Group membership and adolescents' alcohol intake: The mediating role of drinking motives

Objective: Group norms and drinking motives are crucial predictors of adolescents’ alcohol intake. The current study examined the role of drinking motives in the association between descriptive group norms and alcohol intake. Method: A sample of 525 Italian adolescents (56% men) was surveyed. Participants completed measures of group norms, drinking motives, and personal drinking. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that stronger group norms were positively related to increased alcohol intake. Drinking for enhancement and social motives also were related to increased alcohol intake. Mediation analysis showed that group norms were related to alcohol intake through social and enhancement drinking motives. Conclusions: Drinking motives provide fruitful insights into the relationship between descriptive group norms and excessive alcohol use among adolescents. Implications for future research are discussed.