Social and Situational Party Characteristics Associated With High‐Intensity Alcohol Use Among Youth and Young Adults

Abstract

Background: Rates of high-intensity drinking, which is alcohol consumption that exceeds standard heavy drinking levels, have increased in recent years and peak in young adulthood. To identify modifiable environmental targets for prevention of high-intensity drinking, we identified characteristics of parties attended by youth and young adults that were associated with high-intensity drinking and the consequences of this excessive form of drinking.Methods: Data are from 15-to 20-year-old participants in an online survey (n = 2,442; 55.4% female, 74.8% White) who resided in 24 communities across 7 states that were a part of a community randomized intervention trial to reduce the incidence and consequences of underage drinking parties. We used multinomial logistic regression to predict level of drinking by 6 party characteristics (size, location, age and gender composition, supervision, others' drinking behavior), and to predict 6 consequences (hangover, not remember event, passed out, punished by parents, broke something/got in fight, and sex against will) from level of drinking. We tested study hypotheses in 2 models, one that used a single binge drinking threshold (below binge vs. at or above binge level) and one that additionally used a high-intensity drinking level (below binge, 1 to 2 times binge, 2+ times binge level).Results: We found that larger party size and a mostly male composition were unique predictors of high-intensity drinking when compared to those who consumed 1 to 2 times the binge drinking level. Odds of passing out, not remembering the drinking event, breaking/damaging property, or getting in a fight were more than double for high-intensity drinkers compared to standard binge level drinkers.Conclusions: Results from this study indicate there are unique precursors and consequences of highintensity alcohol consumption among youth and young adults. These environmental factors associated with high-risk drinking contexts can be used to develop prevention strategies to mitigate the harms associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Event‐Level Correlates of Drinking Events Characterized by Alcohol‐Induced Blackouts

“…Taken together, these findings suggest that drinking more than 8 (women) or 10 (men) drinks in a night increases the risk of a blackout by about 18‐fold (relative to light drinking nights). These event‐level data add to prior work showing that individuals who drink at high‐intensity levels report more consequences (Hingson et al., ; Linden‐Carmichael et al., ) and blackouts in particular (Cox et al., ). Our prospective data collected across 28 days confirm that blackouts are much more likely on events where these risky levels of use are reached.…”

“…“High‐intensity drinking” (HID), in particular, defined as twice the traditional “binge” or HED level of 4+/5+, has been shown to be associated with negative alcohol consequences (Hingson et al., ; Linden‐Carmichael et al., ). In a recent study, individuals who retrospectively reported that they drank beyond the HID threshold at the last party they attended (relative to those who drank at HED levels) also reported higher risk for a range of specific negative consequences, including blackouts (Cox et al., ). Yet, the extent to which HID uniquely increases the risk for blackouts relative to the risk conferred by HED has not yet been examined within an intensive longitudinal study.…”

Contextual factors associated with high‐intensity drinking events among young adults: A qualitative inquiry

“…Another recent study among youth aged 15 to 20 used online surveys to collect information about the last party participants attended. Larger party sizes were associated with drinking at HID versus HED levels (Cox et al, 2019). Some other party characteristics (e.g., parties in which many people were drunk, drinking somewhere other than home) were associated with heavier drinking, but were not specific to HID.…”

Adaptación y estudio de las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de consecuencias de consumo de alcohol en jóvenes, forma breve, en muestra española

“…Ambas zonas son de las últimas en madurar y por tanto más vulnerables a sufrir cambios con el abuso de alcohol que se produce a partir de los 12 o 13 años, pudiendo incluso llegar a experimentar modificaciones irreversibles (Guerri y Pascual, 2019;Hagler et al, 2019;López-Caneda, Cadaveira y Campanella, 2018;Meruelo et al, 2019;Sullivan et al, 2019). Problemas de este tipo pueden ser las lagunas de memoria (Cox et al, 2019;McGovern, 2019;Wombacher, Matig, Sheff y Scott, 2019) y una mayor dificultad para pensar con claridad o para realizar correctamente tareas (Krieger, Young, Anthenien y Neighbors, 2018;McGovern, 2019;Naudé et al, 2019;Zamroziewicz et al, 2017), lo que puede dar lugar al fracaso y al absentismo escolar (Gakh, Coughenour, Assoumou y Vanderstelt, 2019;Niu, Jeong y Willoughby, 2020;Ribeiro, Fernandes y Macêdo, 2019).…”

“…Pero además de estas consecuencias a nivel biológico, esta forma de beber lleva asociada otro tipo de consecuencias entre las que se encuentran una mayor predisposición a progresar en la adicción (Naudé et al, 2019;Prince, Read y Colder, 2019;Tucker, Orlando y Ellickson, 2003) y la prevalencia de actividades de riesgo como por ejemplo participar en peleas o discusiones, conducir después de haber bebido o realizar conductas sexuales de riesgo (Cox et al, 2019;Krieger et al, 2018;McGovern, 2019;Niu et al, 2020).…”