Siblings Found to Be More Influential in Binge Drinking
It is easy for someone who slips up on the road to adulthood to blame their parents for mistakes, yet recent research indicates an older sibling may be more to blame. According to a recent report in the Herald Sun, older siblings influence binge drinking.
This finding is based on a new study by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) that determined older siblings have a big influence on their younger brothers or sisters when it comes to copy cat binge drinking.
Binge drinking among the younger population is a major health problem in Australia as roughly 50 percent of 18-year-olds are already drinking at levels considered to be a risk.
QUT researcher Ryan McAndrew recorded the alcohol consumption of 250 young adults aged 18 to 30 and compared their drinking habits with that of their siblings. Similar drinking habits were found between siblings of at least three years apart, particularly among brothers.
“Older siblings that are close enough to have a high frequency of contact and old enough for the younger sibling to see them as an authority figure have a strong influence on their drinking behaviors,” he said in the Herald Sun. “Binge drinking behaviors really showed up in all-male siblings more (than in other sibling gender combinations).”
Two male siblings are likely to be competitive drinkers as they tend to view alcohol consumption as a manly activity that demonstrates the power of their physical stamina.
“Binge drinking among young Australians is of particular concern with increasing levels of alcohol-related harm including hospitalization, unwanted sexual activity and drunk driving being reported,” he said. “Unsurprisingly 18 to 24 years olds have been found to report the highest prevalence of risky alcohol consumption of all age groups.”
