Adolescents from affluent city districts drink more alcohol than others. (14th July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pedersen, Willy; Bakken, Anders; von Soest, Tilmann
• Is Part Of: Addiction. Volume 110:Number 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1595
• Page End: 1604
• Publication Date: 2015-07-14
• Subjects: Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1111/add.13005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2140

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="add13005-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aims</title> <p>To estimate the level of alcohol consumption and problems among adolescents in city districts in Oslo, Norway with different socio‐economic composition; to test whether differences in alcohol consumption are related to district differences in socio‐demographic characteristics; and to analyse whether such associations remain significant after controlling for individual‐level variables.</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>Cross‐sectional survey using multi‐level linear regression analyses with individual responses at the lowest level and city‐district data at the highest level.</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Oslo, Norway.</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Participants</title> <p>A total of 6635 secondary school students, in 62 schools, living in 15 different city districts.</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Measurements</title> <p>Frequency of alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication; alcohol problems; and individual characteristics such as immigrant status, religious involvement and parental norms with regard to alcohol. Socio‐economic indicators in city districts, such as education, income and unemployment, were combined into a district‐level socio‐economic index (DLSI).</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Findings</title> <p>DLSI scores were related positively to alcohol use (<italic>r</italic> = 0.31, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01) and alcohol intoxication (<italic>r</italic> = 0.25, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01) but negatively to alcohol problems among alcohol users (<italic>r</italic> = –0.18, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01). DLSI scores remained significant for alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication, after controlling for individual‐level variables (<italic>P</italic> < 0.01), but this was not the case for alcohol problems.</p> </sec> <sec id="add13005-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Adolescents in affluent areas of Oslo, Norway report the highest levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication of all areas; neighbourhood characteristics such as education, income and unemployment levels seem to play a role in such drinking behaviour. Alcohol users in poorer districts reported more alcohol problems than those in other districts; however, here neighbourhood effects do not seem to play a role.</p> </sec> </abstract>