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Citation
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Riehm KE, Thrul J, Barrington-Trimis JL, Kelleghan A, Mojtabai R, Leventhal AM. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: While use of digital media and alcohol are common among adolescent females and males, longitudinal evidence on their association is scant. This study examined the association of digital media use frequency with subsequent initiation and progression of alcohol use. We also examined whether these associations were moderated by gender and race/ethnicity.
METHODS: This study included 2,473 adolescents from a prospective cohort in the Los Angeles area who were surveyed in Fall 2015 (11(th) grade, baseline for the current study) and every 6 months through the end of high school (Spring 2017, 12(th) grade). At baseline, youth self-reported on the total number of 14 digital media activities (e.g., checking social media, streaming music/videos, texting) they engaged in at a high frequency (i.e., many times a day) over the past week. Scores ranged from 0 (i.e., no reported high frequency digital media use) to 14 (i.e., reported engaging in all 14 digital media activities at a high frequency). Self-report measures of ever using alcohol, number of days of alcohol use in the past 30 days (0-30), binge drinking (yes/no), and covariates (i.e., demographics, behavioral health, and other substance use) were assessed at each time point.
RESULTS: Among baseline never-users of alcohol (n=1,214), high frequency engagement in each additional digital media activity was associated with 4% higher odds of initiating alcohol use (aOR=1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07) across follow-up. Among baseline alcohol ever-users (n=1,259), baseline high frequency engagement in each additional digital media activity was associated with 3% more days of alcohol use in the past 30 days at follow-up (aIRR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06). Digital media use and binge drinking were not statistically significantly associated at follow-up. These associations did not differ by gender or race/ethnicity.
CONCLUSIONS: Digital media use frequency was modestly associated with increased risk of initiation and progression of alcohol use in adolescence. Additional research is needed to determine potential mechanisms for these associations.
Language: en |