Citation

Vinther-Larsen M, Huckle T, You R, Casswell S. Health Place 2012; 19: 53-58.

Affiliation

National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: mvl@niph.dk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.09.014

PMID

23178329

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess relationships between area level deprivation and drinking patterns among adolescents. METHOD: This study uses data from the national New Zealand Alcohol Survey 2004 comprising 1828, age range 12-19 years. A multilevel linear regression was conducted using NZDep2001 (a composite deprivation measure) as the exposure and alcohol use (quantity and frequency) as outcome. RESULTS: A J-shaped association was observed between area level deprivation and quantity of adolescents' alcohol use after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and individual socioeconomic position; where adolescents living in the most deprived areas consumed the heaviest quantities of alcohol. No association was found for frequency of drinking. CONCLUSION: This study found a J-shaped relationship between area-level disadvantage and increased quantities consumed, where adolescents living in the most deprived areas typically consumed the heaviest quantities of alcohol. However, our study has also highlighted that future research may better isolate an independent relationship between deprivation and consumption in adolescents by accounting for structural variables related to both deprivation and consumption, such as alcohol outlet density.

Language: en