Early Adolescent and Peer Drinking Homogeneity: Similarities and Differences Among European and North American Countries

This study examined associations between perceived peer and adolescent
alcohol use in European and North American countries. Self-reported
monthly alcohol use and adolescents’ report of their peers’ alcohol use were
assessed in nationally representative samples of students aged 11.5 and 13.5
years (n = 11,277) in Greece, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States
who participated in the 2005/2006 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children
survey. Cross-national associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use were examined using logistic regressions and interactions by
gender and country. Perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use were positively
associated in all countries, but the association was notably weaker in
Greece than in Scotland (boys), and in Greece compared to Switzerland
(girls). Further examination of the underlying processes that explain stronger
and weaker associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol
use in some settings could guide the development of effective, culturespecific
interventions.