Alcohol Use and Related Behaviors Among Late-Adolescent Urban Youths: Peer and Parent Influences

Abstract

Peer and parent influences on alcohol use and related risky behaviors were examined in a sample of late-adolescent (M = 17.3 years; SD = 1.11 years) urban youths. Participants (N = 400) completed an online measure assessing peer influences of alcohol use and alcohol offers and also parental influences of rules against alcohol use and perceived levels of emotional family support, relative to youths' alcohol use, binge drinking, alcohol-related consequences, and intentions to drink. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that increased peer alcohol use and alcohol offers were associated with youths' increased drinking, binge drinking, alcohol-related consequences, and intentions to drink. Controlling for peer influences, parental rules against alcohol use were associated with decreased drinking, binge drinking, and intentions to drink; increased levels of family support were associated with decreased alcohol-related consequences and intentions to drink. These findings suggest that parental influences, albeit small relative to peer influences, are associated with fewer instances of monthly alcohol use and related risky behaviors among late-adolescent urban youths.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• influences
• parents
• peers
• youth

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Grant No. R01 AA11924.

Notes

Notes. Past-month alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences scores represent number of occasions.

^a Lower scores are better.

Notes. Parent rules (0 = no, 1 = yes); lower family support scores are better.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

Notes. N = 383. ΔR ² for each Model 1 represents variance explained after adjusting for age, gender, ethnic-racial group, academic performance, enrollment in school, living arrangement, and assignment to intervention or control arm. Rules against use (0 = no, 1 = yes); lower family support scores are better.

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.

Notes. N = 383. ΔR ² for each Model 1 represents variance explained after adjusting for age, gender, ethnic-racial group, academic performance, enrollment in school, living arrangement, and assignment to intervention or control arm. Rules against use (0 = no, 1 = yes); lower family support scores are better.

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.