Examining Changes Over Time in the Sociodemographic Characteristics of Adolescents Who Drink Heavily in Australia

Youth drinking in Australia and other high-income countries has declined markedly since the early 2000s, which means the profile of adolescent drinkers may have changed. This study examines the sociodemographic characteristics of underage adolescents who engage in heavy drinking practices in Australia and investigates whether these characteristics have shifted over time.

Data were analyzed from Australians aged 14-17 years who completed the National Drug Strategy Household Survey between 2001 and 2022 (N = 7,618). Logistic regression analyses examined whether sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, geographic location, socioeconomic status, cultural background, student status) were associated with heavy alcohol use (single occasion risky drinking [5+ drinking] and heavy episodic drinking [11+ drinking]) over time. Interaction terms (sociodemographic characteristics × survey wave) assessed changes in these relationships since 2001.

All sociodemographic subgroups decreased their drinking between 2001 and 2022, with the magnitude of the decline generally larger among subgroups who consumed alcohol more heavily in 2001. Older age, living in regional areas, higher socioeconomic status, being born in Australia, and not being a student were associated with 5+ drinking independent of time, though these relationships narrowed over time. Broadly similar results were found for 11+ drinking.

The profile of underage adolescents who drink heavily has shifted as youth drinking has declined. Subgroups with higher baseline rates of heavy drinking have reduced their drinking more, and in some cases, converged with subgroups that did not drink as heavily, meaning sociodemographic characteristics are now less of an indicator of heavy drinking among Australian adolescents.