The neighbourhood social environment and alcohol use among urban and rural Scottish adolescents

Gina Martin, Joanna Inchley, Alan Marshall, Niamh Shortt, Candace Currie

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Articlepeer-review

    13 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Objectives: This research examined the relationship between neighbourhood social environmental characteristics and drinking outcomes among a sample of urban and rural adolescents. Methods: From a sample of 1558 Scottish secondary schoolchildren, surveyed as part of the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, we modelled three drinking outcomes on a variety of neighbourhood conditions, including social cohesion, disorder, alcohol outlet density, deprivation, and urban/rurality. Nested and cross-classified multilevel logistic regressions were specified. Results: An urban-to-rural gradient was found with non-urban adolescents exhibiting higher odds of having ever drank. Neighbourhood social cohesion related to having ever drank. Among drinkers, those living in accessible small towns had higher odds of weekly drinking and drunkenness compared to urban areas. Higher odds of drunkenness were also found in remote rural areas. Those residing in the least deprived areas had lower odds of weekly drinking. Conclusions: In Scotland, inequalities exist in adolescent alcohol use by urban/rurality and neighbourhood social conditions. Findings support regional targeting of public health efforts to address inequalities. Future work is needed to develop and evaluate intervention and prevention approaches for neighbourhoods at risk.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)95-105
    Number of pages11
    JournalInternational Journal of Public Health
    Volume64
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan. 2019

    Keywords

    • Adolescents
    • Alcohol
    • Alcohol outlet density
    • Cross-classified
    • Disorder
    • Multilevel
    • Neighbourhood
    • Rural
    • Social cohesion
    • Urban

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