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. 2015 Apr;105(4):810-5.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302349. Epub 2015 Feb 25.

Flavored alcoholic beverage use, risky drinking behaviors, and adverse outcomes among underage drinkers: results from the ABRAND Study

Alison Burke Albers  1 , Michael Siegel, Rebecca L Ramirez, Craig Ross, William DeJong, David H Jernigan
Affiliations

Flavored alcoholic beverage use, risky drinking behaviors, and adverse outcomes among underage drinkers: results from the ABRAND Study

Alison Burke Albers et al. Am J Public Health. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined associations between consumption of different types of flavored alcoholic beverages (FABs) and risky drinking and drinking-related harms among underage drinkers.

Methods: For the Alcohol Brand Research among Underage Youth study, we applied multivariable logistic regression analyses to data from underage drinkers (n = 1031, aged 13-20 years), recruited from a national Internet panel in 2011 to 2012, to estimate associations between consumption of malt-based drinks; spirits-based, premixed- or ready-to-drink cocktails; and supersized alcopops, alone or in combination, and alcohol-related outcomes.

Results: After adjustment for confounding variables, the exclusive consumption of alcopops was associated with episodic heavy drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 4.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24, 15.31; P < .05) and alcohol-related injuries (OR = 6.25; 95% CI = 1.34, 29.10; P < .05). Exclusive consumption of cocktails was associated with episodic heavy drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.26, 5.41; P < .05) and injuries requiring medical attention (OR = 6.50; 95% CI = 2.09, 20.17; P < .001. Exclusive consumption of 2 or more FABs was associated with episodic heavy drinking (OR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.25, 6.16; P < .05), fighting (OR = 3.30; 95% CI = 1.46, 7.47; P < .001), and alcohol-related injuries (OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.43, 5.58; P < .001).

Conclusions: FABs present an emerging public health problem among youths.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Venn diagram of flavored alcoholic beverage (FAB) brand use among underage drinkers. Note. This Venn diagram demonstrates the interaction of the use of flavored malt; spirits-based, premixed- or ready-to-drink cocktails; and supersized alcopops. FABs are defined as brands belonging to 1 of these 3 categories of alcoholic beverages. Supersized alcopops are sold in 16-ounce-or-greater containers and contain at least 10% alcohol by volume. The sample size of any combination of 2 or more FAB categories is n = 198.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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