Association between binge drinking, type of friends and gender: A cross-sectional study among Brazilian adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundHazardous drinking among adolescents is a major public health concern. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of binge drinking/alcohol consumption and its association with different types of friendship networks, gender and socioeconomic status among students in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study on a representative random sample of 891 adolescents (41% male, aged 15–19 years) from public and private schools in 2009–2010. Information on friendship networks and binge drinking was collected using two validated self-administered questionnaires: the Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital and the first 3 items in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT C). We used the area-based Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), mother and father’s educational background, and the type of school to assess socioeconomic status. The chi-squared test was used to examine the associations between sample characteristics or the type of friends and binge drinking (p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant). Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the association between binge drinking and the independent variables.ResultsA total of 321 (36%) adolescents reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks in one occasion), and among them, 233 (26.2%) adolescents reported binge drinking less than monthly to monthly, and 88 (9.9%) weekly to daily. Binge drinking was associated with being male (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.01–2.28) and with living in a low vulnerability area (having the best housing conditions, schooling, income, jobs, legal assistance and health) (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.05–2.62). Students who reported that their closest friends were from school (as opposed to friends from church) had an increased risk of binge drinking (OR = 3.55, 95% CI 1.91–5.87). In analyses stratified by gender, the association was significant only among the female students.ConclusionsThe prevalence of binge drinking was high in this sample of Brazilian adolescents, and gender, low social vulnerability and friendship network were associated with binge drinking.

Binge drinking and associated factors among adolescents in a city in southeastern Brazil: a longitudinal study

“…In Brazil, Sanchez et al 7 found a binge drinking rate of 32% among students in all five Brazilian macro regions. A similar prevalence rate was found among students aged 15 to 19 years in the city of Belo Horizonte (36%) 8 .…”

“…Binge drinking is often associated with the use of other substances, such as cigarettes 37 . This association may be explained by common predisposing factors, such as the influence of peers, parental behavior regarding alcohol, tobacco and supervision 1 as well as aspects related to religious participation 8,38 . In contrast to the present findings, Fisher et al 39 conducted a cohort study in the United States and concluded that smoking did not appear to increase the risk of binge drinking among individuals who had initiated alcohol use.…”

“…A meta-analysis of marijuana and alcohol use by socioeconomic status in adolescents concluded that adolescents with lower socioeconomic status have greater risk behavior than adolescents with higher socioeconomic status 17 . On the other hand, Brazilian epidemiological studies have found an association between a higher socioeconomic status and binge drinking 7,8,18,19 . According to a review about the relationship between socioeconomic status and health-related behaviors in adolescence, the existence of an association between socioeconomic status and alcohol use is not evident in the studies analyzed, but would require further analysis in different countries to improve the evidence 20 .…”

Factors Associated With Alcohol Consumption in Adolescence, by Gender

“…A par das atitudes e comportamentos dos pais e familiares face ao consumo, as atitudes e comportamentos dos grupos de pares face a bebidas alcoólicas são os fatores de risco mais frequentemente referidos na literatura como fortemente associados ao consumo de álcool (Zarzar, et al, 2012;Svensson, 2010;Bekman, Cummings & Brown, 2010). A disponibilidade financeira, ou o dinheiro disponível para despesas pessoais, embora menos referida pela literatura, surge igualmente como fator de risco para o consumo (Donath et al, 2012).Embora no presente estudo o prazer decorrente do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas tenha sido identificado por todos os grupos enquanto fator de risco para o consumo regular, o mesmo raramente é referido pela literatura.…”

Is Binge Drinking Prevalent in Greece after the Emergence of the Economic Crisis? Assessment of This Idea Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

“…When examining binge drinking among Brazilian adolescents, Zarzar et al [12] concluded that gender, friendship networks, and social vulnerability are strongly correlated with excessive alcohol consumption. Finally, personality traits also play an important role in alcohol use.…”