The influence of alcohol marketing and other factors on youth drinking.

Objective: The primary objectives of this study are to assess the influence of alcohol marketing exposure on alcohol use in youth as well factors that moderate or mediate the relationship between alcohol marketing & alcohol use in youth. Also, this study aims to assess the relative influence of alcohol marketing on alcohol use as compared to other main known and assumed factors which are amendable by policy, education and child rearing.

Study design: A longitudinal cohort study with three waves of data collection will be conducted among adolescents attending secondary school, using a school-based survey.

Total duration of the study is 36 months. T1 is in the second school year (typical ages 13-14), T2 is 12 months later (ages 14-15) and T3 another 12 months later (ages 15-16).

Study population: 1600 adolescents (T1) attending the second year of secondary school (typically aged 13-14) at three different school types (VMBO-T, HAVO and VWO) will be included in the study, via a stratified sample of secondary schools according to educational level.

Main study parameters/endpoints: The main study parameter is (frequency and intensity
of) alcohol use in youth. Other parameters are the influence of alcohol marketing exposure
on alcohol use in youth and factors that moderate or mediate the relationship between
marketing & drinking, such as personal relevance of advertisements and alcohol-related attitudes.
Additional parameters are the differences in contributing effect sizes of some of the main known and assumed predictors of alcohol use, including factors amendable by policy, education and child rearing, such as parenting styles and alcohol availability/accessibility.

1. Alcohol marketing influences youth drinking


2. The following factors moderate of mediate the relationship between marketing & drinking: a. Personal relevance of advertisements, b. Sociability, parental guidance in understanding TV and advertisement, c. Alcohol-related attitudes


3. Youth drinking is influenced by several factors of which alcohol marketing is one. Others are: a. parenting styles, b. alcohol availability/accessibility, c. school based preventive interventions, d. peer influence, e. pubertal development, f. personality. We expect differences in the relative influence of these factors on youth drinking.

A longitudinal cohort study with two or three waves of data collection (depending on funding; this will be decided upon inbetween waves 1 and 2) will be conducted among adolescents attending secondary school, using a school-based survey.

Total duration of the study is 36 months. T1 is in the second school year (typical ages 13-14), T2 is 12 months later (ages 14-15) and T3 another 12 months later (ages 15-16).

Not applicable