Abstract
Objectives
Adolescents involved in bullying are at increased risk for alcohol use; however, much of this research has been cross-sectional. The aim of this work was to therefore examine the longitudinal associations between bullying and future alcohol use.
Methods
Data were drawn from the COMPASS study. The current study used a 2-year linked sample of grade 9 and 10 students from 2015 to 2017 (n = 6005). Students were asked to report their involvement with bullying as well as alcohol use and binge drinking behaviours. Generalized estimating equations regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between bullying involvement at baseline and alcohol use and binge drinking at follow-up.
Results
Overall, 20% of students in grades 9 and 10 reported involvement in bullying. There was evidence of a modest longitudinal association between bullying and binge drinking. Being a bully or bully-victim at baseline was associated with increased odds of initiating future binge drinking.
Conclusions
Being a bully or bully-victim in grade 9 or 10 was associated with initiating binge drinking within the following 2 years. Targeted alcohol use prevention programming may benefit these groups.
Résumé
Objectifs
Les adolescents impliqués dans l’intimidation courent un risque accru de consommation d’alcool. Cependant, une grande partie de cette recherche a été transversale. Cette étude vise à examiner les associations longitudinales entre l’intimidation et la consommation future d’alcool.
Méthodes
Les données provenaient de l’étude COMPASS. La présente étude utilise un échantillon d’élèves de 9e et 10e années qui ont été suivi de 2015 à 2017 (n = 6 005). Les élèves ont été invités à signaler leur implication dans l’intimidation, la consommation d’alcool et la consommation excessive d’alcool. Des modèles d’équations d’estimation généralisées ont servi à examiner la relation entre la participation à l’intimidation au départ, et la consommation d’alcool et la consommation excessive d’alcool occasionnelle dans les deux années suivantes.
Résultats
20 % des élèves de 9e et 10e années ont déclaré avoir été victimes d’intimidation. Il y avait des preuves d’une modeste association longitudinale entre l’intimidation et la consommation excessive d’alcool. Être un intimidateur ou une victime d’intimidation au départ était associé à une probabilité accrue de consommation excessive d’alcool occasionnelle par la suite.
Conclusion
Être un intimidateur ou victime d’intimidation était associé à une consommation excessive d’alcool occasionnelle deux ans plus tard chez les élèves de la 9e et la 10e année. Des programmes ciblés de prévention de la consommation d’alcool pourraient bénéficier à ces groupes.
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Funding
The COMPASS study has been supported by a bridge grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD) through the “Obesity – Interventions to Prevent or Treat” priority funding awards (OOP-110788; grant awarded to SL), an operating grant from the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) (MOP-114875; grant awarded to SL), a CIHR Project Grant (PJT-148562; grant awarded to SL), a CIHR Project Grant (PJT-149092; grant awarded to Dr. Karen Patte), and a research funding arrangement with Health Canada (no. 1617-HQ-000012; contract awarded to SL). GCW is funded by the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS).
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Williams, G.C., Battista, K., deGroh, M. et al. Longitudinal associations between bullying and alcohol use and binge drinking among grade 9 and 10 students in the COMPASS study. Can J Public Health 111, 1024–1032 (2020). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00319-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00319-0