“Here for a good time, not a long time”: Decision-making, future consequences and alcohol use among Northern Irish adolescents

Aware of the Future?

Abstract. Futures Consciousness refers to the capacity that a person has for understanding, anticipating, and preparing for the future. Although the concept is widely used in the field of futures research, no quantitative tool exists yet that assesses it. Drawing from a recent five-dimensional model that considers Time perspective, Agency beliefs, Openness to alternatives, Systems perception, and Concern for others as interrelated sub-dimensions of a general construct of Futures Consciousness, we developed a composite 20-item scale that measures Futures Consciousness as an interindividual difference. The psychometric properties of this new scale were examined through a dual approach of exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses with a total of 1,301 participants in three languages (English, French, and Finnish). The scale’s structure proved satisfactory and fitted the hypothesized five-dimensional model in all three languages. Measures of internal and external validity (convergent and concurrent) also indicated good psychometric properties. Notably, individuals’ scores were positively related to the adoption of several social future-oriented behaviors such as pro-environmental and civic behavior. As such, the developed scale proves a reliable tool that could be of use for scholars and practitioners in futures studies as well as psychology.

A randomised trial of the effect of appearance versus health-framed messages on engagement with an online brief screening and alcohol reduction intervention

Objectives: To compare the impact of appearance versus health-framed messages on engagement in a brief web-based risk screening and alcohol reduction intervention. Design: Randomised trial delivered via Drinkaware's website. Visitors were exposed to appearance (n = 51,588) or health-framed messages (n = 52,639) directing them towards an AUDIT-C risk screening questionnaire. Users completing this questionnaire were given feedback on their risk level and extended frame-congruent information. Outcomes: The primary outcome is completion of the AUDIT-C questionnaire. The secondary outcome is whether the participant accessed any of four further resources. Results: The appearance-framed message led to a small but significant increase in the number of users completing the AUDIT-C compared to the health-framed message (n = 3,537, 6.86% versus n = 3,355, 6.37%, p < 0.01). Conversely, following subsequent risk feedback, users exposed to extended health-framed information were more likely to access further resources (n = 1,146, 2.17% versus n = 942, 1.83%, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Physical appearance-framed messages increased the likelihood of engagement with an online alcohol screening and brief intervention tool, whereas health-framed messages increased the likelihood of accessing further resources. This highlights the potential for the use of multi-level approaches in alcohol reduction interventions.

A systematic literature review of alcohol education programmes in middle and high school settings (2000-2014)

Purpose

– Social marketing benchmark criteria were used to understand the extent to which single-substance alcohol education programmes targeting adolescents in middle and high school settings sought to change behaviour, utilised theory, included audience research and applied the market segmentation process. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic literature review retrieved a total of 1,495 identified articles; 565 duplicates were removed. The remaining 930 articles were then screened. Articles detailing formative research or programmes targeting multiple substances, parents, families and/or communities, as well as elementary schools and universities were excluded. A total of 31 articles, encompassing 16 qualifying programmes, were selected for detailed evaluation.

Findings

– The majority of alcohol education programmes were developed on the basis of theory and achieved short- and medium-term behavioural effects. Importantly, most programmes were universal and did not apply the full market segmentation process. Limited audience research in the form of student involvement in programme design was identified.

Research limitations/implications

– This systematic literature review focused on single-substance alcohol education programmes targeted at middle and high school student populations, retrieving studies back to the year 2000.

Originality/value

– The results of this systematic literature review indicate that application of the social marketing benchmark criteria of market segmentation and audience research may represent an avenue for further extending alcohol education programme effectiveness in middle and high school settings.

'Let's get wasted': A discourse analysis of teenagers' talk about binge drinking

Teenage binge drinking is a significant health issue. To explore teenagers talk about binge drinking, four peer-group interviews were conducted with 20 teenagers, aged 16-18 years, with experience of excessive alcohol use. A discourse analysis showed that a 'drinking is cool' discourse constructed 'getting wasted' as an integral part of social life, while a 'drinking as a social lubricant' discourse described the behavioural functions of alcohol use. Participants also actively resisted an 'alcohol is bad' discourse, which acknowledges the risks of alcohol use. The findings illustrate how teenagers use these resources in sophisticated ways to position the teen drinker positively and negatively.