The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China
BackgroundGovernments around the world have taken measures to limit adolescent drinking, however, rates are still alarmingly high. However, most of these measures ignore the peer effect of drinking among adolescents. Previous studies have not sufficiently considered the reciprocal relationship betwe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306220/full |
| _version_ | 1797384307440877568 |
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| author | Meng Liu Wen-Qing Zhao Qi-Ran Zhao Yu Wang Shun-Guo Li |
| author_facet | Meng Liu Wen-Qing Zhao Qi-Ran Zhao Yu Wang Shun-Guo Li |
| author_sort | Meng Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundGovernments around the world have taken measures to limit adolescent drinking, however, rates are still alarmingly high. However, most of these measures ignore the peer effect of drinking among adolescents. Previous studies have not sufficiently considered the reciprocal relationship between adolescent alcohol consumption and peer alcohol consumption, which may lead to an overestimation of the peer effect and mask underlying issues. Good instrumental variables are powerful but rare tools to address these issues.ObjectiveThis paper aims to correctly estimate the peer effect of drinking on adolescent drinking behavior in China.MethodsOwing to the detailed information of household background in the dataset of our survey, we were able to use the drinking behaviors of peers’ fathers and their beliefs about the health risks of alcohol as instrumental variables, which are more powerful than school-average instrumental variables. We collected data from the 2017 Health and Nutrition Panel survey, which surveyed 10,772 primary school students from 59 urban migrant and 60 rural public schools.ResultsThe instrumental variable method estimation revealed that peer drinking significantly influences adolescent drinking behavior, with adolescents who have peers who drink alcohol being 10.5% points (2 stage least square, i.e., 2SLS, full sample estimation) more likely to engage in drinking compared to those without such peers. Furthermore, the effect differs significantly between migrant and rural adolescents.ConclusionThe study found that parental care plays a significant role in the degree of peer effect, with the absence of parental care being a key factor in the presence of the peer effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:33:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d02d98f0134e40a2bd59711fae740c33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:33:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-d02d98f0134e40a2bd59711fae740c332023-12-21T04:26:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-12-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.13062201306220The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from ChinaMeng Liu0Wen-Qing Zhao1Qi-Ran Zhao2Yu Wang3Shun-Guo Li4Institute of Millet Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaInstitute of Millet Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Millet Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaBackgroundGovernments around the world have taken measures to limit adolescent drinking, however, rates are still alarmingly high. However, most of these measures ignore the peer effect of drinking among adolescents. Previous studies have not sufficiently considered the reciprocal relationship between adolescent alcohol consumption and peer alcohol consumption, which may lead to an overestimation of the peer effect and mask underlying issues. Good instrumental variables are powerful but rare tools to address these issues.ObjectiveThis paper aims to correctly estimate the peer effect of drinking on adolescent drinking behavior in China.MethodsOwing to the detailed information of household background in the dataset of our survey, we were able to use the drinking behaviors of peers’ fathers and their beliefs about the health risks of alcohol as instrumental variables, which are more powerful than school-average instrumental variables. We collected data from the 2017 Health and Nutrition Panel survey, which surveyed 10,772 primary school students from 59 urban migrant and 60 rural public schools.ResultsThe instrumental variable method estimation revealed that peer drinking significantly influences adolescent drinking behavior, with adolescents who have peers who drink alcohol being 10.5% points (2 stage least square, i.e., 2SLS, full sample estimation) more likely to engage in drinking compared to those without such peers. Furthermore, the effect differs significantly between migrant and rural adolescents.ConclusionThe study found that parental care plays a significant role in the degree of peer effect, with the absence of parental care being a key factor in the presence of the peer effect.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306220/fullpeer effectadolescent addictiondrinking behaviorinstrumental variableChina |
| spellingShingle | Meng Liu Wen-Qing Zhao Qi-Ran Zhao Yu Wang Shun-Guo Li The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China Frontiers in Psychiatry peer effect adolescent addiction drinking behavior instrumental variable China |
| title | The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China |
| title_full | The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China |
| title_fullStr | The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China |
| title_short | The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China |
| title_sort | impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior instrumental variable evidence from china |
| topic | peer effect adolescent addiction drinking behavior instrumental variable China |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306220/full |
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