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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Since 2000, adolescents' alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking (HED) have declined in the Nordic countries. However, little is known about corresponding trends in alcohol-related harm and possible changes in the alcohol-harm association. The aims are to examine (i) whether the decline in HED was accompanied by a decline in alcohol-related violence (AV) and (ii) whether the strength of the HED-AV association changed concomitant with the decline.
METHODS: Analysis of data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), conducted among 15-16-year-olds in Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 2007 and 2015 (n = 17 027). Changes in proportions of AV and alcohol use past 12 months, and mean frequency of HED past 30 days were examined using Pearsons χ2-test and F-test, respectively. The HED-AV associations were estimated using logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: HED and AV proportions decreased from 2007 to 2015 in all countries. Among current drinkers (n = 8927), both HED frequency and AV proportion decreased in Norway (P < 0.001) and remained stable in Iceland. In Sweden, AV decreased (P < 0.001) whereas HED remained stable. The magnitude of the HED-AV association increased in Norway (Beta2015-2007 = 0.145, 95% CI 0.054-0.236), remained the same in Iceland and decreased in Sweden (Beta2015-2007 = -0.082, 95% CI -0.158 to -0.005).
CONCLUSIONS: Among youth in Iceland, Norway and Sweden, heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related violence declined from 2007 to 2015. Among drinkers, the strength of the alcohol-violence association was moderated by the extent of heavy episodic drinking.
Language: en |