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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Eun-Young Song¹, Mark Wolfson², Kristie Long Foley¹, Beth A. Reboussin³, and Kimberly Wagoner². (1) Division of Public Health Sciences/Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2000 W. First St., Winston-Salem, NC 27104, (336) 716-9280, esong@wfubmc.edu, (2) Div of Public Health Sciences/Dept of Social Sciences & Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2000 W. 1st Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, (3) Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27104

This study examines the association of social influences on alcohol use among 6,974 youths aged 14-20 living in 68 communities in 5 states to participate in a telephone interview. The generalized estimating equations method was used to estimate the role of social influences on past 30-day and binge drinking. In multivariate analyses, individuals who ever drunk alcohol without parents' presence and who believed most of their friends drank alcohol in the last 30 days or got drunk at least once a week were more likely to report past 30-day alcohol use (p < 0.01). Respondents who believed that their parents would punish them if caught drinking and who were more certain of getting caught by police for drinking were less likely to report past 30-day alcohol use (p < 0.01). In an analysis on the subset of ever drinkers, individuals who ever drunk alcohol without parents' presence and who believed most of their friends drank alcohol in the last 30 days or got drunk at least once a week were more likely to report binge drinking (p < 0.01). Respondents who were given alcohol by their parents, who believed that their parents would talk with or punish them if caught drinking, and who believed obtaining alcohol is difficult were less likely to report binge drinking (p < 0.01). These data suggest that active parenting (e.g., monitoring, supervision, and communication) and community efforts (increasing law enforcements and decreasing availability of alcohol) can lower underage drinking.

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