Prospective relationships between youth assets, negative life events, and binge drinking in a longitudinal cohort of the youth

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate whether individual, family, and community assets can 1) protect youth from binge drinking in the face of negative life events and 2) modify the relationship between negative life events and binge drinking. Methods Data from waves 2-5 of the Youth Asset Study were analyzed. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the relationship between negative life events, assets, and binge drinking. Multiplicative and additive interaction between negative life events and assets was evaluated. Results When included in the same model as negative life events, individual, family, and community assets had a graded, protective relationship with binge drinking, with strongest protection for those with the greatest number of assets. For example, youth with 3 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR):0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-0.93], 4 [AOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.49-0.73], 5 [AOR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.41-0.69], and 6 [AOR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.28-0.63] assets within the community domain had a significantly lower odds of binge drinking than youth with 0-2 community assets. No significant interactions were observed. Conclusions The findings suggest that while youth who are exposed to negative life events are at risk for binge drinking, building assets across individual, family, and community domains can have a protective influence.