Strategies for measuring peer alcohol use within egocentric network analysis

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Public Health Research
• Network Analysis

Background:

• Understanding peer influence on alcohol consumption is vital in college settings.
• Egocentric network research offers insights into social contexts affecting individual behavior.
• Accurate measurement of perceived peer alcohol use is essential for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare different measurement strategies for perceived peer alcohol use in network research.
• To identify the optimal number of items for assessing perceived peer drinking behavior.
• To enhance the effectiveness of college alcohol use intervention programs.

Main Methods:

• Collected demographic, personal alcohol use (AUDIT-C), and egocentric network data from 309 college students.
• Employed hierarchical linear regression analyses to predict individual drinking behavior.
• Assessed perceived peer alcohol use using varying numbers of items (frequency, quantity, binge-drinking frequency).

Main Results:

• Perceptions of peers' binge-drinking frequency significantly predicted personal alcohol use (AUDIT-C scores).
• The three-item assessment (frequency, quantity, binge-drinking frequency) explained more variance in personal drinking than one- or two-item assessments.
• Using more than three items did not yield statistically significant improvements in prediction.

Conclusions:

• A three-item strategy for measuring perceived peer alcohol use is effective in egocentric network research.
• This approach enhances the prediction of personal alcohol consumption among college students.
• Findings support the implementation of this measurement strategy for targeted binge drinking reduction programs.