Social Network Drinking Feedback is Associated with Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies and Drinking-Related Outcomes in Emerging Adult Risky Drinkers.

OBJECTIVE: Although emerging adult risky drinkers are generally unmotivated to change their drinking, use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) to minimize drinking risks is associated with decreased alcohol-related harms. However, research on social influences on PBS use and associations with drinking outcomes is limited and relevant to informing interventions for this priority population. This study investigated whether emerging adults' drinking-related behaviors were associated with social network encouragement, discouragement, or mixed messages about their drinking and with PBS use.
METHOD: Risky drinkers ages 21-29 years (N = 356; 228 women; mean age = 23.6 years) were recruited from the community using digitally implemented respondent-driven sampling. A web-based survey assessed social network drinking feedback, PBS use, drinking practices and problems, and behavioral allocation of time and money to drinking.
RESULTS: Negative binomial generalized linear models indicated that friend and spouse/ partner discouragement of drinking was associated with greater PBS use, whereas mixed messages were associated with lower use (ps < .05). Greater PBS use was associated with fewer alcohol-related negative consequences and lower behavioral allocation to drinking (ps < .05); the latter association was most consistent for serious harm reduction PBS (e.g., use of a designated driver). Mixed drinking messages from all relationship types had direct negative associations with drinking outcomes, particularly time and money allocated to drinking.
CONCLUSIONS: Assessing social network features may guide interventions to increase PBS use and reduce drinking-related harms among emerging adult risky drinkers.