The Association Between Intimate Partner Encouragement of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Among Females Formerly Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Females who are involved with the juvenile justice system as adolescents are at risk for heavy alcohol use, which is associated with an increased risk of recidivism and negative health outcomes. Alcohol use peaks during emerging adulthood and intimate partners play an increasingly important role in decision making during this developmental period. Using data from a longitudinal study of females who were involved in the juvenile justice system as adolescents (n = 80), we investigated whether intimate partner encouragement of alcohol use is associated with higher rates of alcohol use frequency among this population as they enter emerging adulthood. Participants reported on their partners' encouragement of their alcohol use at an in-person study visit when they were emerging adults, and then reported on their own alcohol use approximately six months later. A negative binomial regression was fit to the data and estimated that for each standard deviation increase in reported intimate partner encouragement of alcohol use, participants' rate of alcohol consumption increased by 109% six months later. These findings indicate that intimate partner encouragement of alcohol use may be a risk factor for heavy drinking among emerging adult females with a history of chronic and severe delinquency. These findings have implications for prevention, as they indicate a need to measure intimate partner encouragement of alcohol use in studies that involve high-risk emerging adult females and may suggest that intimate partners should be included in interventions intended to reduce heavy alcohol use.