title: Effects of early adolescent alcohol use on mid-adolescent school performance and connection: a longitudinal study of students in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article examines the effect of early adolescent alcohol use on mid-adolescent school suspension, truancy, commitment, and academic failure in Washington State, United States, and Victoria, Australia. Also of interest was whether associations remain after statistically controlling for other factors known to predict school outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  State-representative student samples were surveyed in 2002 (grade 7; N = 1858) and followed up annually to 2004 (grade 9) in both sites. Students completed a modified version of the Communities That Care survey to report alcohol use, school outcomes, and risk and protective factors. Response rates were above 74% and retention rates exceeded 98% in both places.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for grade 7 risk factors, grade 7 current alcohol use, and heavy episodic drinking were associated with grade 8 school suspension. Grade 7 current and frequent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking were linked to grade 9 truancy. In fully adjusted analyses, associations between early alcohol use and academic failure and low school commitment did not remain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although alcohol use is one factor influencing school performance and connection, there are other risk factors that need to be targeted to improve school outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Learning Sciences Institute Australia, Australian Catholic University, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia. sheryl.hemphill@acu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sheryl A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hemphill
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Heerde
authors.forename: Kirsty E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Scholes-Balog
authors.forename: Todd I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Herrenkohl
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Toumbourou
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: adolescence; alcohol use; longitudinal study; school connection; school performance