Gender-specific predictors of at-risk adolescents’ hazardous alcohol use—a cohort study

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found strong associations between adolescents’ hazardous alcohol use and their perception of peer behavior, as well as own spending money and a range of antisocial behaviors. However, there is insufficient evidence of gender-specific predictors among adolescents with elevated antisocial behavior and alcohol use to design effective selective interventions. The aims of this study were to test short-term predictors of Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) and risk-use of alcohol among 12-18-year-old females and males with elevated externalizing and delinquent behavior, and alcohol use. METHODS: Eighty-five females, 77 males, and their parents, originally recruited for a parent intervention, were assessed at baseline and 6 months later with several validated instruments measuring externalizing and internalizing behavior, alcohol use, psychosocial distress, and delinquency. RESULTS: The perception of peer drinking significantly predicted both genders’ HED and risk-use, and also externalizing behavior predicted female risk-use. Rule-breaking behavior and social problems predicted both HED and risk-use among males, while rule-breaking predicted female HED and social problems predicted female risk-use. The parents’ ratings of externalizing behavior predicted only their sons’ risk-use. Lastly, no differences in prediction strength were found to be statistically significant differences between genders. CONCLUSIONS: Females and males shared several predictors of hazardous alcohol use, and perception of peer drinking emerged as a strong predictor. This suggests that interventions may target both genders’ hazardous use of alcohol, and should address peer-resisting skills.