Research & Resources

Researchers in this study used a national sample of adolescents to examine differences in engagement with types of activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, comparing adolescents who endorsed alcohol use and adolescents who did not. Data were analyzed from the 2019 Monitoring the Future study of 4,626 participants. Results showed that participants who did not endorse alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, including enjoying school and going to the mall. Participants who endorsed alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may facilitate alcohol use, such as spending time with friends and attending parties. Facilitating alcohol-involved activities was positively associated with alcohol use frequency. These findings suggest that some activities may serve as protective factors against alcohol use, while others may facilitate alcohol use among adolescents. The researchers suggest that national surveys consider adding specific measures of activity engagement to identify activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use among adolescents.

This paper, “Engagement in types of activities and frequency of alcohol use in a national sample of United States adolescents,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in the journal PloS one.