Citation

Rehm JT, Monga N, Adlaf EM, Taylor B, Bondy SJ, Fallu JS. Alcohol Alcohol. 2005; 40(6): 569-574.

Affiliation

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/alcalc/agh212

PMID

16157609

Abstract

AIMS: To test the hypotheses that average volume of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking, each influence alcohol-related problems and that both act at individual and aggregate levels. METHODS: The 2003 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey obtained self-administered questionnaires from a representative classroom-based survey of 2455 Ontario secondary school students (grades 9-12) from 74 schools, with a student completion rate of 72%. Average volume of alcohol consumption was assessed using a quantity-frequency measure. Heavy drinking occasions were operationalized by four dummy variables indicating less than monthly, monthly, weekly and daily consumption of five or more drinks per occasion, with never having a heavy drinking occasion serving as the reference group. Alcohol-related problems were measured by using seven items of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. RESULTS: As hypothesized, both the average volume of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking influenced alcohol-related problems at the student level, independently of each other. At the school level, both determinants significantly influenced the problems, but not when simultaneously entered into the equation. CONCLUSIONS: Future prevention of alcohol-related problems in adolescents should consider both the average volume and patterns of drinking. Both prevention and research should also try to include environmental determination of alcohol-related problems.