Health Promotion: Peer Influence on Underage Drinking

Executive Summary

This report explores underage drinking among year nine students and what influences the drinking habits of these Australian teenagers. The data collected through this investigation suggests that peers have a significant influence in year nine students choosing to drink alcohol. This investigation aims to reduce alcohol consumption and encourage safe drinking habits within the year nine cohort. This was achieved with the use of stalls and games which educate the students on the dangers of alcohol and teach them strategies for safe drinking and dealing with peer pressure. This campaign is targeted at year nine students because many students start drinking at this age. Targeting this age group is strategic because this campaign is focused on the prevention of underage drinking, which should hopefully delay the age at which these children start drinking alcohol.

Social Cognitive Theory explains human behavior in a model of causation which involves triadic reciprocal determinism. The theory involves personal factors, environmental influences, and behavior continually interact and influence each other bidirectionally (Glanz, 2001). Within this, the ‘personal factors’ determinant aims to build knowledge and develop an individual’s attitudes, the ‘environmental factors’ determinant aims to change social norms and influence individual’s to change their own environment, and the ‘behavioral factors’ determinant develops skills and encourages self-efficiency (Johns Hopkins University, 2016).

This primary aim of this innovation is to teach year nine students’ skills for dealing with peer pressure and underage drinking. As well as this, the students learn about the negative effects of drinking alcohol and why delaying the age at which you start drinking is highly beneficial. After the participants were involved with the innovation, they completed a survey which is looking to see if behaviors have changed through this health innovation.

Introduction

Alcohol use amongst young Australians is has decreased significantly since 2013, with the number of teenagers abstaining from underage drinking in Australia having increased by 50% since 2013. This trend can be seen globally, with other high socio-economic countries including Canada, America, and England showing similar declining rates in underage drinking. Primary data collected shows that; of 61 surveyed year nine students, two drink daily, four drink monthly, two drink weekly, eight drink annually, and 45 have never drunk alcohol (International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, 2018). Despite the majority of these students having never tried alcohol, the remainder of students need to change their drinking habits. This health promotion aims to help these students identify these poor habits and establish new, healthier ones. The strategy aims to strengthen, maintain or adapt positive alcohol behaviors using peers as a resource. The World Health Organization’s Ottawa Charter includes five action areas to be used in any health promotion to address the determinants of health. These five action areas are: build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community actions, develop personal skills, and reorient health services (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, 2015). The area of personal skills aims to support personal development by providing information and enhancing an individual’s life skills (World Health Organisation, 1986). For this particular health promotion, the Ottawa Charter area of personal skills will be implemented to help achieve the aim. This health promotion aims to teach year nine students from Cavendish Road State High School strategies to abstain from underage drinking in an environment where they could potentially by victims of peer pressure. This was achieved with the use of an information video and fun, educational stalls.

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Discussion

Context Analysis and Needs Assessment

National trends show that teenagers are consuming less alcohol than they were in 2011. Research by the Cancer Council conducted in 2011 shows that 11% of 12 to 15-year-old Australian secondary school students were current drinkers. The study also shows that 33% of 16 to 17-year-old Australians were current drinkers in that same year (White & Bariola, 2012). A similar study conducted in 2017 proves the recent decrease in underage alcohol consumption amongst Australian teenagers. This study revealed that 9% of 12 to 15-year-old, and 29% of 16 to 17-year-old Australian secondary school students were current drinkers in this year (Guerin & White, 2018). With this trend, it can be implied that the number of Australian secondary school students has, and will continue, to decrease.

This data supports survey data collected of students from Cavendish Road State High School in 2019, in that it is revealed that 6% of year nine students, and 30% of year twelve students, would be classified as ‘current drinkers.'

Key Findings

To collect primary data, year eleven students from Cavendish Road State High School conducted surveys before the health initiative to collect data about the current drinking habits of year nine and twelve secondary school students. The results show that 74% of year nine students, and 15% of year twelve students, have never tried alcohol. Both the year nine and year twelve cohorts predominantly identified ‘social reasons’ as the most influential reason for their consuming alcohol. One third of year nine students believed this health promotion was highly influential on their views of alcohol. 54% of year nine studently reportedly would stop their peers from consuming alcohol. Only 27% of year nine students believe this health promotion did not make them more aware of peer pressure. 6% of year nine students are ‘current drinkers’, and 30% of year twelve students are ‘current drinkers.’ This data can be used to show the influence that students can have on the drinking habits of their peers.

The survey questions which will assess the implementation of the intervention are: “do you think this experience has made you more aware of the influence peers have on your own alcohol consumption?” and “what is a fact or statement that you learnt on Friday that appeals to you the most?”. These questions determine implementation, as they encourage students to reflect on what they have learnt, which would futher reinforce their learning.

References

1. Glanz, K., 2001. Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease. s.l.:Elsevier Inc.
2. Guerin, N. & White, V., 2018. ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian Secondary Students’ Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, Over-the-counter Drugs, and Illicit Substances, Victoria: Cancer Council.
3. Guerin, N. & White, V., 2018. ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian Secondary Students’ Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, Over-the-counter Drugs, and Illicit Substances, Victoria: Cancer Council.
4. International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, 2018. Trends Report Underage Drinking. Accessed 30 August 2019. http://www.iard.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Trends-report-Underage-drinking-Working-together-to-deliver-change.pdf
5. Johns Hopkins University, 2016. Social Cognitive Learning Theory. Accessed 30 August 2019. https://sbccimplementationkits.org/sbcc-in-emergencies/social-cognitive-learning-theory/
6. Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, 2015. The Ottawa Charter in action. Accessed 30 August 2019. https://www.pdhpe.net/health-priorities-in-australia/what-actions-are-needed-to-address-australias-health-priorities/health-promotion-based-on-the-five-action-areas-of-the-ottawa-charter/the-ottawa-charter-in-action/
7. White, V. & Bariola, E., 2012. Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the- counter and illicit substances in 2011, Victoria: Cancer Council.
8. World Health Organisation, 1986. Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Accessed 30 August 2019. https://www.healthpromotion.org.au/images/ottawa_charter_hp.pdf