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Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Nesi, J; Rothenberg, WA; Hussong, AM; Jackson, KM
Published in: The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
June 2017

Adolescents' increased use of social networking sites (SNS) coincides with a developmental period of heightened risk for alcohol use initiation. However, little is known regarding associations between adolescents' SNS use and drinking initiation nor the mechanisms of this association. This study examined longitudinal associations among adolescents' exposure to friends' alcohol-related SNS postings, alcohol-favorable peer injunctive norms, and initiation of drinking behaviors.Participants were 658 high-school students who reported on posting of alcohol-related SNS content by self and friends, alcohol-related injunctive norms, and other developmental risk factors for alcohol use at two time points, 1 year apart. Participants also reported on initiation of three drinking behaviors: consuming a full drink, becoming drunk, and heavy episodic drinking (three or more drinks per occasion). Probit regression analyses were used to predict initiation of drinking behaviors from exposure to alcohol-related SNS content. Path analyses examined mediation of this association by peer injunctive norms.Exposure to friends' alcohol-related SNS content predicted adolescents' initiation of drinking and heavy episodic drinking 1 year later, controlling for demographic and known developmental risk factors for alcohol use (i.e., parental monitoring and peer orientation). In addition, alcohol-favorable peer injunctive norms statistically mediated the relationship between alcohol-related SNS exposure and each drinking milestone.Results suggest that social media plays a unique role in contributing to peer influence processes surrounding alcohol use and highlight the need for future investigative and preventive efforts to account for adolescents' changing social environments.

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Published In

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

DOI

EISSN

1879-1972

ISSN

1054-139X

Publication Date

June 2017

Volume

60

Issue

6

Start / End Page

641 / 647

Related Subject Headings

  • Underage Drinking
  • Social Media
  • Public Health
  • Prospective Studies
  • Peer Group
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Friends
  • Female
  • Alcohol Drinking
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Nesi, J., Rothenberg, W. A., Hussong, A. M., & Jackson, K. M. (2017). Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms. The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 60(6), 641–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.01.009
Nesi, Jacqueline, W Andrew Rothenberg, Andrea M. Hussong, and Kristina M. Jackson. “Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms.The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 60, no. 6 (June 2017): 641–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.01.009.
Nesi J, Rothenberg WA, Hussong AM, Jackson KM. Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. 2017 Jun;60(6):641–7.
Nesi, Jacqueline, et al. “Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms.The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, vol. 60, no. 6, June 2017, pp. 641–47. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.01.009.
Nesi J, Rothenberg WA, Hussong AM, Jackson KM. Friends' Alcohol-Related Social Networking Site Activity Predicts Escalations in Adolescent Drinking: Mediation by Peer Norms. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. 2017 Jun;60(6):641–647.
Journal cover image

Published In

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

DOI

EISSN

1879-1972

ISSN

1054-139X

Publication Date

June 2017

Volume

60

Issue

6

Start / End Page

641 / 647

Related Subject Headings

  • Underage Drinking
  • Social Media
  • Public Health
  • Prospective Studies
  • Peer Group
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Friends
  • Female
  • Alcohol Drinking