Impact of liking for advertising and brand allegiance on drinking and alcohol-related aggression: a longitudinal study

Aims. To test a hypothesized model of the effect of televised alcohol advertising and allegiance to specific brands of beer on subsequent beer consumption and self-reports of aggressive behaviour linked with drinking. Design. Structural equation modelling was wed to assess the fit between data collected as part of a longitudinal study of young people's health and development and a hypothesized model based on theoretical perspectives and previous research. Setting. A birth cohort has been assessed every few years, most of them in their home city of Dunedin, New Zealand. The questions about alcohol are asked as part of the day-long assessment. Participants. Members of a longitudinal survey cohort at ages 18 and 21 years. Data from 630 beer drinking participants were analysed in this study. Measurements. Responses to questions about beer consumption, liking for advertising, favourite brand of beer and self-reports of alcohol-related aggressive behaviour. Findings. Our hypothesized model assumed a positive impact of liking of alcohol advertising and brand allegiance at age 18 on the volume of beer consumed at age 21 and self-reports of alcohol-related aggressive behaviour. This was found to be a good fit to the data from the longitudinal study. Conclusion. This measurable impact of alcohol advertising occurred during a time of decline in aggregate alcohol in New Zealand. While this effect was not large enough to halt the decline in aggregate alcohol consumption it does indicate a measurable, specific impact of broadcast alcohol advertising on alcohol consumption and related behaviour which is of relevance for public health policy.