[Volume and profile of alcohol consumption among students and classmates as predictors of aggression and victimization: a multilevel analysis among Swiss adolescents]

Abstract

Objective: To test the effects of the volume of alcohol consumption and drinking patterns on alcohol-related aggression and victimization, both at the individual and class levels.

Methods: Representative sample drawn from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) of 6496 Swiss adolescents (13 to 16 years). Hierarchical multi-level models were used to simultaneously estimate individual and environmental influences. In addition to indicators of consumption of alcohol and other substances, age, sex, socioeconomic indicators and satisfaction with the relationship to parents were used as covariates.

Results: After controlling for confounding, both volume of alcohol consumption and the frequency of binge drinking occasions were associated independently with alcohol-related problems (aggression/victimization) on the individual level. On the aggregate level, there was colinearity between volume of drinking and frequency of heavy drinking occasions. When entered in the same model, however, only the effect of volume effect stayed in the same direction.

Conclusions: Not only individual volume of drinking, but also the way alcohol is consumed influences individual problem levels. This includes individual patterns of drinking as well as environmental influences at school. These results open up important considerations for theory, research and prevention.