Exposure to online alcohol marketing and adolescents' drinking: A cross-sectional study in four European countries

Avalon de Bruijn*, Rutger Engels, Peter Anderson, Michal Bujalski, Jordi F. Gosselt, Dirk Schreckenberg, Jördis Wohtge, Rebecca de Leeuw

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)
53 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Aims: The Internet is the leading medium among European adolescents in contemporary times even more time is spent on the Internet than watching television. This study investigates associations between online alcohol marketing exposure and onset of drinking and binge drinking among adolescents in four European countries.Method: A total of 9038 students with a mean age of 14.05 (SD 0.82) participated in a school-based survey in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional cross-country survey data were undertaken. Exposure to online alcohol marketing, televised alcohol advertising and ownership of alcohol-branded items was estimated to be controlled for relevant confounders. Onset of drinking and binge drinking in the past 30 days were included in the study as outcome variables.Results: Adjusted for relevant confounders, higher exposure to (online) alcohol marketing exposure was found to be related to the odds of starting to drink (p < 0.001) and the odds of binge drinking in the past 30 days (p < 0.001). This effect was found to be consistent in all four countries. Active engagement with online alcohol marketing was found to interact more strongly with drinking outcomes than passive exposure to online alcohol marketing.Conclusions: Youngsters in the four European countries report frequent exposure to online alcohol marketing. The association between this exposure and adolescents' drinking was robust and seems consistent across national contexts.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberagw020
Pages (from-to)615-621
Number of pages7
JournalAlcohol and Alcoholism
Volume51
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2016

Keywords

  • 2023 OA procedure

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