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There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between sport participation and violent behavior outside of the sporting context. However, there have been few studies that have investigated the basis of this relationship. The current study examined longitudinal relationships between sport participation, problem alcohol use, and various violent behaviors, and whether sport participation moderates relationships between problem alcohol use and violence. The sample comprised 2,262 young adults (55% female, age range at Time 1 = 17-24 years) from Victoria, Australia, surveyed in 2010 and 2012. When controlling for common risk factors, substance use, and past violence, sport participation was not associated with any violent behaviors 2 years later. However, sport participation moderated the relationship between problem alcohol use and fighting, whereby problem alcohol use was associated with engaging in fights 2 years later for sport participants, but not for nonparticipants. These findings suggest that it is not sport participation per se that influences later violence but the drinking norms or culture embedded within certain sporting contexts. Prevention approaches that address the drinking culture and social approval of excessive alcohol consumption within sporting contexts may reduce the incidence of violent behavior in the community., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Objectives: To review the current research on alcohol-related violence and sports participation., Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to identify relevant studies for inclusion. A search of six databases (EBSCOhost) was conducted., Results: A total of 6890 studies was were identified in the initial search. Of these, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were from the US (n=10) and focused on collegiate athletes (n=7), adolescents (n=3), professional/former professional athletes (n=1)., Conclusion: The reviewed research indicates higher rates of alcohol use and violence in athlete populations when compared against non-athlete populations. Masculinity, violent social identity and antisocial norms connected to certain sports stand out as potential factors that may impact the association between sport and violence in athlete populations., (Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The impact of alcohol-related violence on individuals and society continues to receive attention from both media and policy makers. However, the longitudinal relationship between alcohol consumption and violence is unclear, with findings from prospective studies producing mixed results. The current study utilized Australian data from the International Youth Development Study to examine longitudinal relationships between alcohol consumption and severe interpersonal violence across the developmental periods of early adolescence to late adolescence/emerging adulthood. The full sample comprised 849 adolescents (53.8 % female) who had been followed up over a 5 year period, from Grade 7 secondary school (age 13) until Grade 11 secondary school (age 17). Cross-lagged path analysis was used to examine reciprocal relationships between alcohol consumption and interpersonal violence; analyses controlled for a range of covariates considered to be common risk factors for both behaviors. Alcohol use during early and mid adolescence was found to predict violence 2 years later, whereas a bi-directional relationship between adolescent heavy episodic drinking and violence was observed. Some of these relationships were not significant when covariates such as family conflict and affiliation with antisocial and drug using friends were included in the models. These findings suggest that risk processes begin in late childhood or very early adolescence; efforts to reduce one problem behavior are likely to reduce the other. Further, the role that social and family contexts have in influencing the relationships between alcohol use and interpersonal violence should be considered in future research to better inform preventive efforts.

Aims: To examine the importance of family management, family structure and father-adolescent relationships on early adolescent alcohol use., Design: Cross-sectional data was collected across 30 randomly selected Australian communities stratified to represent a range of socio-economic and regional variation., Setting: Data were collected during school time from adolescents attending a broad range of schools., Participants: The sample consisted of a combined 8256 students (aged 10-14 years)., Measurements: Students completed a web-based survey as part of the Healthy Neighbourhoods project., Findings: Family management-which included practices such as parental monitoring and family rules about alcohol use-had the strongest and most consistent relationship with alcohol use in early adolescence. Adolescents reporting higher family management were less likely to have drunk alcohol in their life-time, less likely to drink alcohol in the preceding 30 days and less likely to have had an alcohol binge. Adolescents reporting emotionally close relationships with their fathers were less likely to have drunk alcohol in their life-time and less likely to have had an alcohol binge in the preceding fortnight., Conclusions: Findings indicate that family management practices may contribute to alcohol abstinence in adolescents. Furthermore, emotionally close father-adolescent relationships may also foster abstinence; however, fathers' drinking behaviours need to be considered., (© 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Despite a decline in Australian adolescents reporting to have consumed alcohol, a high proportion of the adolescent population still consumes alcohol. Community-led prevention interventions that systematically and strategically implement evidence-based programs have been shown to be effective in producing population-behaviour change related to youth alcohol and drug use. This study evaluated the post-intervention effects of a multi-component community intervention in Australia. It comprised social marketing targeting adolescents and parents, and a community intervention to reduce underage alcohol sales. Structural equation modelling was used to examine direct and indirect effects of community intervention components on intention and consumption. Self-report surveys (N = 3377) and community sales data (27 communities) were analysed to evaluate the effect of the intervention components on intention and consumption before the age of 18. The intervention reduced alcohol sales to minors (OR =.82). Exposure to the social marketing was significantly associated with household no-alcohol rules (OR = 2.24) and parents not supplying alcohol (OR =.72). The intervention predicted intention not to consume alcohol before age 18; intention was associated with not consuming alcohol (OR = 5.70). Total indirect effects from the intervention through to intention were significant. However, parents setting a rule and not supplying alcohol were the only significant direct effects to intention. Parents setting a rule was directly associated with lower consumption. Overall, the intervention logic was supported by the data modelling. The study extends prior knowledge of community-based interventions to prevent adolescent alcohol use by identifying critical intervention components and effect mechanisms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: ACTRN12612000384853. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Adolescent alcohol consumption and associated harms are significant public health issues in Australia. One strategy to reduce this problem is restricting alcohol supply to adolescents below age 18. To ensure compliance with laws that forbid underage alcohol sales, effective monitoring systems that operate across a range of settings, including sporting clubs, are required. This study investigated compliance with regulations requiring proof of age identification and refusal of underage alcohol sales in community sporting clubs.Design and Methods: Compliance with alcohol sales laws was monitored using a male confederate that appeared under 18 who attempted to purchase alcohol at community sporting clubs in two regional areas of Victoria, Australia during the 2016-2017 sporting seasons.Results: Purchase observations were completed at 43 clubs (observations could not be conducted at 14 clubs); alcohol was purchased at 41 (95%) clubs. Four (9%) clubs asked the confederate-purchaser to provide identification of age-in two instances the purchaser was not sold alcohol and in two instances was sold alcohol after not showing identification. Rates of compliance with proof of age identification and alcohol sales did not vary according to staff- and club-related variables.Discussion and Conclusions: This study indicates the need for more rigorous enforcement of alcohol sales regulations in community sporting clubs. Community health agencies could work with sporting clubs to assist them to improve compliance with alcohol sales regulations and to provide information on the significant role clubs play in shaping the adolescent alcohol culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: In many countries adolescent alcohol use is a major health problem. To supplement national policies, it is important to trial community interventions as a potential strategy to prevent adolescent alcohol use.Methods: This study evaluated a multicomponent community intervention that included community mobilisation, social marketing, and the monitoring of alcohol sales to minors. Evaluation was a clustered randomised trial design with 14 intervention and 14 control communities. Prior to randomisation, communities were matched on socioeconomic status and location. Intervention communities were not blinded.Participants: 3545 Year 8 students (M = 12 years) were surveyed at baseline from 75 schools; 3377 students were surveyed post intervention in 2013 from 54 schools.Outcomes: It was hypothesised that the primary outcome, individual alcohol consumption in last 30 days, after the intervention would be 15% lower in intervention communities. Secondary outcomes were consumption in the past year and intention not to drink before age 18.Results: The intervention communities showed larger relative reductions compared to the controls in last 30-day consumption and past year (10%), but not significantly different. A significantly lower proportion of participants in the intervention community (63%), compared to the controls (71%), reported intending to drink before 18 years old. Subgroup analysis identified regional and state differences for some secondary measures.Conclusions: Intervention assignment was associated with lower adolescent intention to drink before the age of 18. However, more intensive and longer-term intervention may be required to measure significant differences in behaviour change.Trial Registration: ACTRN12612000384853.Protocol: Rowland B, Toumbourou JW, Osborn A, et al. BMJ Open 2013;3:e002423. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002423. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Preventing adolescent alcohol use is an international public health priority. To further understand adolescent alcohol use, this study tested a model of adolescent intention to consume alcohol that incorporated multiple social systems influences.Methods: Participants included 2529 Australian secondary school students (Mage = 14.20; 53.7% female). Participants completed a survey about risk and protective factors for alcohol use at individual, family, school and community levels. Structural Equation Modeling (path analysis) was used to evaluate an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that incorporated social system determinants of intention to consume alcohol.Results: The final model explained 60% of the variance in adolescent alcohol use intention. All TPB constructs correlated with intention and experience of lifetime alcohol use. More exposure to information about alcohol use had a weak but significant influence on adolescents' stronger perceived behavioral control. Having less friends who use alcohol, stricter parental rules for adolescent alcohol use, and unfavorable parent attitudes towards alcohol use, were associated with stronger adolescent anti-alcohol attitudes and subjective norms. Community level pro-abstinence attitudes predicted unfavorable adolescent attitudes to alcohol and intention to consume alcohol. Parental rules showed significantly stronger influences on alcohol use intention amongst younger adolescents.Conclusions: Key social systems around adolescents significantly predicted intention to consume alcohol, and the extended TPB model explained the major variance in adolescent alcohol use. The findings emphasize the importance of multi-level approaches to the prevention of alcohol use. Situation-based factors that could trigger impulsive emotional response may be a future intervention focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]