Gender, social bonds and alcohol use: Testing a theory-based latent variable model

Objective

This study tests a model that describes the association between the parental and school connectedness, future aspirations, and alcohol use among adolescents. Additionally, this study describes how the relationship between these associations, are moderated by gender.

Method

Data for this study are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) 1994-2002, a study of a nationally representative sample of United States adolescents followed from grades 7-12 into young adulthood. Computer-assisted personal and computer-assisted self-interviews were conducted on a sample of 27,000 adolescents.

Multiple-group structural equation modeling was used to assess the associations between adolescents' parent and school connectedness, future aspirations and alcohol use and to differences in magnitude and significance of relationships between the constructs.

Results

The theory-derived structural equation model showed good fit to the data, indicating potential for the model to represent population associations. Whether adolescents felt connected to parents, persons at school, or felt happy at school and had positive aspirations about the future was significantly associated with alcohol use among this sample. The paths were significant for males and females although magnitude of the paths were slightly different between genders.

Conclusion

Weakened bonds to parents and school may be associated with lowered future aspirations and subsequent use of alcohol among adolescents. The mechanisms by which bonds to conventional society develop as well as promote or prevent alcohol use among adolescents deserve further investigation.