title: Prediction of alcohol-related harm from controlled drinking strategies and alcohol consumption trajectories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish predictors of age 21 alcohol-related harm from prior drinking patterns, current levels of alcohol consumption and use of controlled drinking strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand, five hundred and ninety-six students recruited from an initial sample of 3300 during their final year of high school in 1993.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal follow-up across five waves of data collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post high school in Victoria, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered surveys examining a range of health behaviours, including alcohol consumption patterns and related behaviour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Drinking behaviours at age 21 were found to be strongly predicted by drinking trajectories established through the transition from high school. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that alcohol-related harms at age 21 were reduced where current levels of alcohol use fell within limits recommended in Australian national guidelines. After controlling for this effect it was found that the range of strategies employed by participants to control alcohol use maintained a small protective influence. Post-high-school drinking trajectories continued to demonstrate a significant effect after controlling for current behaviours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  revealed that over one quarter of males and females drank alcohol, but on a less-than-weekly basis. This pattern of alcohol use demonstrated considerable stability through the post-school transition and was associated with a low level of subsequent harm at age 21.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research should investigate whether encouraging more Australian adolescents to drink alcohol on a less-than-weekly basis may be a practical intervention target for reducing alcohol-related harms.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. jwt@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Toumbourou
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Schofield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology