Sports participation and group membership have been promoted as protective factors for substance abuse because of associated decreases in deviant behavior and increases in social bonding. Recent results from the Monitoring the Future project indicated that 16 percent of 8th graders, 25 percent of 10th graders, and 30 percent of 12th graders were binge drinkers. We investigated the relationship between binge drinking and group membership in a representative sample of 3556 adolescents in four public school systems in the southeastern United States. Binge drinking was assessed based on responses denoting five or more drinks. Using a multiple logistic regression procedure we investigated the relationship of binge drinking with each activity group, along with possible influences of gender and ethnicity. Results indicate that adolescents who only participated in school clubs were 1.9 times less likely to binge drink (p=.0001) and those who only participated in school sports were 4 times more likely to binge drink when compared to their non-participant peers (p=.02). Additionally, adolescents who only participated in recreational sports were 1.6 times more likely to binge drink than non-participants (p=.001). Males were 1.8 times more likely to binge drink than females (p=.0001) and ethnicity was not significant. Previous studies have shown conflicting results concerning the effect of group membership on alcohol consumption and few have looked specifically at binge drinking. Our results suggest that participation in physical activity may predispose adolescents to more abusive types of alcohol behaviors and club membership.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Binge Drinking, Adolescents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.