| Purpose: This study examined the associations between frequency of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, drinking alone, drinking consequences and reports of fighting and weapon use in fights. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the first in-home survey of the public-use dataset (N=6504) of the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add-Health Study). This study, conducted in 1995, included a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusted for gender, grade, and race/ethnicity, were used to test the associations between each measure of alcohol consumption and involvement in fighting-related behaviors during the past 12 months. Results: Adolescents who reported drinking at least 2 days per month were more likely to report fighting (OR=2.40; 95%CI 2.01,2.87) and fighting with weapons (OR=5.46; 95%CI 4.01,7.44) than adolescents who did not drink. Those drinkers who reported binge drinking, drinking alone, and experiencing negative consequences from drinking were more likely to report fighting and using weapons in fights. Conclusions: These results extend our understanding of the association between alcohol use and fighting behaviors by highlighting specific alcohol consumption behaviors that are associated with risk for fighting and weapon use among adolescent drinkers. |
Updated 05/20/2006