Peer alcohol use (β = 2.02, p<0.001) and poor alcohol attitudes (β =0.59, p=0.006) were positively and significantly related to past 90-day alcohol use in the final model. Poor alcohol attitudes, family functioning, peer alcohol use, and school bonding were all significantly related to both rule breaking and aggressive behaviors in the final model. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of identifying risk factors at multiple levels to prevent/reduce alcohol use, rule breaking and aggressive behaviors among Hispanic delinquent youth.

Alcohol Use Among Asian American Adolescent Girls: The Impact of Immigrant Generation Status and Family Relationships

Underage drinking among Asian American adolescent girls is not well understood. Based on family interaction theory, the study examined the interrelationships among acculturation variables, family relationships, girls’ depressed mood, peer alcohol use, and girls’ alcohol use in a sample of 130 Asian American mother–daughter dyads. The mediating role of family relationships, girls’ depressed mood, and peer alcohol use on girls’ drinking was also assessed. The study advances knowledge related to alcohol use among early Asian American adolescent girls, highlights the effect of immigrant generation status and family relationships, and has implications for culturally specific underage drinking prevention programs.

The Influence of Alcohol-Related Cognitions on Personality-Based Risk for Alcohol Use During Adolescence

This study examines whether expectancies about the impact of not drinking or reducing alcohol use and perceptions of peer alcohol use partially mediated risk incurred by sensation seeking for adolescent alcohol involvement. High school drinkers (N = 3,153) completed a survey assessing substance use, sensation seeking, perceived peer alcohol use, and non-drinking expectancies. Single and multiple mediation models were used to estimate the size of the mediated effect. Participants' expectations about the consequences of not drinking explained a substantial portion of the relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol use for both males and females (43.9% and 22.7%, respectively). Perceived peer alcohol use was also relevant to this link for females (8.4%). The role of these potentially malleable cognitive processes in adolescent decision making regarding alcohol use have direct prevention and intervention implications for helping to reduce risky alcohol use among high-risk adolescents.

The role of parental alcohol consumption on driving under the influence of alcohol: Results from a longitudinal, nationally representative sample

PurposeMany studies have examined the role of peer and parental alcohol use on drinking behaviors among adolescents. Few studies, however, have examined parental influences on driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. The current study uses data from a longitudinal study to examine the role of parental alcohol use during adolescence on the risk for DUI among young adult men and women. MethodsData were derived from 9559 adolescents and young adults who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Waves I and III. Survey logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between multilevel risk and protective factors and self-reported DUI. Analyses were stratified by gender and frequency of parental alcohol consumption to understand the role of parental alcohol use on risk for DUI among their youth. ResultsRisk and protective factors for DUI were very similar among men and women. Parental alcohol use significantly predicted DUI among women (OR=1.39, p<0.01) and men (OR=1.33, p<0.05). When parents did not report alcohol use, peer alcohol use significantly increased risk for DUI for both women (OR=1.26, p<0.05) and men (OR=1.31, p<0.001). When parents reported alcohol use, however, peer alcohol use was not a significant independent predictor. ConclusionsFindings suggest remarkable similarities in risk and protective factors for DUI across gender groups. For men and women, parental alcohol consumption was a risk factor for DUI. Peers’ alcohol use predicted DUI only when parents did not use alcohol.

Neighborhood Variation in Adolescent Alcohol Use: Examination of Socioecological and Social Disorganization Theories

Risk factors for adolescent alcohol use are typically conceptualized as individual and interpersonal level factors; however, these factors do not fully explain adolescent drinking behavior. We used a socioecological model to examine the contribution of neighborhood factors in a risk and promotive model of adolescent alcohol use among urban high school youth (N = 711; 52% female; 82% African American; M = 18 years old). Using a multilevel model, we considered the role of neighborhood disadvantage on youth alcohol use, after accounting for risk (e.g., peer and parental substance use) and promotive factors (e.g., social support and participation in prosocial activities). Peer alcohol use and peer support were associated with more alcohol use, and maternal support was negatively associated with alcohol use. Despite significant variation at the neighborhood level, neighborhood disadvantage was not directly associated with adolescent drinking. Our study contributes to a mixed body of literature on social context and adolescent health. Although our research highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships, we found no support for neighborhood influences. We conclude with future directions for research examining the link between adolescent drinking and neighborhood contexts.

A Multi-Level Approach to Investigating Neighborhood Effects on Physical Aggression among Urban Chicago Youth

The current study evaluates neighborhood effects, individual-level effects, and demographic characteristics that influence physically aggressive behavior among urban youth. Using data derived from 5,812 adolescents from Project Northland Chicago (PNC) and Heirarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) techniques, the results suggested that neighborhood problems significantly predicted physical aggression, before and after adjustment for individual-level risk factors (alcohol use, peer alcohol use, lack of adult supervision, and depression) and demographics. After accounting for baseline physical aggression, however, neighborhood problems were no longer a significant predictor of physical aggression. Implications for intervention at both the neighborhood and individual-level and study limitations are also discussed.

Family Relationship Quality and Early Alcohol Use: Evidence for Gender-Specific Risk Processes

Family characteristics (relationship quality, parental behaviors, and attitudes relating to alcohol use) are known to influence alcohol use in the mid-teen years, and there is evidence that family characteristics have different influences on mid-teen girls versus boys. This study examined child gender differences in the association of family relationship quality, parental disapproval of children's alcohol use, and parental alcohol use with early adolescent alcohol use. Grade 6 and 8 students (modal age 11 and 13, respectively; N = 6,837; 52.6% female) were recruited from 231 schools across three Australian states. Hypotheses were tested using two-level ordinal logistic regression (individuals nested within schools). The main dependent measure was lifetime frequency of early adolescent alcohol consumption. Independent variables included mother's/father's alcohol use, closeness, conflict, and disapproval of adolescent alcohol use. Control variables included sensation seeking, peer alcohol use, and socioeconomic disadvantage. The key findings were that for the young age group (Grade 6), emotional closeness to the parent of the opposite sex was protective. Family conflict was associated with females' drinking in both age groups but not males' drinking. There was evidence of gender differences in the epidemiology of family relationship quality and early alcohol use. Social developmental models may need revision to account for these child gender differences. Gender-specific family dynamics may be an important consideration for family-oriented prevention strategy.

Investigating ethnic differences in adolescent alcohol use and peer norms using semi-continuous latent growth models.

To investigate whether ethnic differences in vulnerability to peer norms supportive of alcohol use is a viable, partial explanation for the ethnic differences in reported prevalence and amount of alcohol use during high school. Survey data from a sample of 680 adolescents from Project STAR (Students Taught Awareness and Resistance) of the Midwestern Prevention Project were used. Hypotheses were tested using sequential, semi-continuous growth curve models. Relative to Black adolescents, White adolescents reported greater peer alcohol use during middle school and were much more likely to consume alcohol during high school. General peer norms in seventh grade and middle school growth in alcohol use norms among close friends was predictive of a greater propensity to consume alcohol in ninth grade among White adolescents. Lower peer norms for alcohol use among Black adolescents might better account for differences between Black and White adolescents than the possibility that White adolescents are more vulnerable to peer norms.