Gambling and alcohol use among youth: Influences of demographic, socialization, and individual factors

Gambling and alcohol use are both prevalent among youth and these behaviors may have common predictors within four domains: sociodemographic, individu al/psychological, socialization (parental and peer), and other problem beha vior. Data were from two household samples of youth in the Buffalo, NY area . Both studies included the same measures of alcohol consumption and gambli ng frequency, and comparable measures of variables in the four domains. Mul tivariate analyses of variance revealed that impulsivity, moral disengageme nt, and delinquency (adolescent or peer delinquency) predicted alcohol cons umption and gambling in both studies, even after controlling for demographi c factors. Parental monitoring, cigarette use, and illicit drug use predict ed alcohol consumption in both studies, but did not predict gambling once t he demographic and individual factors were taken into account. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd.