Descriptive study of friendship networks in adolescents and their relationship with self-efficacy and alcohol consumption using social network analysis

Abstract

Alcohol is a widely used legal drug. Self-efficacy takes on great importance in an adolescent’s development. Levels of self-efficacy can contribute to the decision-making process of the adolescent. In this phase, a group of friends becomes increasingly important. Alcohol is present in different social aspects. Adolescents use alcohol as a social facilitator or as part of the development of their autonomy. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the structure of the friendship network, self-efficacy, and alcohol consumption in adolescents. Methods: We used an online platform with validated self-reported questionnaires to collect the data. The sample consisted of 195 adolescents aged between 16 and 18, from different educational centers in Bierzo (Spain). Results: It was found that 43.6% of the adolescents in our research were high-risk consumers. Significant differences were obtained in terms of self-efficacy and different network metrics. These networks were represented by considering the levels of alcohol consumption. In the friendship network, we observed how the central adolescents presented higher levels of self-efficacy and lower alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Self-efficacy is established as a predictor of coping and not consuming alcohol and adolescence as a crucial moment to implement prevention strategies. Social Network Analysis is a useful tool that provides an image of the context in which adolescents find themselves.