Competitive Vs. Recreational Sport: Examining the Link to Harmful Alcohol Drinking in Youth

Abstract Introduction. Sports are frequently investigated in relation to alcohol consumption habits in adolescence, but few studies have reported various competitive- and recreational-sport factors as correlates of harmful alcohol consumption in youth. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify possible associations that may exist between sports factors and harmful drinking in adolescents, emphasizing the specific influence of participation in competitive and recreational sports. Material and Methods. The participants were 650 adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina (16-17 years of age, 313 females) who were tested for sociodemographic factors, competitive-sport factors, recreational-sport factors, physical activity levels (PALs), and outcome-alcohol drinking (obtained by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – AUDIT). For the purpose of statistical analyses, the obtained AUDIT score was dichotomized (non-harmful vs. harmful drinking). Results. Harmful drinking was more common in males than in females (χ2 = 47.01, p < 0.001), and those adolescents who reported better competitive success in sports (χ2 = 41.81, p < 0.001). The PAL was greater in those males who did not report harmful drinking (t-test = 2.45, p < 0.05), with no significant difference in females or in the total sample. Logistic regressions were performed with sex as a confounding factor and revealed that competitive success in sports was significantly correlated with harmful drinking (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.02-1.66, p < 0.05). Conclusions. This study highlighted the specific association between competitive sports success and harmful drinking in adolescents, indicating the need for a more detailed analysis of the background of the established association. Further analyses on the potential association between PAL and substance misuse in youth are warranted.