Predictors of fighting attributed to alcohol use among adolescent drinkers

Binge drinking and violence in the transition to adulthood

We analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to test the hypothesis that binge drinking, rather than frequency of any drinking, would predict violent behavior in the transition from adolescence to adulthood (TAA). In conservative models, accounting for a host of factors relevant to the TAA, we find that binge drinking, but not frequency of drinking, is associated with violent behavior. The models included a control for nonviolent offending, conforming to studies of the "differential etiology of violence" thesis. In addition, we tested whether this association fell away among participants over the age of 21 and found that underage status did not mediate the association between binge drinking and violent behavior.

Associations between solitary drinking and increased alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and drinking to cope motives in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Emerging evidence suggests that solitary drinking may be an important early risk marker for alcohol use disorder. The current paper is the first meta-analysis and systematic review on adolescent and young adult solitary drinking to examine associations between solitary drinking and increased alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and drinking to cope motives.

METHODS

PsychINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology and a pre-registered International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) protocol (no. CRD42020143449). Data from self-report questionnaires regarding negative correlates of solitary drinking (e.g. alcohol problems) and solitary drinking motives (e.g. drinking to cope) were pooled across studies using random-effects models. Studies included adolescents (aged 12-18 years) and young adults (mean age between 18 and 30 years or samples with the majority of participants aged 30 years or younger).

RESULTS

Meta-analytical results from 21 unique samples including 28,372 participants showed significant effects for the associations between solitary drinking and the following factors: increased alcohol consumption, r = 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.12, 0.33; drinking problems, r = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.32; negative affect, r = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.26; social discomfort, r = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.27; negative reinforcement, r = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.31; and positive reinforcement, r = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.17. These associations were not moderated by age group (i.e. adolescent versus young adult), study quality, or differing solitary drinking definitions. Accounting for publication bias increased the effect sizes from r = 0.23 to 0.34 for alcohol consumption and from r = 0.23 to 0.30 for drinking problems, and lowered it from r = 0.10 to 0.06 and r = 0.17 to 0.11 for positive reinforcement and social discomfort, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Solitary drinking among adolescents and young adults appears to be associated with psychosocial/alcohol problems and drinking to cope motives.

Change in the Relationship Between Drinking Alcohol and Risk of Violence Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study

AIMS

To quantify the relationship between alcohol and violence with increasing age.

METHODS

Data were from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health) of 20,386 people representative of the US population. Mean age at the first wave of interviews was 16.2 years, with subsequent interviews mean of 1, 6.3 and 12.9 years later. We used random-effects models and predictive marginal effects of the association between varying quantities of alcohol consumption and violence while controlling for possible confounders.

RESULTS

Violence was reported by 19.1% of participants at wave I but just 2.1% at wave IV. The random-effects model showed that consuming 1-4 drinks on each occasion was associated with a modest increase in risk of violence in both males (odds ratio (OR) 1.36, 95% CI 1.13-1.63) and females (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.72). For consumption of five or more drinks on each occasion, the risk remained similar for females (OR 1.40 (0.99-1.97)) but increased considerably for males (OR 2.41 (1.96-2.95)). Predictive marginal effects models confirmed that violence rates decreased with age.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol is most strongly linked to violence among adolescents, so programmes for primary prevention of alcohol-related violence are best targeted towards this age group, particularly males who engage in heavy episodic drinking.

Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

This paper examines problem drinking, alcohol-related violence, and homelessness among youth living in the slums of Kampala—an understudied population at high-risk for both alcohol use and violence. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014 with youth living in the slums and streets of Kampala, Uganda (n = 1134), who were attending Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in centers. The analyses for this paper were restricted to youth who reported current alcohol consumption (n = 346). Problem drinking patterns were assessed among youth involved in alcohol-related violence. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine the impact of homelessness on alcohol-related violence through different measures of problem drinking. Nearly 46% of youth who consumed alcohol were involved in alcohol-related violence. Problem drinkers were more likely to report getting in an accident (χ² = 6.8, df = 1, p = 0.009), having serious problems with parents (χ² = 21.1, df = 1, p < 0.0001) and friends (χ² = 18.2, df = 1, p < 0.0001), being a victim of robbery (χ² = 8.8, df = 1, p = 0.003), and going to a hospital (χ² = 15.6, df = 1, p < 0.0001). For the mediation analyses, statistically significant models were observed for frequent drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness. Interventions should focus on delaying and reducing alcohol use in this high-risk population.

[Alcohol consumption and physical violence among adolescents: which is the predictor?]

The scope of this integrative review was to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and physical violence in the literature, with an emphasis on identifying the predictor between them. A search was conducted in the Lilacs, Medline and SciELO databases, adopting "violence," "alcohool drinking" and "adolescent" as descriptors. It included articles published between 2005 and 2014 that analyzed the association between alcohol consumption and physical violence using multivariate analysis. Of the total of 1667 articles located, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Alcohol consumption was investigated more as a predictor of involvement in physical violence when the teenager is the perpetrator or the victim of violence, with a significant association found in 19 studies. However, when victimization was investigated as a predictor (7 studies), most of these (6) revealed no significant association with the intake of alcoholic beverages. The consumption of alcohol has proven to be the predictor of physical violence for both the teen perpetrator and for the adolescent victim of violence. However, having been the victim of violence in childhood and adolescence may also lead adolescents to alcohol consumption.

Tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in South Africa: shared and unshared risks

OBJECTIVE

Tobacco and alcohol use by adolescents are major public health concerns in South Africa. However, the extent to which key psychosocial risk factors for tobacco use and alcohol use by adolescents in South Africa are shared or unshared is unclear. This study sought to examine the shared and unshared risk factors for tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in Johannesburg.

METHOD

Participants comprised 736 males and females aged 12-17 years who were recruited via a household survey conducted during 2004. The participants were interviewed using a questionnaire comprising measures of personal, family (parental bonding and family legal drug use) and contextual (school and neighbourhood) factors. Separate multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict lifetime alcohol use and lifetime tobacco use from variables within each domain (personal, family and contextual), controlling for demographic factors.

RESULTS

Personal, family (parental bonding) and contextual factors (school factors) were primarily shared risk factors for tobacco and alcohol use, while family legal drug use and neighbourhood factors were largely unshared.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions addressing personal, parenting and schooling factors are likely to have an impact on preventing both tobacco and alcohol use, whereas interventions focused on ameliorating family drug use and neighbourhood factors may need to be more substance-specific.

Tobacco use among 10th grade students in Istanbul and related variables

Aim of this study was to determine prevalence of cigarette smoking and hookah use among 10th grade students in Istanbul, Turkey, and to compare sociodemographic, psychological and behavioral variables according to frequency of tobacco use. Cross-sectional online self-report survey conducted in 45 schools from the 15 districts in Istanbul/Turkey. The questionnaire included sections about demographic data, family characteristics, school life, psychological symptoms and use of substances including tobacco, hookah, alcohol, marijuana, volatiles, heroin, cocaine, non-prescribed legal tranquillizers (benzodiazepines, alprazolam etc.) and illegal tranquillizers (flunitrazepam). The analyses were conducted based on the 4957 subjects. Trial at least once in life is observed as 45.4% for hookah use and as 24.4% for cigarette use. Risk of hookah and cigarette use was significantly higher in male students than in female students. Frequency of tobacco use is related with various sociodemographic, psychological and behavioral variables. Our data also shows that using tobacco and alcohol increases the risk of all the other substances use and these effects are interrelated. The data suggest that there is a link between tobacco use and substance use, psychological, behavioral and social factors. There is also a strong association between tobacco use and suicidal behavior as well as self-mutilative, impulsive, hyperactive, delinquent, aggressive and behavioral problems. The illumination of these relationships may be relevant in prevention and management of tobacco use as well as important problems, such as substance use, impulsivity, hyperactivity, delinquent, aggressive self-mutilative and suicidal behavior among 10th grade students in Istanbul.

Alcohol and Other Drug Use in Middle School: The Interplay of Gender, Peer Victimization, and Supportive Social Relationships

The current study examined the impact of supportive social relationships (i.e., teacher support, adult support, school relatedness) and peer victimization on middle school students' substance use. Over 3,000 middle school students reported on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, supportive social relationships, and instances in which they were the victim of aggressive behavior. Mixed-effects logit regression analyses revealed complementary patterns of results across types of substances. Students who perceived high levels of social support were less likely to report alcohol and drug use initiation, particularly at low levels of peer victimization. Gender moderated the negative effect of peer victimization, with highly victimized boys most likely to report alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Results indicated a complex interplay of social influences and moderating variables in predicting early onset alcohol and other drug use, one that researchers should consider when studying adolescents' decisions to use alcohol and other drugs.

The association between sports participation, alcohol use and aggression and violence: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To review the current research on alcohol-related violence and sports participation.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to identify relevant studies for inclusion. A search of six databases (EBSCOhost) was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 6890 studies was were identified in the initial search. Of these, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were from the US (n=10) and focused on collegiate athletes (n=7), adolescents (n=3), professional/former professional athletes (n=1).

CONCLUSION

The reviewed research indicates higher rates of alcohol use and violence in athlete populations when compared against non-athlete populations. Masculinity, violent social identity and antisocial norms connected to certain sports stand out as potential factors that may impact the association between sport and violence in athlete populations.

The relationship between substance use and delinquency among high-school students in Cape Town, South Africa

Research has shown a positive relationship between substance use and delinquent-type behaviours among adolescents. The aim of this study is to explore the temporal relationships between these outcomes through secondary data analysis of a longitudinal study of high-school students' risk behaviours. Two regression models were compared and gender, socioeconomic status and repeating a grade were found to be consistent predictors of delinquent-type behaviour. Alcohol (OR: 1.26, CI: 1.02-1.55, p = 0.03) and drug use (OR: 1.10, CI: 1.03-1.16, p = 0.002) in the ordinal regression models were significantly associated with delinquent-type behaviours at Time 2 only. A transition model use was then used to measure delinquent-type behaviours as predicted by the previous time period, and results indicated that gender and delinquency were predictive of delinquency. Smoking also significantly interacted with delinquent-type behaviour to increase future risk of this behaviour. The findings point to the need for intervening early with adolescents who show delinquent-type behaviour.

Drinking style and dating violence in a sample of urban, alcohol-using youth

OBJECTIVE

This study examined childhood abuse, problem behavior, drinking style, and dating violence (DV). Our goal was to assess whether (a) alcohol use-related beliefs and behaviors ("drinking style") would be associated with DV perpetration and victimization, (b) drinking style would mediate the relationship between childhood abuse and DV, and (c) the drinking style-DV relationship would be attributable to propensity for problem behavior.

METHOD

Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 456 youth ages 14-21 years who were patients in an urban emergency department. Participants were eligible if they were unmarried and reported past-month alcohol use and dating in the past year. By design, the sample was 50% female. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

For both males and females, past-year DV was associated with a more risky drinking style, characterized by more frequent alcohol use, alcohol-aggression expectancies, drinking to cope, and beliefs that alcohol is disinhibiting and that being drunk provides a "time-out" from behavioral expectations. Drinking style mediated the childhood victimization-DV relationship for males and females. However, when propensity for problem behavior was included in the model, the effect of drinking style on DV was no longer significant. Substantial path differences for males and females were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study examined adolescent drinking style as a potential mediator between childhood victimization and DV. Drinking style was associated with DV for males and females and mediated the relationship between childhood victimization and DV. The relationship between drinking style and DV appeared to reflect adolescents' propensity for problem behavior. Variations in males' and females' pathways to DV were observed. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The role of alcohol consumption in female victimization: findings from a French representative sample

Alcohol is frequently related to interpersonal aggression, but information regarding the role of alcohol consumption by victims of severe aggression is however lacking. In order to better understand the dynamic of victimization, we investigated contextual, facilitator, and psychological impact variables related to victimization in a French sample composed of 1,033 females aged 18-74 years. The participants were recruited using quota sampling methodology, and responses were measured using Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewer. A logistic regression was conducted using a backward elimination procedure to identify the significant predictors of blows and wounds suffered in the past 24 months. The results indicated that victims, relative to nonvictims, did binge drink significantly more often, had a higher aggression trait, and had experienced more social hardships in the past. The study's limitations are noted.

Attitudes about violence and involvement in peer violence among youth: findings from a high-risk community

Peer violence perpetration and victimization are the most common types of violence among youth. This study determined the associations among violent attitudes toward peers, involvement in peer violence perpetration, and experience with peer violence victimization among boys and girls in a high-risk, urban community. Analyses were based on data from the 2004 Youth Violence Survey, which was administered to over 80% of public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 (N = 4,131) in a disadvantaged, urban, school district in the USA. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the associations between attitudes in support of violence and involvement in violent behaviors. Results show that among youth, attitudes supporting boys hitting boys significantly increased the odds of peer violence perpetration after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.72). However, stratified analyses for boys and girls show that attitudes supporting boys hitting boys increased the odds of peer violence perpetration for girls only after controlling for potential confounders (AOR, 1.49; 95% CI = 1.05, 2.13). The findings demonstrate that there are important differences between boys and girls in terms of their associations with violent attitudes and involvement in actual violent behaviors. However, additional research is needed to determine how attitude modifications can be incorporated into youth violence prevention programs.

Healthy People 2010 objectives for unintentional injury and violence among adolescents. Trends from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 1999-2009

BACKGROUND

In 2000, the USDHHS released Healthy People 2010 (HP2010), a series of disease prevention and health promotion objectives for the nation. Thirty-nine of these objectives were dedicated to injury prevention and six of these objectives related to adolescents, who were tracked through CDC's National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).

PURPOSE

This paper uses national YRBS data from 1999 to 2009 to analyze overall and subgroup trends and determine progress toward targets for the following HP2010 objectives: seatbelt use (HP2010 objective 15-19); motorcycle helmet use (15-21); riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (26-6); physical fighting (15-38); weapon carrying on school property (15-39); and suicide attempts requiring medical attention (18-2).

METHODS

The CDC conducted the national YRBS biennially from 1999 to 2009 and used similar three-stage cluster-sample designs to obtain representative samples of high school students in the U.S. This study was conducted in 2010 and used linear and quadratic time variables simultaneously in logistic regression models while controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and grade to test for secular trends over time.

RESULTS

Only two objectives met their HP2010 targets: riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (26-6) and physical fighting (15-38). Progress was seen for four additional objectives and within some subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial policy and practice changes must occur if the recently released Healthy People 2020 targets are to be met. School-, community-, and state-level policies and programs may be effective tools to prevent injuries and victimizations.

Pre-teen alcohol use initiation and suicide attempts among middle and high school students: findings from the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey

Early alcohol use initiation has been linked to suicide attempts among youth. However, very little is known about the potential impact of alcohol-related norms and beliefs and how these may impact the association between alcohol use and suicide attempt. This study examines the associations between early alcohol use and suicide attempts while controlling for demographic characteristics, and alcohol-related beliefs and norms (e.g., believing alcohol causes harm to health or that adults or friends disapprove of alcohol use) and potential confounders. Analyses were based on the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey (N=175,311) of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The current analyses were limited to students in grades 8, 10 and 12, who either began drinking prior to age 13 or who were non drinkers (n=87,349). Pre-teen alcohol use initiation was associated with suicide attempts (Adj.OR=1.51; 95%CI:1.38-1.66) relative to not drinking with similar associations for boys (Adj.OR=1.72; 95%CI:1.52-1.94) and girls (Adj.OR=1.26; 95%CI:1.08-1.45). Students who believed that alcohol was harmful to their health, or that friends or adults disapproved of their alcohol use, or who had been taught about substance use in school were less likely to make a suicide attempt, although findings differed for boys and girls. Pre-teen alcohol use initiation is an important risk factor for suicide attempts among boys and girls in Georgia. Increased efforts to delay and reduce early alcohol use through clinical interventions, education, and policies that impact norms and knowledge related to alcohol use are needed and may in turn reduce suicide attempts.

Sports participation and problem alcohol use: a multi-wave national sample of adolescents

BACKGROUND

Sports participation, though offering numerous developmental benefits for youths, has been associated with adolescent alcohol use. Differences also exist between men/boys and women/girls in both sports participation and patterns of alcohol-related behaviors, but there are few longitudinal investigations of this relationship.

PURPOSE

This study investigated the relationship between school-based sports participation and alcohol-related behaviors using data from a multiwave national study of adolescent men/boys and women/girls.

METHODS

Nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, collected between 1994 and 2001, were analyzed in 2009 (n=8271). Latent growth modeling, accommodating the complex sampling design, was applied to examine whether participation in school-based sports was associated with initial levels and change in problem alcohol use over three waves of data collection.

RESULTS

After taking into account time-invariant covariates including demographics and other predictors of alcohol use, greater involvement in sports during adolescence was associated with faster average acceleration in problem alcohol use over time among youths who took part in only sports. The findings suggest, however, that the relationship between sports participation and problem alcohol use depends on participation in sports in combination with other activities, but it does not differ between men/boys and women/girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Sports may represent an important and efficient context for selective interventions to prevent problem alcohol use and negative consequences of alcohol use among adolescents.

Drinking alcohol before age 13 and negative outcomes in late adolescence

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that adolescents who begin drinking at an early stage in life are at greater risk of developing alcohol dependency, as well as a variety of negative outcomes, for instance, delinquent behavior. Most of these studies have focused on those who begin drinking in middle adolescence, but little attention has been paid to youth who initiate drinking under the age of 13. Twenty percent of adolescents have begun using alcohol by the age of 13. The purpose of the study is to examine whether initiating alcohol use before the age of 13 exacerbates negative outcomes in late adolescence.

METHODS

Data for the study were derived from 2 school-based statewide surveys conducted in Florida: the 2005 YRBS and the 2006 FYSAS. The sample included 12,352 11th and 12th grade students divided into 3 groups: students who initiated alcohol use under the age of 13, students who initiated alcohol use at age 13 or later, and students who never used alcohol.

RESULTS

Results showed that after adjusting for gender, ethnicity/race, and grade, adolescents who initiated alcohol use before age 13 were more likely to report problems with school performance and display delinquent behaviors (carrying a gun, carrying a weapon to school, and recent marijuana use).

CONCLUSION

Although no temporal relationships can be determined between drinking alcohol before age 13 and delinquent behavior outcomes, the results suggested that adolescents under the age of 13 need to be included in national epidemiological surveys on alcohol use and more efforts need to be directed toward the implementation of prevention programs early in elementary and middle schools.

Age of alcohol use initiation, suicidal behavior, and peer and dating violence victimization and perpetration among high-risk, seventh-grade adolescents

OBJECTIVE

We examined the cross-sectional associations between reports of an early age of alcohol use initiation and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and peer and dating violence victimization and perpetration among high-risk adolescents.

METHOD

Data were obtained from the Youth Violence Survey conducted in 2004 and administered to all public school students enrolled in grades 7, 9, and 11/12 (N = 4131) in a high-risk school district in the United States. Our analyses were limited to seventh-grade students who either began drinking before the age of 13 or were nondrinkers, with complete information on all covariates (n = 856). Cross-sectional logistic and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between early alcohol use and each of the 6 outcome behaviors (dating violence victimization and perpetration, peer violence victimization and perpetration, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts) while controlling for demographic characteristics and other potential confounders (ie, heavy episodic drinking, substance use, peer drinking, depression, impulsivity, peer delinquency, and parental monitoring).

RESULTS

In our study, 35% of students reported alcohol use initiation before 13 years of age (preteen alcohol use initiators). Students who reported preteen alcohol use initiation reported involvement in significantly more types of violent behaviors (mean: 2.8 behaviors), compared with nondrinkers (mean: 1.8 behaviors). Preteen alcohol use initiation was associated significantly with suicide attempts, relative to nondrinkers, controlling for demographic characteristics and all other potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Early alcohol use is an important risk factor for involvement in violent behaviors and suicide attempts among youths. Increased efforts to delay and to reduce early alcohol use among youths are needed and may reduce both violence and suicide attempts.

Longitudinal associations between problem alcohol use and violent victimization in a national sample of adolescents

PURPOSE

Research indicates that alcohol use is both a risk factor for and a consequence of violent victimization. This study investigated the longitudinal associations between problem alcohol use and victimization, and whether these associations varied by gender.

METHODS

Data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add Health) were used to investigate the prospective associations between alcohol use and victimization over three time points spanning 7 years. Because adolescence is a time of rapid growth, we used latent growth modeling (LGM) in addition to traditional cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

For boys, both SEM and LGM indicated that problem alcohol use was a risk factor for subsequent violent victimization. For girls, the SEM suggested a bi-directional association, although the LGM provided stronger support for problem alcohol use as a risk factor for, rather than a consequence of, violent victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings across the two statistical approaches suggest that interventions that reduce the likelihood of problem alcohol use among adolescents can minimize the short-term risk of victimization and the long-term risk of problem alcohol use in young adulthood.

Alcohol, nightlife and violence: the relative contributions of drinking before and during nights out to negative health and criminal justice outcomes

AIMS

To explore differences in alcohol consumption and negative nightlife experiences between young people who drink prior to attending city nightlife venues and those who do not drink until reaching bars and nightclubs.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional survey of 380 young people (aged 18-35 years) in bars and nightclubs in a large city centre in the North-west of England.

MEASUREMENTS

An anonymous questionnaire explored participants' basic demographics; frequency of utilizing nightlife; quantities of alcohol consumed prior to and during a typical night out in the city; and negative experiences in the city's nightlife in the previous year [fighting, being verbally abused, being sexually molested (e.g. groped) and being too drunk to walk].

FINDINGS

Participants who reported drinking prior to attending nightlife (e.g. at their own or a friend's home) reported significantly higher total alcohol consumption over a night out than those not drinking until reaching bars and nightclubs. Over a quarter (26.5%) of female and 15.4% of male alcohol consumption over a night out occurred prior to attending nightlife. Individuals who drink before going out were over four times more likely to report drinking >20 units on a usual night out and 2.5 times more likely to have been involved in a fight in the city's nightlife during the previous 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Measures to tackle drunkenness and alcohol-related violence in nightlife should expand beyond those targeted solely at nightlife environments. Continued disparities in pricing and policing of alcohol between on- and off-licensed premises may increase at-home drinking prior to nights out and alcohol-related problems in residential areas.

A longitudinal study of alcohol use and antisocial behaviour in young people

Aims: To examine the direction of causation between young people's antisocial behaviour and alcohol (mis)use in the longer and shorter term, together with their joint effects on alcohol-related trouble. Methods: A longitudinal study (2586 pupils) supplied data, allowing exploration of the causal effects of alcohol (mis)use and antisocial behaviour between ages 11 and 15, using structural equation models of longer and shorter-term relationships and joint-effects models in respect of alcohol-related trouble at age 15. This method allowed us to evaluate which of three hypotheses, described as ‘disinhibition’ [alcohol (mis)use causes or facilitates antisocial behaviour], ‘susceptibility’ [antisocial behaviour causes alcohol (mis)use] or ‘reciprocal’ [alcohol (mis)use causes antisocial behaviour and the reverse] receives most support, both overall and by gender, social class, and drinking context. Results: Overall, the results support the susceptibility hypothesis, particularly in the longer-term models. There is no support for ‘pure’ disinhibition. However, in the shorter-term and joint-effects models (i.e. as the time lag becomes shorter), there is evidence that in some gender, social class, or drinking contexts, in addition to antisocial behaviour causing alcohol (mis)use, the reverse also applies. Conclusions: Antisocial behaviour is the main predictor of alcohol (mis)use and alcohol-related trouble, with alcohol (mis)use impacting only modestly on antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related trouble in the shorter term.

Gender, early alcohol use, and suicide ideation and attempts: findings from the 2005 youth risk behavior survey

PURPOSE

To examine the cross-sectional associations between preteen alcohol use initiation and subsequent suicide ideation and attempts for boys and girls in a nationally representative sample of high school students.

METHODS

Analyses are computed using data from the 2005 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which includes a representative sample (n = 13,639) of high-school students in grades 9-12 in the United States. Cross-sectional logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between early alcohol use and reports of suicide ideation and suicide attempts for boys and girls while controlling for demographic characteristics, substance use, involvement in physical fights, weapon carrying, physical abuse by dating partner, sexual assault, and sadness.

RESULTS

Among study participants, 25.4% reported drinking before age 13 years. Preteen alcohol use initiation was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation (adjusted OR = 1.89, 95% CI =1.46-2.44) and suicide attempts (adjusted OR = 2.71, 95% CI =1.82-4.02) relative to nondrinkers. Preteen alcohol use initiation was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation and attempts relative to nondrinkers for both boys and girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol use among adolescents, particularly preteen alcohol use initiation, is an important risk factor for both suicide ideation and suicide attempts among boys and girls. Increased efforts to delay and reduce early alcohol use are needed, and may reduce suicide attempts.

Alcohol and violence: comparison of the psychosocial correlates of adolescent involvement in alcohol-related physical fighting versus other physical fighting

This study examined the demographic and psychosocial correlates of alcohol-related physical fighting and other physical fighting to determine if the predictors for aggressive behaviors are similar or different when alcohol is involved. Analyses were based on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health which is a nationally representative school based sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 (N=18,924). The current analyses were restricted to current drinkers who could be grouped into three categories of involvement in physical fights (n=8866): no fighting; fighting not related to alcohol use; fighting related to alcohol use. Regression models were computed using a backward-elimination procedure. Overall, 38% of adolescent drinkers reported fighting, including 12% who reported alcohol-related fighting and 26% who reported other physical fighting. Non-Hispanic African-American adolescents were most likely to report other physical fighting (37.1%) but they were least likely to report alcohol-related fighting (8.2%). The correlates of alcohol-related fighting differed by age and race/ethnicity. Moreover, since the correlates of alcohol-related fighting pertain mostly to the frequency and quantity of alcohol use and to having alcohol-related problems, prevention efforts that seek to reduce alcohol use or delay alcohol use initiation may also reduce alcohol-related fighting.