Using "Bud World Party" Attendance To Predict Adolescent Alcohol Use and Beliefs About Drinking

• NCJ Number: 208239
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: 2004 Pages: 179-195
• Author(s): Steven R. Thomsen Ph.D.; Dag Rekve M.B.E; Gordon B. Lindsay Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the link between attendance at the "Bud World Party," a family entertainment venue sponsored by beer producer Anheuser-Busch for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and alcohol-related beliefs and current drinking behaviors among seventh and eighth graders who attended a school located close to the exhibit.

Abstract

A modification of a traveling exhibit that features a description of beer manufacturing, the "Bud World Party" offered live entertainment, big-screen broadcasts, interactive games, a skating rink, animals from Busch Gardens and Sea World, "Bubble Boy" table hockey, sport clinics, skiing and snowboarding demonstrations, food, and drinks (including a beer tent). Throughout the exhibit were posters of Olympic athletes with Budweiser signs and logos attached to nearly every object and item. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 283 seventh and eighth grade students at a middle school located near the downtown Olympic venues, including the "World Party." Respondents were asked if they had consumed an alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. They were also asked if they had ever consumed an alcoholic beverage and, if so, their age at the time of their first drink. Further, respondents were asked to indicate their perception of the changes that drinking would make them more popular among their peers. Students were also asked about their participation in drug prevention discussions, attendance at the "World Party," religiosity, and demographics. The study found that attendance at the "Bud World Party" and recent alcohol consumption was moderated by gender. Girls who had visited the "Party" were more likely than the boys to have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. In addition, the girls who visited the "Party" were more likely to believe that drinking would increase their chances of popularity at school than the students who did not. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 51 references