POSITIVE RESPONSES TO TELEVISED BEER ADVERTISEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH DRINKING AND PROBLEMS REPORTED BY 18-YEAR-OLDS TO 29-YEAR-OLDS

Aims. To examine the nature of the relationships between responses to alcohol advertisements and drinking behaviour and related problems. To examine the role of positive and negative beliefs about drinking as i ntervening variables. Design. Survey utilizing a CATI (computer-assist ed telephone interviewing) system, involving interviews with 1012 rand omly selected respondents. Setting. Respondents were randomly selected from throughout New Zealand. Participants. Eighteen to twenty-nine-ye ar-old New Zealanders. Measurements. Response to specific alcohol adve rtisements was measured by recalled exposure (how often they recalled having seen the advertisements) and liking (a measure of positive resp onse). Findings. An exploratory non-recursive structural equation mode l, based on 791 drinkers provided tentative support for the hypothesis that positive responses to televised beer advertisements (as measured by liking) contributed to the quantity of alcohol consumed on drinkin g occasions, which in rum contributed to the level of alcohol-related problems. The model, which provided a good fit to the data, was consis tent with the hypothesis that liking of beer advertisements had both a direct influence on quantities of alcohol consumed and an indirect in fluence, via its influence on positive beliefs. These effects were pre sent after controlling for reciprocal effects, none of which were sign ificant. The data did not support the hypothesis that the quantities o f alcohol consumed would influence the respondent's liking of beer adv ertisements. Recalled exposure was not a significant influence on the quantities consumed. Conclusions. The results ave consistent with a nu mber of theoretical perspectives and with a growing body of research t hat are suggestive of alcohol advertising having some influence on the consumption of younger people.