Does Grit Matter? The Relationship Between Grit and Drinking Behavior Among Adolescents: A Cross‐Sectional Study of a Nationally Representative Sample of Korean Adolescents

A secondary data analysis of the 5th wave of the Korean children and youth panel survey (N = 2252) was conducted. The study sample comprised 11th-grade high school students. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed RESULTS: Model 1 included intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors associated with adolescent drinking behavior. Model 2 added grit to the factors in model 1 to examine how grit is related to adolescent drinking behavior. After controlling for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors, a higher level of grit was associated with lower odds of drinking behavior among adolescents (OR = 0.413, 95% CI = 0.257-0.662, p < 0.001) CONCLUSION: A higher level of grit was associated with lower odds of drinking behavior among adolescents after adjusting for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural/environmental factors CLINICAL RELEVANCE: As grit can help deter risky health behaviors, guardians, teachers, and school nurses should focus on fostering grit among adolescents through education, mentorship, and intervention programs.