Patterns of Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence Predict Problem Use at Age 16.

Aims: Teenagers in the UK report some of the highest rates of alcohol use in Europe. We identify patterns of alcohol use in early adolescence and relate these to hazardous and harmful alcohol use at age 16. Methods: In a UK birth cohort, we analysed repeated measures of alcohol use from age 13 to 15...

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Published in:Alcohol & Alcoholism Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 169 - 178
Main Authors: Heron, Jon, Macleod, John, Munafò, Marcus R., Melotti, Roberto, Lewis, Glyn, Tilling, Kate, Hickman, Matthew
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Oxford University Press / USA Mar/Apr2012
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar/Apr2012
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      pub: Oxford University Press / USA
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        10.1093/alcalc/agr156
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        atl: Patterns of Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence Predict Problem Use at Age 16.
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          Heron, Jon
          Macleod, John
          Munafò, Marcus R.
          Melotti, Roberto
          Lewis, Glyn
          Tilling, Kate
          Hickman, Matthew
        affil: School of Social and Community Medicine , University of Bristol , Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS , UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Alcohol Abuse Epidemiology
          Alcohol Abuse Risk Factors
          Risk Taking Behavior In Adolescence
          Human
          Adolescence
          Alcohol Abuse Diagnosis
          England
          Descriptive Statistics
          Male
          Female
          P-Value
          Odds Ratio
          Confidence Intervals
          Questionnaires
          Psychological Tests
          Funding Source
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Aims: Teenagers in the UK report some of the highest rates of alcohol use in Europe. We identify patterns of alcohol use in early adolescence and relate these to hazardous and harmful alcohol use at age 16. Methods: In a UK birth cohort, we analysed repeated measures of alcohol use from age 13 to 15 in a sample of 7100 adolescents. Data on drinking frequency and typical consumption when drinking were modelled separately using a pair of latent class models. Classes of alcohol-use behaviour were contrasted across a range of risk factors and then to hazardous and harmful alcohol use as assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scale at age 16. Results: Heterogeneity in drinking frequency and consumption could each be captured with three classes corresponding to low, medium and high levels. In total, 14.2% were classified as high-frequency and 8.9% as high consumption alcohol users. Socio-demographic factors, maternal substance use and the young persons' use of tobacco and cannabis were associated with class membership. At age 16, 29% were drinking hazardously and a further 5.6% were assessed as harmful drinkers. Young people in the high drinking frequency or consumption class had a 9-fold increased risk of reporting harmful drinking at age 16. Conclusions: By the age of 16, a substantial proportion of teenagers in this sample were drinking at levels that could be considered hazardous or harmful for an adult. Patterns of alcohol exposure in early adolescence were strongly associated with later alcohol use. Altering drinking patterns in middle adolescence has the potential to reduce harmful use in later adolescence.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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