Table 3.
Unadjusted, Partially Adjusted, and Fully Adjusted Associations Between Alcohol Use in Grade 7 and School Performance and Connection in Grades 8 and 9
| Grade 8 School Outcomes^ | Unadjusted OR [95% CI] |
Partially adjusted OR [95% CI] |
Fully adjusted OR [95% CI] |
Unadjusted OR [95% CI] |
Partially adjusted OR [95% CI] |
Fully adjusted OR [95% CI] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 lifetime alcohol use | Grade 7 current alcohol use | |||||
|
|
||||||
| School suspension | 1.91 [1.45, 2.52]*** | 1.78 [1.33, 2.38]*** | 1.07 [0.77, 1.49] | 2.82 [2.15, 3.69]*** | 3.11 [2.23, 4.35]*** | 1.68 [1.16, 2.44]** |
| Truancy | 2.64 [1.87, 3.73]*** | 2.11 [1.48, 3.00]*** | 1.36 [0.89, 2.06] | 3.21 [2.27, 4.56]*** | 2.44 [1.67, 3.57]*** | 1.18 [0.72, 1.93] |
| Low school commitment | 4.28 [1.56, 11.71]** | 3.98 [1.43, 11.11]** | 1.64 [0.54, 4.94] | 6.72 [2.82, 16.03]*** | 6.71 [2.47, 18.24]*** | 2.45 [0.97, 6.16] |
| Below average achievement | 1.68 [1.21, 2.33]** | 1.97 [1.42, 2.73]*** | 1.24 [0.81, 1.90] | 2.00 [1.31, 3.06]** | 2.41 [1.51, 3.84]*** | 1.58 [0.93, 2.69] |
| Grade 7 frequent alcohol use | Grade 7 binge drinking | |||||
|
|
||||||
| School suspension | 3.51 [2.40, 5.14]*** | 2.64 [1.67, 4.18]*** | 1.02 [0.57, 1.85] | 5.05 [3.53, 7.23]*** | 4.63 [2.86, 7.51]*** | 2.10 [1.20, 3.66]** |
| Truancy | 3.36 [2.07, 5.48]*** | 2.11 [1.33, 3.35]** | 0.78 [0.41, 1.48] | 5.25 [3.46, 7.97]*** | 3.23 [2.03, 5.13]*** | 1.28 [0.68, 2.39] |
| Low school commitment | 6.54 [2.47, 17.29]*** | 5.65 [1.94, 16.43]** | 1.63 [0.55, 4.86] | 7.76 [3.63, 16.58]*** | 7.27 [3.08, 17.17]*** | 1.85 [0.65, 5.26] |
| Below average achievement | 1.78 [0.95, 3.35] | 1.75 [0.89, 3.45] | 1.04 [0.47, 2.29] | 2.47 [1.50, 4.07]*** | 2.58 [1.47, 4.52]** | 1.59 [0.83, 3.04] |
|
| ||||||
| Grade 9 School Outcomes^ | ||||||
| Grade 7 lifetime alcohol use | Grade 7 current alcohol use | |||||
|
|
||||||
| School suspension | 1.73 [1.30, 2.29]*** | 1.51 [1.12, 2.03]** | 0.95 [0.68, 1.33] | 2.39 [1.74, 3.29]*** | 2.25 [1.55, 3.25]*** | 1.26 [0.82, 1.94] |
| Truancy | 2.05 [1.54, 2.74]*** | 1.92 [1.43, 2.59]*** | 1.37 [0.99, 1.92] | 2.53 [1.92, 3.33]*** | 2.36 [1.76, 3.17]*** | 1.68 [1.24, 2.28]** |
| Low school commitment | 2.66 [1.61, 4.39]*** | 3.98 [1.43, 11.11]** | 1.64 [0.54, 4.94] | 1.91 [1.05, 3.46]* | 1.63 [0.84, 3.16] | 0.92 [0.49, 1.71] |
| Below average achievement | 1.66 [1.15, 2.38]** | 1.80 [1.20, 2.71]** | 1.44 [0.91, 2.28] | 1.55 [1.09, 2.19]* | 1.63 [1.08, 2.44]* | 1.15 [0.72, 1.86] |
| Grade 7 frequent alcohol use | Grade 7 binge drinking | |||||
|
|
||||||
| School suspension | 4.10 [2.67, 6.31]*** | 3.14 [1.91, 5.16]*** | 1.57 [0.84, 2.96] | 4.22 [2.83, 6.29]*** | 3.49 [2.14, 5.71]*** | 1.66 [0.96, 2.90] |
| Truancy | 3.34 [2.20, 5.10]*** | 2.84 [1.81, 4.46]*** | 1.75 [1.10, 2.78]* | 4.85 [3.39, 6.93]*** | 3.87 [2.58, 5.81]*** | 2.62 [1.70, 4.05]*** |
| Low school commitment | 2.49 [1.11, 5.59]* | 1.88 [0.80, 4.41] | 1.07 [0.48, 2.35] | 3.47 [1.75, 6.88]*** | 2.89 [1.40, 5.97]** | 1.75 [0.80, 3.87] |
| Below average achievement | 1.41 [0.75, 2.64] | 1.30 [0.63, 2.66] | 0.72 [0.31, 1.66] | 1.91 [1.11, 3.30]* | 1.97 [1.08, 3.57]* | 1.27 [0.62, 2.57] |
Note.
p < .05,
p < .01,
p < .001.
CI = confidence interval. N = 1,860 (lifetime alcohol use N = 906, current alcohol use N = 400, frequent alcohol use N = 110, binge drinking N = 133. Analyses compared alcohol users vs. non-users for each level of alcohol use.
The adjusted analyses controlled for the following variables measured in Grade 7: alcohol use, demographic factors, risk factors and school performance and connection.
Note 2. The effects of Grade 7 lifetime and binge drinking on Grade 8 school achievement were removed following the inclusion of individual risk factors. For Grade 8 school commitment, the effect of Grade 7 current alcohol use was no longer statistically significant after the inclusion of school risk factors, Grade 7 frequent alcohol use was no longer predictive after the inclusion of peer risk factors, and Grade 7 binge drinking was not predictive after the inclusion of family risk factors. Associations between Grade 7 lifetime and frequent alcohol use and school suspension one year later were no longer statistically significant after the inclusion of individual level risk factors. For Grade 8 truancy, the effect of Grade 7 binge drinking and lifetime and current and alcohol use no longer remained after adjustment for peer risk factors.
For Grade 9 low school commitment and achievement, the effect of Grade 7 lifetime alcohol use and binge drinking became statistically non-significant following adjustment for the individual risk factors of rebelliousness, victimization, and depressive symptoms. For Grade 9 school suspension, the effect of Grade 7 lifetime alcohol use no longer remained after adjustment for the individual risk factors of rebelliousness, victimization, and depressive symptoms. For Grade 9 school suspension, the associations with Grade 7 binge drinking no longer remained after adjustment for family risk factors. Similarly, the links between Grade 7 lifetime alcohol use and Grade 9 truancy did not remain after controlling for family risk factors. The effect of Grade 7 current and frequent alcohol use on Grade 9 low school commitment and Grade 7 frequent alcohol use on academic achievement became statistically non-significant after the inclusion of demographic factors. The inclusion of students’ interaction with antisocial peers resulted in statistically non-significant associations between Grade 7 current and frequent alcohol use and Grade 9 suspension (full details available from first author on request