Sports participation moderates the risk of family-specific negative life events on alcohol use among adolescents: Evidence from the longitudinal MyLife study.

Negative life events (NLE) have been associated with increased alcohol use (AU) during adolescence. However, whether this risk association may be modified by leisure activities such as sports participation (SP) remains poorly understood. This study examined whether accumulated family-specific NLE in particular were associated with greater AU, and if so, whether SP moderated this association to reduce AU among high-NLE adolescents. We examined five annual assessments from a nationwide cohort of 3,422 Norwegian adolescents (13-15 year-olds; 55.3 % girls at baseline) who participated in the MyLife study. At each assessment, adolescents reported their AU on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C), the number of family-specific NLE in the past 12 months, SP days in the past 30 days, and multiple sociodemographic and individual-level characteristics (covariates). Changes over time in AU as a function of NLE, SP, and their interaction (NLExSP) were examined with a set of partially nested growth curve models. AU increased non-linearly over time in all models. The fully adjusted best-fitting model showed significant NLExSP interactions (estimate = -0.013, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.006]), such that the initial AUDIT-C scores were lower for high-NLE adolescents with high SP and greater for high-NLE adolescents with low SP. Further, linear increases in AU over time were marginally steeper for high-NLE adolescents with high SP (NLExSPxTime estimate = 0.034, 95% CI [-0.0002, 0.007]). Thus, SP appeared to have a protective role in reducing AU for high-NLE youth primarily during middle school years. Prevention efforts thus may utilize organized sports for youth facing family-specific NLE as a resource early on.

Examining within-person associations between alcohol and cannabis use and hooking up among adolescents and young adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined daily associations between alcohol use, cannabis use, and simultaneous alcohol and cannabis/marijuana (SAM) use with the likelihood of hooking up (uncommitted sexual encounter that may or may not include intercourse). METHOD: We used a longitudinal measurement burst ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design with 3-week EMA bursts with daily measurements repeated quarterly across 12 months. 1,009 (57 % female, Mean age = 20.00 [SD = 3.21]) Texan adolescents and young adults ages 15-25 participated in the study. Mixed effects logistic regression models were estimated using maximum likelihood estimation to evaluate the associations between substance use and hooking up. RESULTS: Within-person results indicated that participants were more likely to hook up on days with alcohol use and on days with cannabis use, but not on days with SAM use. Participants were also more likely to hook up on drinking days with higher-than-usual alcohol use. Between-person results indicated that participants who used alcohol more often or cannabis more often on average were more likely to hook up, and participants who tended to drink more on drinking days were more likely to hook up. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant daily-level associations between alcohol and cannabis use and hooking up behavior, public health initiatives should focus on developing interventions to reduce alcohol and cannabis use and promote safer hooking up behavior among adolescents and young adults.

Transitions to polysubstance use: Prospective cohort study of adolescents in Australia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Adolescent polysubstance use has been associated with adverse social and health outcomes. Our aim was to measure rates and transitions to polysubstance use during adolescence and identify factors associated with initiation and discontinuation of polysubstance use. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Multistate Markov modelling was used to estimate rates and identify correlates of transitions between substance use states. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent-parent dyads (n = 1927; adolescents in grade 7, age ≈13 years) were recruited from Australian schools during 2010/11 (Wave 1). Adolescents were surveyed annually until 2016/17 (n = 1503; age ≈19 years; Wave 7) and parents were surveyed annually until 2014/15 (Wave 5). MEASUREMENTS: Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use outcomes were collected at Waves 3-7. Potential confounders were collected at Waves 1-6 and consisted of sex, anxiety and depression symptoms and externalizing problems, parental monitoring, family conflict and cohesion, parental substance use and peer substance use. Covariates were age and family socioeconomic status. FINDINGS: Few adolescents engaged in polysubstance use at earlier waves (Wave 3: 5%; Wave 4: 8%), but proportions increased sharply across adolescence (Waves 5-7: 17%, 24%, 36%). Rates of transitioning to polysubstance use increased with age, with few (<9%) adolescents transitioning out. More externalizing problems (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10; 99.6% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.14), parental heavy episodic drinking (OR = 1.22; 99.6% CI = 1.07-1.40), parental illicit substance use (OR = 3.56; 99.6% CI = 1.43-8.86), peer alcohol use (OR = 5.68; 99.6% CI = 1.59-20.50) and peer smoking (OR = 4.18; 99.6% CI = 1.95-8.81) were associated with transitioning to polysubstance use. CONCLUSIONS: Polysubstance use in Australia appears to be rare during early adolescence but more common in later adolescence with low rates of transitioning out. Externalizing problems and greater parental and peer substance use are risk factors for adolescent polysubstance use that may be suitable intervention targets.

Early Drinking Onset and Subsequent Alcohol Use in Late Adolescence: a Longitudinal Study of Drinking Patterns.

PURPOSE: The age of drinking onset is a central concept for both policy and prevention of alcohol-related harm, yet evidence on the predictive value of the age of onset is lacking. This study compares alcohol outcomes of adolescents who started to drink early with those who started later, and tests if associations are moderated by other explanatory factors. METHODS: Data from a two-wave longitudinal prospective cohort survey with a Swedish nationwide sample of 4,018 adolescents aged 15/16 years at baseline (T1) and 17/18 years at follow-up (T2) were used. Outcome variables at T2 were Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)-C, risky drinking, and binge drinking monthly or more often. A vast number of explanatory factors at T1 were controlled for. RESULTS: Early drinking onset predicted later higher AUDIT-C scores (ß = 0.57, p value < .001), and higher probability of risky drinking (odds ratio = 1.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.56-2.44), and binge drinking (odds ratio = 1.38, confidence interval = 1.06-1.81), controlled for other explanatory factors. If binge drinking frequency at T1 was included, the associations remained for AUDIT-C and risky drinking, but not for binge drinking at T2. No significant interactions between early drinking onset and the explanatory factors were found. DISCUSSION: Early drinking onset predicts subsequent higher alcohol consumption in late adolescence. Adolescents who had an early drinking onset drank more after 2 years than their peers who started later. The age of drinking onset is an independent predictor of alcohol use outcomes, beyond the effect of age of binge drinking onset.

Joint trajectories of bullying victimization and sexual harassment victimization as predictors of adolescent alcohol use.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the independent and joint effects of bullying victimization and sexual harassment victimization on adolescent alcohol use over time within a community sample of adolescents. METHOD: Adolescents aged 13-15 years old at baseline (N = 800, Mage = 14.42, SD = 0.83; 57.5% female) recruited from Western New York State made five online survey reports of peer victimization and alcohol use over a 2-year period. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify trajectory classes of victimization from bullying and sexual harassment over time, and regression modeling was used to examine the associations with later alcohol use. RESULTS: Three developmental courses were identified for bullying victimization (moderate/decreasing, high/decreasing, never or low) and for sexual harassment victimization (moderate/decreasing, moderate/increasing, never or low). Adolescents in the moderate/decreasing group of bullying victimization subsequently consumed more alcoholic drinks when they drank. Belonging to the moderate/increasing group of sexual harassment was associated with increased later alcohol intoxication and number of drinks. Bullying victimization and sexual harassment victimization were concurrently correlated over time. Adolescents who followed the joint trajectory group of moderately decreasing bullying and increasing sexual harassment were more likely to report increased later alcohol intoxication and number of drinks. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate levels of bullying victimization along with increasing sexual harassment victimization are associated prospectively with greater alcohol use in adolescence. Findings highlight the importance of considering the cumulative, joint effects of multiple types of peer victimization on adolescent health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Negative Affect and Drinking among Indigenous Youth: Disaggregating Within- and Between-Person Effects.

Negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use among Indigenous youth in Canada remain a concern for many communities. Disparate rates of these struggles are understood to be a potential outcome of colonization and subsequent intergenerational trauma experienced by individuals, families, and communities. Using a longitudinal design, we examined change in alcohol use and negative affect, and reciprocal associations, among a group of Indigenous adolescents. Indigenous youth (N = 117; 50% male; Mage=12.46-16.28; grades 6-10) from a remote First Nation in northern Quebec completed annual self-reported assessments on negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use. A Latent Curve Model with Structured Residuals (LCM-SR) was used to distinguish between- and within-person associations of negative affect and alcohol use. Growth models did not support change in depression/anxiety, but reports of drinking increased linearly. At the between-person level, girls reported higher initial levels of depression/anxiety and drinking; depression/anxiety were not associated with drinking. At the within-person level, drinking prospectively predicted increases in depression/anxiety but depression/anxiety did not prospectively predict drinking. When Indigenous adolescents reported drinking more alcohol than usual at one wave of assessment, they reported higher levels of negative affect than expected (given their average levels of depression/anxiety) at the following assessment. Our findings suggest that when Indigenous youth present for treatment reporting alcohol use, they should also be screened for negative affect (depression/anxiety). Conversely, if an Indigenous adolescent presents for treatment reporting negative affect, they should also be screened for alcohol use.

Youth Aggression and Peer Victimization as Predictors of Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of Youth with Aggressive Behavior Problems.

Youth who are behaviorally aggressive and victimized by their peers comprise a significant population with specific risks and vulnerabilities relative to substance use. The goals of the current study were to examine the roles that youth aggression and peer victimization play in determining the timing of alcohol and marijuana use initiation and the frequency of use 5-years later in a sample of at-risk, aggressive youth. 360 youth (Mage= 10.17 years; 65% boys, 35% girls; 78.1% African American, 20.3% Caucasian, 1.4% Hispanic, and 0.3% other) recruited for a prevention program for at-risk youth were followed for 5 years (4th - 9th grade). Cox PH regressions were conducted to predict timing of alcohol and marijuana use initiation. Zero-inflated negative binomial regressions were used to predict frequency of alcohol and marijuana use 5 years later. Results showed that peer victimization inferred decreased risk of alcohol use initiation. However, this effect was only observed for youth with relatively moderate, and low levels of aggression. Findings suggest that differences in youth aggression and victimization interact to predict distinct outcomes, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive approach when working with aggressive youth who have experienced peer victimization.

Consumo e exposição a bebidas alcoólicas entre adolescentes brasileiros: evidências das pesquisas nacionais de saúde do escolar de 2015 e 2019 / Consumo y exposición a bebidas alcohólicas entre los adolescentes brasileños: evidencia de las encuestas nacionales de salud escolar de 2015 y 2019 / Consumption of and exposure to alcoholic beverages among brazilian adolescents: diverse evidence from the 2015 and 2019 national school health surveys

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar os indicadores de consumo e exposição a bebidas alcoólicas entre escolares brasileiros em 2019 e compará-los aos de 2015. Método: estudo transversal com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE), realizadas em 2015 e 2019. Em 2019, analisaram-se os indicadores referentes ao consumo e à exposição a bebidas alcoólicas, estratificadas por sexo, faixa etária, dependência administrativa, unidades da federação e região geográfica. Estimou-se as prevalências e os respectivos intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC 95%). Resultados: houve aumento na experimentação de bebidas alcoólicas antes de 13 anos (30,6% em 2015 para 34,6% em 2019); sofrer embriaguez na vida (27,2% em 2015 para 47,0% em 2019) e ter problemas com amigos devido ao consumo de bebidas alcóolicas (9,3% em 2015 para 15,7% em 2019). Todos os indicadores foram mais prevalentes entre meninas, exceto beber em binge e episódios de embriagues, que não tiveram diferenças entre os sexos, bem como foram mais elevadas entre estudantes mais velhos. Os episódios de embriaguez e ter amigos que ingerem bebida alcoólica foram mais prevalentes entre escolares de escolas públicas, enquanto o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas pelos pais e ter tido problemas com suas famílias ou amigos devido ao consumo de bebidas alcoólicas foram mais elevados em estudantes de escolas privadas. Conclusão: evidenciaram-se elevadas prevalências de experimentação, consumo e exposição a bebidas alcoólicas, mostrando que grande parcela dos adolescentes brasileiros se encontra exposta a uma carga evitável de morbimortalidade decorrente do consumo e exposição ao álcool.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar los indicadores de consumo y exposición a bebidas alcohólicas entre los estudiantes brasileños en 2019 y compararlos con los de 2015. Método: estudio transversal con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Escolar (PeNSE), realizada en 2015 y 2019. En 2019 se analizaron los indicadores referidos al consumo y exposición a bebidas alcohólicas estratificados por sexo, grupo de edad, dependencia administrativa, unidades federativas y región geográfica. Se estimó la prevalencia y los respectivos intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC 95%). Resultados: aumenta la experimentación con bebidas alcohólicas antes de los 13 años (30,6% en 2015 a 34,6% en 2019); sufrir borracheras en la vida (27,2% en 2015 a 47,0% en 2019) y tener problemas con los amigos por el consumo de alcohol (9,3% en 2015 a 15,7% en 2019). Todos los indicadores eran más frecuentes entre las chicas, excepto el consumo compulsivo de alcohol y los episodios de embriaguez, que no presentaban diferencias de género, además de ser más elevados entre los estudiantes de mayor edad. Los episodios de consumo de alcohol y el hecho de tener amigos que beben bebidas alcohólicas fueron más frecuentes entre los estudiantes de la escuela pública, mientras que el consumo de alcohol por parte de los padres y el hecho de haber tenido problemas con sus familias o amigos debido al consumo de alcohol fueron mayores en los estudiantes de las escuelas privadas. Conclusión: se evidenció una alta prevalencia de experimentación, consumo y exposición a bebidas alcohólicas, mostrando que una gran parte de los adolescentes brasileños está expuesta a una carga evitable de morbilidad y mortalidad resultante del consumo y exposición al alcohol.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the indicators regarding consumption of and exposure to alcoholic beverages among Brazilian schoolchildren in 2018 and compare them to those from 2015. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted with data from the 2015 and 2019 National School Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar, PeNSE). In 2019, the indicators referring to consumption of and exposure to alcoholic beverages were analyzed, stratified by gender, age group, administrative system, Federation Unit, and geographical region. The prevalence values and their respective 95 confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated. Results: there was an increase in trying alcoholic beverages before the age of 13 (from 30.6% in 2015 to 34.6% in 2019); being drunk in their lifetime (from 27.2% in 2015 to 47.0% in 2019) and having problems with friends due to alcohol consumption (from 9.3% in 2015 to 15.7% in 2019). All the indicators were more prevalent among the girls, except for binge drinking and drunkenness episodes, which presented no differences between the genders and were also higher among older students Episodes of drunkenness and having friends who drink alcohol were more prevalent among students from public schools, while consumption of alcoholic beverages by parents and having had problems with their families or friends due to alcohol consumption were higher in students from private schools. Conclusion: high prevalence of experimentation, consumption and exposure to alcoholic beverages was evidenced, showing that a large number of Brazilian adolescents are exposed to an avoidable burden of morbidity and mortality resulting from consumption of and exposure to alcohol.

Impacto da exposição domiciliar ao tabaco e da composição familiar sobre a precocidade de uso de tabaco e álcool em adolescentes brasileiros / Impact of household exposure to tobacco and family composition on the early onset of alcohol use in Brazilian adolescents

O uso precoce de tabaco e álcool associa-se à maior morbimortalidade e manutenção desse consumo na vida adulta. Esta tese investiga o papel de fatores domiciliares e familiares sobre o início precoce do uso dessas substâncias entre adolescentes. Os dados analisados são do Estudo de Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescentes (ERICA), que investigou 74.589 adolescentes de escolas públicas e privadas, com idades entre 12 e 17 anos, residentes de 124 municípios com mais de 100 mil habitantes no país. O primeiro manuscrito teve como objetivo estimar o efeito da presença de fumantes no domicílio sobre o início mais precoce de tabagismo entre adolescentes. O segundo manuscrito teve como objetivo estimar o efeito da composição familiar sobre o início mais precoce de tabagismo e do uso de álcool entre adolescentes. Em ambas as análises foram usados Modelos de Regressão de Cox não ajustados e ajustados por um conjunto de variáveis com intuito de controlar vieses de confundimento. Os Hazard Ratios estimados no manuscrito 1 mostraram um aumento de 51% (IC95%: 31%-65%) na chance de um adolescente não fumante e exposto ao tabaco em casa começar a fumar mais precocemente do que aquele que não convivia com tabagistas no domicílio. Nos resultados do segundo manuscrito observou-se uma influência importante da composição familiar sobre a precocidade de início do uso de tabaco e álcool entre adolescentes. Segundo os Hazard Ratios estimados, houve um aumento de 68% (IC95%: 50%-89%) na chance de um adolescente não fumante que não residia com ambos os pais iniciar o uso de tabaco antes de um adolescente que residia com pai e mãe. Quanto àqueles que residiam apenas com a mãe ou apenas com o pai, esse aumento foi de 46% (IC95%: 32%-60%) e 54% (IC95%: 28%-84%), respectivamente. Em relação ao início do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, observou-se um aumento de 35% (IC95%: 21%-52%) na chance de um adolescente que não bebe e não reside com pai e mãe de iniciar o uso de álcool mais precocemente do que aqueles que residiam com ambos os pais. Quanto aos adolescentes que residiam apenas com a mãe ou apenas com o pai, esse aumento foi de 22% (IC95%: 17%-28%) e 36% (IC95%: 24%-50%), respectivamente. O terceiro manuscrito teve como objetivo investigar o uso conjunto de tabaco e álcool através de análises de coocorrência e de agrupamento, assim como descrever a relação temporal do início do uso das duas substâncias entre adolescentes tabagistas e usuários de álcool. Para a análise de agrupamento foram obtidas razões entre os valores observados (O) e esperados (E) de uso de tabaco e álcool. Na amostra total a razão O/E foi 3,51 (IC95%: 3,39-3,65) indicando o agrupamento do uso dessas substâncias. Já a Razão de Chances de Prevalência foi de 14,7 (IC95%: 12,4-17,4). A maior parte dos usuários (45,2%) de ambas as substâncias iniciou pelo uso de álcool. Nossos resultados reforçam as propostas de que ações preventivas não devem estar focadas em cada droga isoladamente, e devem incluir não só o adolescente, mas também seu universo familiar.

Early use of tobacco and alcohol is associated with increased morbimortality and maintenance of their use during adulthood. This thesis investigates the role of household and family factors on adolescents' early onset of these substances. The data analyzed are from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors Study (ERICA), which investigated 74,589 adolescents from public and private schools, aged between 12 and 17 years old, living in 124 municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants in the country. The first manuscript aimed to estimate the effect of the presence of smokers in the household on the earlier onset of smoking habit among adolescents. The objective of the second manuscript was to estimate the effect of family composition on the earlier onset of smoking and alcohol use among adolescents. In both analyses, unadjusted and adjusted Cox Regression Models were used to control for confounding variables. The Hazard Ratio estimated in manuscript 1 showed a 51% increase (95% CI: 31%-65%) in the chance that a nonsmoking adolescent exposed to tobacco at home would start smoking earlier than one who did not live with smokers. The results of the second manuscript depicted an important impact of family composition on the early onset of tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents. According to the estimated Hazard Ratios, there was a 68% increased chance (95% CI: 32%-60%) that a nonsmoking adolescent who did not live with both parents would initiate tobacco use earlier than an adolescent living with both parents. As for those who resided with only the mother or only the father, the increase was 46% (95% CI:32%-60%) and 54% (95%CI: 28%-84%), respectively. Regarding the onset of consumption of alcoholic beverages, there was a 35% increase (95% CI:21%-52%) in the chance of an adolescent who does not drink and does not reside with both parents to initiate alcohol use earlier than those living with the mother and the father. As for adolescents living only with the mother or only the father, this increase was 22% (95%CI: 17%-28%) and 36% (95%CI: 24%-50%), respectively. The third manuscript investigated the concurrent use of tobacco and alcohol through co-occurrence and clustering analyses. It also described the temporal relationship between the onset of tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents consuming both substances. For the clustering analysis, we calculated ratios between observed (O) and expected (E) values of tobacco and alcohol use. In the total sample, the O/E ratio was 3.51 (95% CI: 3.39-3.65), indicating the clustering of the use of these substances. The prevalence odds ratio was 14.7 (95% CI: 12.4- 17.4). Most of the users (45.2%) of both substances started with the use of alcohol. Our results reinforce the proposal that preventive actions should not be focused on each drug separately and should include the adolescents and their families.

The experience of physiological and psychosocial alcohol-related harms across adolescence and its association with alcohol use disorder in early adulthood: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Different forms of alcohol-related harm (e.g., hangovers, fighting) may confer differential risk of clinically relevant alcohol problems. We examine: (i) patterns of transition in experiencing alcohol-related harms across adolescence; (ii) whether factors in early adolescence predict transition patterns; and (iii) whether transition patterns predict later alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms. METHODS: We used a longitudinal Australian cohort (n = 1828) to model latent class transition patterns of alcohol-related harms across three timepoints (Mage  = 13.9, 16.8, 18.8 years). Regression models assessed whether child, peer, and parent factors in early adolescence (Mage  = 12.9) predicted harms transition patterns and whether these patterns predicted AUD symptoms in early adulthood (Mage  = 19.8). RESULTS: Five transition patterns characterized most of the cohort (n ≈ 1609, 88.0%): (i) minimal harms (n ≈ 381, 20.8%); (ii) late physiological harms (n ≈ 702, 38.4%); (iii) early physiological harms (n ≈ 226, 12.4%); (iv) late all harms (n ≈ 131, 7.2%); and (v) gradual all harms (n ≈ 169, 9.2%). With late physiological harms as the reference, females had increased risk of experiencing early physiological harms (relative risk [RR]: 2.15; 99.5% CI: 1.19, 3.90). Late all harms (RR: 1.71; CI: 1.19, 2.47) and gradual all harms (RR: 1.84; CI: 1.37, 2.47) were each associated with increased odds of meeting criteria for AUD, even when patterns of alcohol consumption are considered. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents display heterogeneous transition patterns across physiological and psychosocial alcohol-related harms. Females are at greater risk of experiencing early physiological harms. Experience of both physiological and psychosocial harms in late adolescence is an important and potentially modifiable precursor to clinically relevant alcohol problems in early adulthood.

Risk-taking behaviors in adolescent men who have sex with men (MSM): An association between homophobic victimization and alcohol consumption.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether homophobic victimization was associated with alcohol consumption and riding with an intoxicated driver or driving a car while under the influence of alcohol or drugs among adolescent men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from a national HIV prevention trial (NCT03167606) for adolescent MSM aged 13-18 years (N = 747). Multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations between homophobic victimization (independent variable) and alcohol-related outcomes (dependent variables), controlling for age, parents' education level, sexual orientation, health literacy, race, and ethnicity. RESULTS: Most participants (87%) reported at least one form of homophobic victimization in their lifetime, with verbal insults being the most frequently reported (82%). In the bivariate analysis, alcohol consumption and riding with an intoxicated driver or driving a car while under the influence were associated with many forms of victimization. Exposure to at least one form of victimization was associated with increased odds of alcohol consumption (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.38-3.87) and riding with an intoxicated driver or driving a car while under the influence (OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.26-4.00), after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSION: Increased risk of alcohol consumption and risky alcohol-related behaviors were found among adolescent MSM who experienced homophobic victimization. Interventions should address homophobic victimization and its impact on adolescent MSM, as well as disentangling motivations for underage drinking, riding with an intoxicated driver or driving a car while under the influence.

An Internet Quiz Game Intervention for Adolescent Alcohol Drinking: A Clustered RCT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Interventions on adolescent drinking have yielded mixed results. We assessed the effectiveness of an Internet quiz game intervention compared to conventional health education. METHODS: In this cluster randomized controlled trial with parallel group design, we randomly allocated 30 participating schools to the Internet quiz game intervention or the conventional health education (comparison) group, with 1:1 ratio. Students of Hong Kong secondary schools (aged 12-15 years) were recruited. The intervention was a 4-week Web-based quiz game competition in which participating students answered 1000 alcohol-related multiple-choice quiz questions. The comparison group received a printed promotional leaflet and hyperlinks to alcohol-related information. RESULTS: Of 30 eligible schools, 15 (4294 students) were randomly assigned to the Internet quiz game intervention group and 15 (3498 students) to the comparison group. Average age of participants was 13.30 years. No significant between-group differences were identified at baseline. Overall retention rate for students was 86.0%. At 1-month follow-up, fewer students in the intervention group reported drinking (9.8% vs 12.1%, risk ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68 to 0.92; P = .003), and those who drank reported drinking less alcohol (standardized difference ß -0.06, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.01; P = .02). Between-group differences remained statistically significant at 3-month follow-up (10.4% vs 11.6%, risk ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.999; P = .048; ß -0.06, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.01; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The Internet quiz game intervention reduced underage drinking by 21% at 1-month and 14% at 3-month follow-up compared with conventional health education.

Gender differences in the supply of alcohol to adolescent daughters and sons.

Background: Parents are the main supplier of alcohol to children but it is not known whether mothers and fathers equally contribute to the supply of alcohol to their female and male children as these children transition to adulthood.Objectives: i) to determine whether the gender of the parent is associated with the gender of the adolescent offspring when alcohol is supplied and ii) whether the gender of the parent supplying is associated with gender differences in adolescent binge drinking and alcohol related harms.Methods: Longitudinal cohort of 1,927 (males = 1052) Australian adolescents (mean age 12.9 years), recruited in 2010/11 from schools in Australia and surveyed annually for six years. We assessed the association between adolescent and parent gender related to subsequent adolescent drinking, binge drinking (>4 standard drinks), and alcohol-related harms.Results: At mean age of 12.9 years about one in ten children report parental supply of alcohol which increases to about four in ten children by 17.8 years. Mothers consistently more often supply their daughters with alcohol than their sons, [Wave 5 OR 1.77 (1.53,2.05)], while mothers less often supply sons than their daughters, [Wave 5 OR 0.82 (0.71,0.95)]. Mothers' supply of alcohol to daughters predicts substantially increased odds of daughters binge drinking, [OR 1.67 (1.10,2.53)] and experiencing alcohol related harms, [OR 1.65 (1.10,2.48)].Conclusion: There is a need to involve both mothers and fathers and to equally target female and male children in programs to reduce the harmful consequences of parental supply of alcohol to their children.

The Development of Drinking Trajectories Among Australian Young Adults.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compares drinking trajectories for two cohorts of adolescents and young adults, 10 years apart, to assess whether recent declines in adolescent drinking in Australia represent fundamental shifts in typical drinking behavior. METHOD: Six waves of annually collected, longitudinal responses from two cohorts of adolescents and young adults ages 15-25 in 2001 (n = 1,436, 48.3% male) or 2011 (n = 2,520, 48.1% male) were acquired from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (HILDA). Latent class growth analysis was used to determine the best fitting drinking trajectories for both cohorts. RESULTS: Four quadratic classes were identified for the earlier cohort, and three linear for the more recent one. Light/abstaining, moderate/moderate-steady, and heavy drinking classes were observed in both cohorts, whereas an additional moderate-increasing class in the earlier cohort was absent from the recent one. The two lowest trajectories (light/abstaining and moderate/moderate-steady) appeared relatively stable across cohorts, despite an increase in light/abstaining drinkers in the recent cohort, whereas the heaviest drinkers consumed substantially less in the recent cohort than the earlier one. CONCLUSIONS: We found reduced consumption across drinking patterns, suggesting that youth drinking declines are not attributable to significant shifts in drinking behaviors; rather, adolescents and young adults are drinking in a similar, albeit significantly lower, fashion. The stability of these trajectories, and the continuation of these declines into adulthood, suggest that reductions in alcohol-related harm may be likely for recent cohorts across their life course.

Do alcohol interventions affect peers who do not receive the intervention? Modeling treatment contagion effects via simulations of adolescent social networks.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescents' drinking is influenced by their friends' drinking. However, it is unclear whether individually-targeted alcohol interventions reduce drinking in the friends of individuals who receive the intervention. This study used simulations of drinking in simulated longitudinal social networks to test whether individually-targeted alcohol interventions may be expected to spread to non-targeted individuals. METHOD: Stochastic actor-based models simulated longitudinal social networks where changes in drinking and friendships were modeled using parameters from a meta-analysis of high school 10th grade social networks. Social influence (i.e., how much one's friends' drinking affects their own drinking) and social selection (i.e., how much one's drinking affects who they select as friends) were manipulated at several levels. At the midpoint of each simulation, a randomly-selected heavy-drinking individual was experimentally assigned to an intervention (changing their drinking status to non-drinking) or a control condition (no change in drinking status) and the drinking statuses of that individual's friends were recorded at the end of the simulation. RESULTS: Friends of individuals who received the intervention significantly reduced their drinking, with higher reductions occurring in networks with greater social influence. However, all effect sizes were small (e.g., average per-friend reduction of .07 on a 5-point drinking scale). CONCLUSIONS: Individually-targeted alcohol interventions may have small effects on reducing the drinking of non-targeted adolescents, with social influence being a mechanism that drives such effects. Due to small effect sizes, many adolescents may need to receive alcohol interventions to produce measurable effects on drinking outcomes for non-targeted individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Age of onset of adolescent binge drinking is differentially associated with cortical thickness in post-9/11 adult Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical period for neural development and has been associated with high rates of alcohol abuse. This research examined potential long-term brain and behavioral effects of early versus late-onset adolescent binge drinking in an adult sample of post-9/11 Veterans. METHODS: We compared cortical thickness measures in Veterans with a history of binge drinking that began before the age of 15 (n = 50; mean age = 32.1 years) to those with a history of binge drinking with onset after the age of 15 (n = 300; mean age = 32.1 years). Data processing was conducted with FreeSurfer. A targeted neuropsychological battery (Digit Span test, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Color-Word Interference Test, California Verbal Learning Test-II) was used to examine the relationships between cortical thickness and attention, memory, and inhibition. A reference group of social drinkers with no history of early binge drinking (n = 31) was used to provide normative data. RESULTS: Early-onset adolescent binge drinkers (EBD) had greater cortical thickness in several regions than late-onset adolescent binge drinkers (LBD); both binge-drinking groups had greater cortical thickness than the reference group. There was a stronger negative association between cortical thickness and age in EBDs than LBDs in the (i) lateral orbitofrontal cortex, (ii) supramarginal gyrus, (iii) paracentral lobule, and (iv) anterior caudal cingulate. Poorer performance on the attention and inhibition tasks in the EBDs was also associated with thicker cortices. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates greater cortical thickness across frontoparietal regions in adults who began binge drinking in early versus late adolescence. A stronger negative association between cortical thickness and age in the EBDs suggests that early-onset adolescent binge drinking may be associated with accelerated cortical thinning. Thicker cortex in these regions, which are known to mediate inhibitory control, may increase impulsive behavior and contribute to the risk of alcohol addiction.

Adolescent Girls and Alcohol Use: Increasing Concern During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Adolescence is a time known for risky behaviors and often the initiation of alcohol use. Readily available, alcohol is often one of the drugs of choice for adolescents. Whereas in the past 30 years, the overall consumption of alcohol is down, the data in the past 10 years have shown more girls are binge drinking and meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The alarm of early alcohol use is the association with problems with the substances later in life. Historically, men and male adolescents consumed more alcohol than females. Recent studies indicate girls' alcohol use surpasses boys, whereas women now are developing AUD at the same rate as men. The consequences of early use can result in women's increased risk for multiple cancers, having a more severe form of AUD with less alcohol consumption as well as premature death. To further exacerbate this growing concern, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a perfect storm for increased use of alcohol to cope with the stress of living in an uncertain world. Normal daily activities have been halted with the uncertainty of school closures, zoom classroom sessions, and living in mandated social isolation. All nurses need to be screening for how families under their care have been managing stress. The time is opportune to educate and support parents in engaging their children in conversations around substance use. Parents can be supported to increase awareness of their own coping mechanisms and strengthen positive coping. Adolescents need support to strengthen interpersonal skills as well as make informed decisions concerning when and how they engage in alcohol consumption. This article will illuminate the growing need for all healthcare providers to assess and guide adolescents' coping skills during COVID with a focus on mental health, high-risk behavior, and alcohol use.

Exploring the Impact of Secondary Supply Laws on Adolescent Drinking Trends in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescent alcohol consumption has declined in Australia over the past 20 years. Secondary supply laws (SSLs) typically prohibit the supply of alcohol to adolescents by persons other than parents or guardians, or without parental consent. SSLs were introduced in Australia at different times in different states and territories over the period of declining alcohol consumption. In this study we examined the impact of variations in SSLs across Australia on young people's drinking. METHOD: We used six waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the Australian population, from 2001 to 2016. The study population was adolescents ages 14-17 years. Our primary measure of interest was exposure to SSLs. Data were analyzed using two-way linear and logistic regression models with fixed effects of Australian state/territory and time to identify the effect of SSLs on the frequency of drinking, past-year drinking, and the secondary supply source, respectively. RESULTS: We found no evidence of an association between SSLs and any of the three outcomes of interest. CONCLUSIONS: SSLs are challenging to enforce, and, although they may empower parents to have more control over their children's drinking, they were not associated with reductions in adolescent drinking in Australia. Researchers looking to explain the decline in adolescent drinking in Australia should investigate factors beyond SSLs.

Association between a delay in driving licensure and driving while impaired and riding with an impaired driver among emerging adults.

BACKGROUND: Teens who delay driving licensure may not be subject to graduated driver licensing restrictions that are known to reduce crash risk. We explored the association of delay in licensure with driving while impaired (DWI) and riding with an impaired driver (RWI) among emerging adults. METHODS: Data from the NEXT Generation Health Study, starting with 10th grade (2009-2010), were analyzed. The outcome variables were Wave 7 (W7) self-reported DWI and RWI as dichotomous variables. The independent variable was delay in licensure. Covariates included sex, urbanicity, race/ethnicity, family structure, parent education, family affluence, teen's highest education, minimum legal drinking age laws, and onset age of alcohol use. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were conducted. RESULTS: Of 2525 participants eligible for licensure, 887 reported a delay in licensure by 1-2 years (38.9%, weighted) and 1078 by > 2 years (30.3% weighted) across 7 waves. In W7, 23.5% (weighted and hereafter, 5.6% once, 17.8% ≥twice) of participants reported DWI and 32.42% (5.6% once, 25.4% ≥twice) reported RWI. Logistic regressions showed no overall significant association of delay in licensure with either W7 RWI or W7 DWI. However, in stratified analyses, among African American youth, delay in licensure was positively associated with DWI (OR = 2.41, p = 0.03) and RWI (OR = 2.72, p = 0.05). Among those with ≤ high school or lower education by W7, delayed licensure was positively associated with RWI (OR = 2.51, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: While in the overall sample, delayed licensure did not appear to be associated with DWI or RWI, our findings suggest that delayed licensure may be of concern to teen risk of DWI and RWI among African Americans and among those with lower educational attainment. Furthermore, as two-thirds of youth delayed licensure, more research is needed to determine whether this is more of a positive (i.e., protective) factor by reducing their exposure to crash risk or a negative (i.e., risk) factor due to their missing important driver safety stages of graduated driver licensing.

Similar countries, similar factors? Studying the decline of heavy episodic drinking in adolescents in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

AIM: To (i) examine several factors associated with trends in heavy episodic drinking (HED) in Finland, Norway and Sweden, (ii) investigate similarities in these associations across the countries and (iii) analyse the contribution of these factors to the trend in HED and the differences across the countries. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational study using five waves of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) from Finland, Norway and Sweden between 1999 and 2015. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 18 128 male and 19 121 female 15- to 16-year-old students. MEASUREMENTS: Monthly HED, perceived access to alcohol, truancy, parental control, leisure time activities and daily smoking. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to examine linear time trends in HED. Logit regression models using the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method were fitted for each country separately, including all the independent variables together with time and adjusted for family status, parental education and gender. FINDINGS: In Finland, Norway and Sweden, perceived access to alcohol, truancy and daily smoking decreased significantly between 1999 and 2015 whereas risk perceptions, parental control and participation in sports increased in the same period. The confounding percentage of all the independent variables related to the trend in HED was 48.8%, 68.9% and 36.7% for Finland, Norway and Sweden, respectively. Decline in daily smoking (P < 0.001) and perceived access to alcohol (P < 0.001) were positively and increase in parental control (P < 0.001) negatively associated with the decline in HED in all three countries. Changes in truancy, going out with friends, and engaging in sports and other hobbies had little or no impact on the decline in HED or displayed no consistent results across the countries. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in adolescent heavy episodic drinking in Finland, Norway and Sweden between 1999 and 2015 appears to be associated with a decline in adolescent daily smoking and perceived access to alcohol and an increase in parental control.