Abstract
Despite the centrality of dating relationships for teens, it is unclear whether the influence of romantic partners’ alcohol use on adolescents’ under-age drinking is distinct from the influence of peers and parents. To address this gap, this study used longitudinal data from a population-based sample of 825 adolescents (49% male, 51% female), ages 12 to 19. Adolescents completed a survey using laptops for privacy, and a parent completed a survey separately. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression models assessed alcohol use frequency and alcohol problems and included dating partners’ drinking, adolescents’ prior drinking, peers’ drinking, parents’ substance use, parental monitoring, and sociodemographic background characteristics. Alcohol use frequency and alcohol problems were influenced by dating partners’ alcohol use and dating partners’ influence was stronger on older adolescents and male adolescents. The study results are useful for public health messaging and prevention efforts by demonstrating the influence of parents, peers, and dating partners on teens’ alcohol use.
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Authors’ Contributions
M.A.L. conceived of the study and its design, coordinated the study, drafted the manuscript, and serves as a primary investigator of the TARS study from which the data analyzed was produced; E.E.S. participated in study design, data interpretation, and coordination, helped draft the manuscript, and performed statistical analysis and measurement; W.D.M. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, drafted the manuscript, and serves as a primary investigator of the TARS study; P.C.G. conceived of the study, its design and coordination, helped draft the manuscript, and serves as a primary investigator for the TARS study; W.M.C. participated in study design and data interpretation, and performed statistical analysis; H.L.T. participated in study design and data interpretation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This research received support from The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD036223), and the Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, which has core funding from The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R24HD050959-01). The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Data Sharing and Declaration
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the ICPSR repository [https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/DSDR/series/252].
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Longmore, M.A., Sevareid, E.E., Manning, W.D. et al. Adolescents’ Frequency of Alcohol Use and Problems from Alcohol Abuse: Integrating Dating Partners with Parent and Peer Influences. J Youth Adolescence 51, 320–334 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01486-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01486-0