Friendship networks and trajectories of binge drinking

Citation

Pollard, Michael S.; Green, Harold D.; Kennedy, David; & Go, Myong-Hyun (2010). Friendship networks and trajectories of binge drinking. 2010 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.

Abstract

This study examines how friendship networks in adolescence are linked to binge drinking (BD) trajectories into young adulthood using Wave I to Wave III and network data from the saturated school samples. We test whether number of self-reported drinking friends is linked to longitudinal BD. We add to the literature by further examining whether an individual’s structural position (group member, liaison or isolate) in friendship networks is linked to longitudinal BD. Trajectories of BD episodes per month are first modeled on the entire longitudinal Add Health sample using semi-parametric longitudinal mixture models. Individuals are assigned to trajectory groups based on posterior probabilities of membership. Multinomial logit models of trajectory group membership are then estimated, and include information on self-reported number of drinking friends as well as a range of controls. Friendship network structural characteristics at Wave I for the saturated schools are modeled using NEGOPY. Network structure information is added to the models to investigate the association between structural position and alcohol use. Preliminary results identify six BD trajectories and indicate that exposure to drinking peers is positively associated with increasing and steady high binging.

URL

https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/news/FINAL%202010%20Add%20Health%20Users%20Conference%20Abstracts.pdf

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

2010 Add Health Users Conference

Author(s)

Pollard, Michael S.
Green, Harold D.
Kennedy, David
Go, Myong-Hyun

Year Published

2010

City of Publication

Bethesda, MD

Reference ID

6442