title: Peer effects on risky behaviors: new evidence from college roommate assignments.
abstract: Social scientists continue to devote considerable attention to spillover effects for risky behaviors because of the important policy implications and the persistent challenges in identifying unbiased causal effects. We use the natural experiment of assigned college roommates to estimate peer effects for several measures of health risks: binge drinking, smoking, illicit drug use, gambling, having multiple sex partners, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury. We find significant peer effects for binge drinking but little evidence of effects for other outcomes, although there is tentative evidence that peer effects for smoking may be positive among men and negative among women. In contrast to prior research, the peer effects for binge drinking are significant for all subgroups defined by sex and prior drinking status. We also find that pre-existing risky behaviors predict the closeness of friendships, which underscores the significance of addressing selection biases in studies of peer effects.
authors: Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, United States. Electronic address: daneis@umich.edu.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Eisenberg
authors: Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Minnesota Population Center, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. Electronic address: egolberstein@umn.edu.
authors: Ezra
authors: E
authors: Golberstein
authors: Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research and Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Beebe Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States. Electronic address: jlw43@cornell.edu.
authors: Janis L
authors: JL
authors: Whitlock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D005715:Gambling / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities
keywords: Alcohol; D830; I10; I12; Peer effects; Risky behaviors; Substance use; Z13