ABSTRACT
Often, perpetrators of sexual violence first aggress in their teens. Presently, very little is known about environmental factors that may influence adolescents' engagement in sexual aggression. Drawing upon data collected at 27 high schools in the Northeast United States, this study is the first to test the association between community-level factors and male adolescents' sexual aggression. A series of backward linear regressions determined that 10 of 19 community variables were associated with males' sexual aggression, which were then used to generate a ratio of positive to negative correlates of sexual aggression for each high school. In multilevel analyzes, as hypothesized, the ratio of positive to negative correlates was positively associated with schools' sexual aggression perpetration rates. We discuss the study's implications for future sexual assault research and prevention interventions.
Subject(s)
Aggression , Sex Offenses , Humans , Male , Adolescent , Aggression/psychology , Sex Offenses/psychology , Sex Offenses/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , New England , Schools , Residence CharacteristicsABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to (a) outline the formative steps that universities can follow to determine if a media campaign based on the social norms approach (SNA) is a viable method for increasing COVID-19 prevention behaviors among their students, (b) present formative research data collected at a large public land-grant university in the U.S., and (c) as a test case, apply that data to assess the SNA's viability for promoting COVID-19 prevention behaviors among students at that institution. Over time, a series of fast-track surveys were conducted to determine the descriptive and injunctive norms for four COVID-19 prevention strategies: wearing a mask in public, physical distancing, limiting the size of indoor gatherings, and receiving or planning to get a vaccination. The results demonstrated that, at this particular university, an SNA-based public communications campaign would be a promising strategy for promoting these protective behaviors. First, a clear majority of the survey respondents reported engaging in the behaviors. Second, the respondents perceived the behaviors to be less common than was actually the case, with one exception: wearing a mask. In all four cases, they perceived the behaviors to be less approved of than what the surveys documented.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Universities , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Social Norms , Students , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: College student drinking in on-premises establishments has been associated with heavy alcohol consumption and a range of problems including assault, fighting, risky sex, and drinking and driving. Although more strictly enforcing overservice laws might reduce heavy drinking in on-premises establishments, law enforcement agencies have few resource-efficient tools for doing so, resulting in these laws seldom being enforced. OBJECTIVES: In this paper, we report the results of an evaluation of the Stop Service to Obviously-impaired Patrons (S-STOP) program that was implemented in 303 bars and restaurants in 18 university communities in California using a randomized cross-over design (early vs. delayed implementation). The S-STOP program: (a) deployed pseudo-intoxicated patrons who attempted to purchase a drink when showing obvious signs of intoxication; (b) provided feedback to owners and managers on staff performance; and (c) offered free online refresher training for staff. RESULTS: Overall, alcohol servers in bars and restaurants in these college communities were willing to serve a pseudo-intoxicated mystery shopper 90% of the time. The study found no evidence that S-STOP reduced the prevalence of alcohol sales to apparently impaired patrons during the two intervention stages of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for developing effective interventions to prevent overservice and should prompt college and university leaders to take the lead in addressing the problem of alcohol overservice at on-premises establishments by working with community leaders, law enforcement, and retailers.
Subject(s)
Alcoholic Intoxication , Restaurants , Alcohol Drinking , Alcoholic Beverages , Humans , UniversitiesABSTRACT
We report the results of a quasi-experimental evaluation of a mystery shopper intervention in Zacatecas and Guadalupe, Mexico. Underage youth attempted to purchase beer at 50 Modelorama stores and 32 Oxxo stores (intervention groups), and at 19 comparison convenience stores in March, July, and August 2018. After each attempt, intervention store operators were informed if a sale was made. Modelorama operators also received training and were warned that repeated sales to minors could jeopardize their franchise. Average sales rates to minors were 63.8% at Modeloramas, 86.5% at Oxxo stores, and 98.2% at comparison stores. The findings suggest that mystery shopper interventions with training, feedback to store operators, and sanctions after repeated sales to underage youth may reduce sales to minors in low- and middle-income countries.
Subject(s)
Alcoholic Beverages/legislation & jurisprudence , Commerce/statistics & numerical data , Underage Drinking/prevention & control , Female , Humans , Male , Mexico , MinorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In population studies, vaping is often treated as a dichotomous exposure (present/absent) without consideration of specific vaping devices and materials being used. A survey instrument is needed to record specific vaping devices and materials. METHODS: We developed a database of 613 vaping device models and 3196 vaping liquid products, indexed by device brand, device type, liquid brand, liquid name and liquid flavour type. We developed a survey instrument to allow participants to report their vaping device and liquid from the indexed lists. The survey was pilot tested with a convenience sample of 208 adults (≥age 21). We validated the vaping device and liquid responses with a recontact survey. We report the proportion of respondents finding their products, characteristics of people finding their products and survey response times. RESULTS: Devices used most frequently in the past 30 days were electronic cigarettes (33% of respondents), vaping pens (28%) and vaping mods (16%). Fifty-seven per cent used liquids containing nicotine most frequently in the past 30 days, followed by liquids without nicotine (20%) and marijuana or hashish (10%). Most (85%) participants found their vaping device successfully (median 19.7 s) and 74% found their vaping liquid (median 19.8 s). Females and older adults were less likely to find their devices and liquids. Responses were validated for 91% and 76% of devices and e-liquids, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the feasibility of an internet-based survey instrument to record specific vaping factors for use in studies of vaping and health.
Subject(s)
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems , Marijuana Smoking/epidemiology , Nicotine/administration & dosage , Vaping/epidemiology , Adult , Age Factors , Female , Flavoring Agents/chemistry , Humans , Internet , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Sex Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
Japanese manga, which present dramatic and imaginative stories in comic book form, have a growing readership in Asia, Europe, and North America. We investigated depictions of tobacco and alcohol use in a sample of contemporary shonen manga, which have a primary readership of males ages 8-18, but also appeal to young females and adults. Large number of characters were shown smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, especially males, adults, and those categorized as "good" characters. Compared to the shonens' early chapters (initiated in 1990-2003, depending on the series), more recently published chapters (2011-2016) portrayed fewer characters overall using a tobacco product and fewer minors using an alcohol product. The later chapters also presented significantly fewer depictions of tobacco-related behavior, consumption of both beer and other/unknown alcoholic beverages, and alcohol-related paraphernalia. Antitobacco and antialcohol behaviors or dialogue were rare. These findings raise legitimate concerns about the influence of these depictions on young readers' beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral choices. Future research should explore whether those concerns are warranted, but in the interim, government agencies and watchdog groups in Japan should consider applying increased public pressure on manga artists and producers to curtail these depictions and to offer positive role models in their place.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking , Graphic Novels as Topic , Tobacco Use , Adolescent , Adult , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Child , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Japan , Male , Tobacco Use/psychologyABSTRACT
Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States, and youth exposure to alcohol advertising has been indicated as a possible contributing factor. Although a number of studies have identified advertising content features that youth find appealing, a key limitation of this research is the absence of a broader tool to examine those features, especially those used by alcohol brands that are popular with underage drinkers. We created an index of content elements found in the research literature to be appealing to youth, and then used this index in a content analysis to identify the degree to which youth-appealing content appeared in a sample of alcohol ads that aired on television shows popular among youth. Finally, using bivariate analysis, we tested the relationship between alcohol brands' use of this content and the popularity of those brands among youth. We found that many of the ads featured youth-appealing content, and that the ads for the alcohol brands most popular among youth had more youth-appealing content than the less popular brands.
Subject(s)
Advertising/trends , Direct-to-Consumer Advertising/trends , Television , Underage Drinking/prevention & control , Adolescent , Age Factors , Alcoholic Beverages , Child , Consumer Behavior , Female , Humans , Male , Underage Drinking/psychology , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study examined whether alcohol brands more popular among youth are more likely to have aired television advertisements that violated the alcohol industry's voluntary code by including youth-appealing content. METHODS: We obtained a complete list of 288 brand-specific beer advertisements broadcast during the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's and women's basketball tournaments from 1999 to 2008. All ads were rated by a panel of health professionals using a modified Delphi method to assess the presence of youth-appealing content in violation of the alcohol industry's voluntary code. The ads represented 23 alcohol brands. The popularity of these brands was operationalized as the brand-specific popularity of youth alcohol consumption in the past 30 days, as determined by a 2011 to 2012 national survey of underage drinkers. Brand-level popularity was used as the exposure variable to predict the odds of having advertisements with youth-appealing content violations. RESULTS: Accounting for other covariates and the clustering of advertisements within brands, increased brand popularity among underage youth was associated with significantly increased odds of having youth-appeal content violations in ads televised during the NCAA basketball tournament games (adjusted odds ratio = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.09). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol brands popular among underage drinkers are more likely to air television advertising that violates the industry's voluntary code which proscribes youth-appealing content.
Subject(s)
Beer , Direct-to-Consumer Advertising/trends , Television/trends , Underage Drinking/prevention & control , Underage Drinking/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Advertising/legislation & jurisprudence , Advertising/trends , Alcoholic Beverages , Direct-to-Consumer Advertising/legislation & jurisprudence , Female , Humans , Male , Television/legislation & jurisprudence , Underage Drinking/legislation & jurisprudence , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many transgender college students struggle with identity formation and other emotional, social, and developmental challenges associated with emerging adulthood. A potential maladaptive coping strategy employed by such students is heavy drinking. Prior literature has suggested greater consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences (ARCs) in transgender students compared with their cisgender peers, but little is known about their differing experiences with alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs). We examined the level of alcohol consumption, the frequency of ARBs and other ARCs, and motivations for drinking reported by the largest sample of transgender college students to date. METHODS: A Web survey from an alcohol-prevention program, AlcoholEdu for College™, assessed student demographics and drinking-related behaviors, experiences, and motivations of newly matriculating first-year college students. A self-reported drinking calendar was used to examine each of the following measures over the previous 14 days: number of drinking days, total number of drinks, and maximum number of drinks on any single day. A 7-point Likert scale was used to measure ARCs, ARBs, and drinking motivations. Transgender students of both sexes were compared with their cisgender peers. RESULTS: A total of 989 of 422,906 students (0.2%) identified as transgender. Over a 14-day period, transgender compared with cisgender students were more likely to consume alcohol over more days, more total drinks, and a greater number of maximum drinks on a single day. Transgender students (36%) were more likely to report an ARB than cisgender students (25%) as well as more negative academic, confrontation-related, social, and sexual ARCs. Transgender respondents more often cited stress reduction, social anxiety, self-esteem issues, and the inherent properties of alcohol as motivations for drinking. For nearly all measures, higher values were yielded by male-to-female than female-to-male transgender students. CONCLUSIONS: Transgender compared with cisgender first-year students engage in higher-risk drinking patterns and experience more ARBs and other negative ARCs. Broad institutional efforts are required to address the unique circumstances of transgender men and women and to reduce negative ARCs in college students, regardless of their sex or gender identity.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking in College/psychology , Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Motivation , Self Report , Students/psychology , Transgender Persons/psychology , Adolescent , Alcoholic Intoxication/diagnosis , Alcoholic Intoxication/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Retrospective Studies , Universities , Young AdultABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: : First-year college students are at particular risk for experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences that may set the stage for experiencing such consequences in later life. Latent class analysis is a person-centered approach that, based on observable indicator variables, divides a population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive groups ('classes'). To date, no studies have examined the latent class structure of negative alcohol-related consequences experienced by first-year college students just before entering college. AIMS: The aims of this study were to (a) identify classes of first-year college students based on the patterns of negative alcohol-related consequences they experienced just before entering college, and (b) determine whether specific covariates were associated with class membership. METHODS: Incoming freshmen from 148 colleges and universities (N = 54,435) completed a baseline questionnaire as part of an alcohol education program they completed just prior to their first year of college. Participants answered questions regarding demographics and other personal characteristics, their alcohol use in the past 2 weeks, and the negative alcohol-related consequences they had experienced during that time. RESULTS: Four distinct classes of students emerged: (a) No Problems, (b) Academic Problems, (c) Injured Self and (d) Severe Problems. Average number of drinks per drinking day, total number of drinking days, age of drinking initiation, intention to join a fraternity or sorority and family history of alcohol problems were associated with membership in all of the problem classes relative to the No Problems class. CONCLUSIONS: These results can inform future campus-based prevention efforts.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking in College , Alcohol-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Students/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Age Factors , Alcohol Drinking in College/psychology , Alcohol-Related Disorders/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Students/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States/epidemiology , Universities/statistics & numerical data , Young AdultABSTRACT
Social norms affect human behavior, and underage drinking is no exception. Using the theory of normative social behavior, this study tested the proposition that the association between perceptions about the prevalence of drinking (descriptive norms) and underage drinking is strengthened when perceived pressures to conform (injunctive norms) and beliefs about the benefits of drinking (outcome expectations) are high. This proposition was tested on a nationally representative sample of underage drinkers ages 13-20 (N = 1,031) in relation to their alcohol consumption, expanding on research with college-age youth. On average, males and females reported drinking 23 and 18 drinks per month, respectively. The main effect of descriptive norms (ß = .10, p < .01) on alcohol consumption was modified by interactions with injunctive norms (ß = .11, p < .01), benefit to self (ß = .12, p < .001), and benefit to others (ß = .10, p < .01). Underage drinkers are most vulnerable to excessive drinking if they believe that most others drink, that they themselves are expected to drink, and that drinking confers several benefits. Norms-based interventions to reduce youth alcohol use need to focus on changing not only descriptive norms but also injunctive norms and outcome expectations.
Subject(s)
Motivation , Social Norms , Underage Drinking/psychology , Adolescent , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Social Conformity , Social Perception , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Marketing is increasingly recognized as a potentially important contributor to youth drinking, yet few studies have examined the relationship between advertising exposure and alcohol consumption among underage youth at the brand level. OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between brand-specific exposure to alcohol advertising among underage youth and the consumption prevalence of each brand in a national sample of underage drinkers. METHODS: We analyzed the relationship between population-level exposure of underage youth ages 12-20 to brand-specific alcohol advertising in national magazines and television programs and the 30-day consumption prevalence--by brand--among a national sample of underage drinkers ages 13-20. Underage youth exposure to alcohol advertising by brand for each month in 2011, measured in gross rating points (GRPs, a standard measure of advertising exposure), was obtained from GfK MRI (a media consumer research company) and Nielsen for all measured national issues of magazines and all national television programs, respectively. The 30-day consumption prevalence for each brand was obtained from a national survey of 1031 underage drinkers conducted between December 2011 and May 2012. RESULTS: Underage youth were more than five times more likely to consume brands that advertise on national television and 36% more likely to consume brands that advertise in national magazines. The consumption prevalence of a brand increased by 36% for each 1.5 standard deviation (50 GRPs) increase in television adstock among underage youth and by 23% for each 1.5 standard deviation (10 GRPs) increase in magazine adstock. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that alcohol advertising influences an important aspect of drinking behavior--brand choice--among youth who consume alcohol.
Subject(s)
Advertising/statistics & numerical data , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholic Beverages , Consumer Behavior , Underage Drinking/psychology , Underage Drinking/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Periodicals as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Prevalence , Television/statistics & numerical data , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: No previous study has determined whether there are differences in the youth appeal of alcohol advertisements for popular versus unpopular brands among underage drinkers. This paper provides a systematic investigation of the differential appeal of brand-level alcohol advertisements among underage youth and young adults in the United States. METHODS: We examined 3 issues of 8 magazines popular among underage youth. From the advertised alcohol brands, we selected the ads for the top 10 and bottom 10 brands by prevalence of underage youth consumption, based on the results of a previous national survey. We assessed the ads' appeal using a sample of 211 students recruited from 1 graduate and 2 undergraduate courses at Boston University. Respondents rated the appeal of each advertisement on 4 dimensions: physical and social appeal, appeal to underage youth, perceived effectiveness, and liking. Using random-effects linear regression, we compared the appeal of advertisements for popular versus unpopular brands. RESULTS: On each dimension, the ads for popular youth alcohol brands were rated as significantly more appealing than the ads for unpopular brands. The magnitude of this difference was 0.26 standard deviation for the physical and social appeal score, 0.25 for the appeal to underage youth score, 0.21 for the perceived effectiveness score, and 0.16 for the liking score. CONCLUSIONS: Advertising for alcohol brands that are popular among youth contain elements that are more likely to appeal to underage youth and young adults than ads for brands that are relatively unpopular among young drinkers.
Subject(s)
Advertising/statistics & numerical data , Alcoholic Beverages/statistics & numerical data , Consumer Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Underage Drinking/psychology , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alcohol research focused on underage drinkers has not comprehensively assessed the landscape of brand-level drinking behaviors among youth. This information is needed to profile youth alcohol use accurately, explore its antecedents, and develop appropriate interventions. METHODS: We collected national data on the alcohol brand-level consumption of underage drinkers in the United States and then examined the association between those preferences and several factors including youth exposure to brand-specific alcohol advertising, corporate sponsorships, popular music lyrics, and social networking sites, and alcohol pricing. This paper summarizes our findings, plus the results of other published studies on alcohol branding and youth drinking. RESULTS: Our findings revealed several interesting facts regarding youth drinking. For example, we found that: 1) youth are not drinking the cheapest alcohol brands; 2) youth brand preferences differ from those of adult drinkers; 3) underage drinkers are not opportunistic in their alcohol consumption, but instead consume a very specific set of brands; 4) the brands that youth are heavily exposed to in magazines and television advertising correspond to the brands they most often report consuming; and 5) youth consume more of the alcohol brands to whose advertising they are most heavily exposed. CONCLUSION: The findings presented here suggests that brand-level alcohol research will provide important insight into youth drinking behaviors, the factors that contribute to youth alcohol consumption, and potential avenues for effective public health surveillance and programming.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between consumption of different types of flavored alcoholic beverages (FABs) and risky drinking and drinking-related harms among underage drinkers. METHODS: For the Alcohol Brand Research among Underage Youth study, we applied multivariable logistic regression analyses to data from underage drinkers (n = 1031, aged 13-20 years), recruited from a national Internet panel in 2011 to 2012, to estimate associations between consumption of malt-based drinks; spirits-based, premixed- or ready-to-drink cocktails; and supersized alcopops, alone or in combination, and alcohol-related outcomes. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, the exclusive consumption of alcopops was associated with episodic heavy drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 4.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24, 15.31; P < .05) and alcohol-related injuries (OR = 6.25; 95% CI = 1.34, 29.10; P < .05). Exclusive consumption of cocktails was associated with episodic heavy drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.26, 5.41; P < .05) and injuries requiring medical attention (OR = 6.50; 95% CI = 2.09, 20.17; P < .001. Exclusive consumption of 2 or more FABs was associated with episodic heavy drinking (OR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.25, 6.16; P < .05), fighting (OR = 3.30; 95% CI = 1.46, 7.47; P < .001), and alcohol-related injuries (OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.43, 5.58; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: FABs present an emerging public health problem among youths.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Alcoholic Beverages/adverse effects , Flavoring Agents , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Risk-Taking , Young AdultABSTRACT
AIMS: We investigated the population-level relationship between exposure to brand-specific advertising and brand-specific alcohol use among US youth. METHODS: We conducted an internet survey of a national sample of 1031 youth, ages 13-20, who had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. We ascertained all of the alcohol brands respondents consumed in the past 30 days, as well as which of 20 popular television shows they had viewed during that time period. Using a negative binomial regression model, we examined the relationship between aggregated brand-specific exposure to alcohol advertising on the 20 television shows [ad stock, measured in gross rating points (GRPs)] and youth brand-consumption prevalence, while controlling for the average price and overall market share of each brand. RESULTS: Brands with advertising exposure on the 20 television shows had a consumption prevalence about four times higher than brands not advertising on those shows. Brand-level advertising elasticity of demand varied by exposure level, with higher elasticity in the lower exposure range. The estimated advertising elasticity of 0.63 in the lower exposure range indicates that for each 1% increase in advertising exposure, a brand's youth consumption prevalence increases by 0.63%. CONCLUSIONS: At the population level, underage youths' exposure to brand-specific advertising was a significant predictor of the consumption prevalence of that brand, independent of each brand's price and overall market share. The non-linearity of the observed relationship suggests that youth advertising exposure may need to be lowered substantially in order to decrease consumption of the most heavily advertised brands.
Subject(s)
Advertising/statistics & numerical data , Alcoholic Beverages/statistics & numerical data , Television , Underage Drinking/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Regression Analysis , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
This study investigated whether underage drinkers with varied media use patterns differentially consume popular brands of alcohol. A survey was conducted with a national online panel of 1,032 underage youth 13-20 years of age who had consumed at least 1 drink in the past 30 days. A latent class analysis identified four distinct media use patterns. Further analyses explored whether these media use groups differentially consumed the most frequently used alcohol brands. The results showed that past 30-day consumption of specific alcohol brands differed significantly across the four media use clusters, even after controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, household income, U.S. geographic region, frequency of parent's alcohol overconsumption, cigarette smoking, and seatbelt use. This study shows that youth use media in different ways, and this differential use is significantly associated with the consumption of specific alcohol brands. The media clusters revealed in this analysis may inform future research about the association between specific alcohol media exposures and individual brand consumption.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholic Beverages/statistics & numerical data , Mass Media/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A significant body of research has demonstrated an association between adolescent alcohol consumption and subsequent fights and injuries. To date, however, no research has identified which brands are associated with alcohol-related fights and injuries among underage drinkers. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to: (1) report the prevalence of alcohol-related fights and injuries among a national sample of underage drinkers in the U.S. and (2) describe the relationship between specific alcohol brand consumption and these alcohol-related negative consequences. METHODS: We recruited 1,031 self-reported drinkers (ages 13-20 years) via an internet panel maintained by Knowledge Networks to complete an online survey. Respondents reported their past-month overall and brand-specific alcohol consumption, risky drinking behavior, and past-year alcohol-related fights and injuries. RESULTS: Over one-quarter of the respondents (26.7%, N = 232) reported at least one alcohol-related fight or injury in the past year. Heavy episodic drinkers were over six times more likely to report one of these negative alcohol-related consequences (AOR: 6.4, 95% CI: 4.1-9.9). Respondents of black race and those from higher-income households were also significantly more likely to report that experience (AOR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.3-3.7; AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.0 and 1.1-3.2, respectively). We identified eight alcohol brands that were significantly associated with alcohol-related fights and injuries. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Alcohol-related fights and injuries were frequently reported by adolescent respondents. Eight alcohol brands were significantly more popular among drinkers who experienced these adverse consequences. These results point to the need for further research on brand-specific correlates of underage drinking and negative health outcomes.
Subject(s)
Aggression/psychology , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholic Beverages , Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Underage Drinking/psychology , Violence/psychology , Adolescent , Adolescent Behavior , Female , Humans , Male , Marketing , Risk-Taking , Surveys and Questionnaires , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although valuable, national opinion surveys on alcohol policy may be less informative for policy development at the local level. Using samples of adult residents in 2 college communities, the present study: (1) measured public support for local alcohol control policies to stem underage drinking and alcohol overservice in on-premise outlets, (2) assessed residents' opinions regarding neighborhood problems, and (3) identified factors associated with strong policy support. METHODS: We administered random-sample telephone surveys to residents aged 21 years and older in college communities located in Community 1 (N = 501; mean age = 57.4 years, SD = 14.7) and Community 2 (N = 505; mean age = 56.0 years, SD = 15.2). The response rates were typical of telephone surveys (Community 1: 33.5%; Community 2: 29.9%). We assessed support for 16 alcohol control policies and the occurrence of specific types of neighborhood incidents (e.g., witnessing intoxicated people). We used multiple regression analyses to determine factors associated with policy support. RESULTS: Residents in Community 1 reported significantly higher weekly alcohol use, a greater number of witnessed neighborhood incidents, and a higher level of perceived neighborhood problems than did residents in Community 2. Residents in Community 1 perceived local alcohol control policies and their enforcement to be significantly stricter. Overall, policy support was high and did not differ between the communities. In both communities, higher policy support was significantly associated with being female, being older, less weekly alcohol use, and lower perceived strictness of alcohol control policies and enforcement. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for campus officials and community leaders to be aware of and publicize favorable public opinion when advocating for policy change, especially at the local level. Information on residents' perceptions of the neighborhood issues they face can also inform local policy and enforcement efforts.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/prevention & control , Health Policy , Public Opinion , Underage Drinking/prevention & control , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alcohol Drinking in College , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Residence Characteristics , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The alcohol brand preferences of US underage drinkers have recently been identified, but it is not known whether youth are simply mimicking adult brand choices or whether other factors are impacting their preferences. This study is the first to compare the alcohol brand preferences of underage drinkers and adults. METHODS: The authors conducted a cross-sectional assessment of youth and adult alcohol brand preferences. A 2012 Internet-based survey of a nationally representative sample of 1032 underage drinkers, ages 13-20, was used to determine the prevalence of past-30-day consumption for each of 898 alcohol brands, and each brand's youth market share, based on the total number of standard drinks consumed. Data on the brand-specific prevalence of past-30-day or past-7-day consumption among older youth (ages 18-20), adults (ages 21+), and young adults (ages 21-34) was obtained from Gfk MRI's Survey of the Adult Consumer for the years 2010-2012. Overall market shares for each brand, also measured by the total number of standard drinks consumed, were estimated from national data compiled by Impact Databank for the year 2010. RESULTS: Although most alcohol brands popular among underage drinkers were also popular among adult drinkers, there were several brands that appeared to be disproportionately consumed by youth. CONCLUSIONS: This article provides preliminary evidence that youth do not merely mimic the alcohol brand choices of adults. Further research using data derived from fully comparable data sources is necessary to confirm this finding.