Adolescent alcohol use: a reflection of national drinking patterns and policy?. (5th August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bendtsen, Pernille; Damsgaard, Mogens Trab; Huckle, Taisia; Casswell, Sally; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Arnold, Petra; de Looze, Margreet E.; Hofmann, Felix; Hublet, Anne; Simons‐Morton, Bruce; ter Bogt, Tom; Holstein, Bjørn E.
• Is Part Of: Addiction. Volume 109:Number 11(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 1857
• Page End: 1868
• Publication Date: 2014-08-05
• Subjects: Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1111/add.12681
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2140

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="add12681-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aims</title> <p>To analyse how adolescent drunkenness and frequency of drinking were associated with adult drinking patterns and alcohol control policies.</p> </sec> <sec id="add12681-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design, Setting and Participants</title> <p>Cross‐sectional survey data on 13‐ and 15‐year‐olds in 37 countries who participated in the Health Behaviour in School‐Aged Children (HBSC) Study in 2010 (<italic>n</italic> = 144 788) were linked to national‐level indicators on alcohol control policies and adult drinking patterns.</p> </sec> <sec id="add12681-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Measurements</title> <p>Outcome measures were self‐reported weekly drinking and life‐time drunkenness (drunk once or more). Data were analysed using multi‐level logistic regression models.</p> </sec> <sec id="add12681-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Findings</title> <p>In the mutually adjusted models, adolescent drunkenness was associated significantly with high adult alcohol consumption [odds ratio (OR) = 3.15 among boys, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.13–4.64, OR girls = 2.44, CI = 1.57–3.80] and risky drinking patterns in the adult population (OR boys = 2.02, CI = 1.33–3.05, OR girls = 1.61, CI = 1.18–2.18). The level of abstainers in the adult population was also associated significantly with girls' drunkenness; a 10% increase in the number of abstainers in a country reduced the odds of drunkenness with 21% (OR = 0.79, CI = 0.68–0.90). Weekly drinking was associated significantly with weak restrictions on availability (OR boys = 2.82, CI = 1.74–4.54, OR girls = 2.00, CI = 1.15–3.46) and advertising (OR boys = 1.56, CI = 1.02–2.40, OR girls = 1.79, CI = 1.10–2.94).</p> </sec> <sec id="add12681-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Comparing data cross‐nationally, high levels of adult alcohol consumption and limited alcohol control policies are associated with high levels of alcohol use among adolescents.</p> </sec> </abstract>