Outdoor Alcohol Advertising Near Schools: What Does It Advertise and How is It Related to Intentions and Use of Alcohol Among Young Adolescents? *‪.‬

ALCOHOL USE BEGINS EARLY, with 33.9% of ninth graders in the United States reporting alcohol use before the age of 13 (Eaton et al., 2006). Alcohol use has been correlated with many negative outcomes during adolescence and in later life (O'Malley et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 2002). Youth who drink before age 15 are estimated to be four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 18 or older (Grant and Dawson, 1997; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004). Therefore, it is important to investigate the causes of the high prevalence of the early onset of alcohol use to inform preventive efforts. Social Cognitive Theory suggests that behavior results from a continuous reciprocal interaction between three levels of influence: personal, behavioral, and environmental (Bandura, 1977, 1986). Personal or cognitive factors refer to the factors that are found within a person and include such factors as beliefs and attitudes (Perry, 1999a). Personal factors influence youth alcohol use because the beliefs an adolescent has about the outcomes of alcohol use, such as "drinking alcohol will make me more popular," and perceptions of the normative use of alcohol by peers and adults may influence that adolescent's behavior (Perry et al., 1996). If the adolescent has positive beliefs and norms about alcohol use, then he or she may be more likely to use alcohol (Baranowski et al., 2002; Komro et al., 2001; Perry et al., 1996). Environmental influences are related to youth alcohol use because the environment can facilitate or prohibit alcohol use through access, exposure, and modeling (Perry and Jessor, 1985). Alcohol advertising is an environmental factor that has been found to shape adolescents' beliefs, attitudes, and alcohol behaviors (Ellickson et al., 2004; Fleming et al., 2004; Grube and Waiters, 2005; Grube and Wallack, 1994; Mazis, 1995; Snyder et al., 2006; Stacy et al., 2004).