U.S. Adolescents’ Exposure to Alcohol Marketing: Self-Reported Exposure on the Internet and Traditional Media

Introduction

Youth exposure to alcohol marketing is a risk factor for underage drinking. In the U.S., research documents the impact of youth exposure to alcohol marketing through traditional media (e.g., TV, radio) on underage drinking, with less known about digital alcohol marketing exposure. This study aims to examine adolescents’ self-reported exposure to alcohol marketing on various types of media, including the internet, by their demographic characteristics.

Methods

Data were from the 2021 YouthStyles survey administered by Porter Novelli. Adolescents aged 12–17 years (N=833) completed this national online survey. Two multivariable logistic regression models were conducted in October 2022–April 2023 to examine exposure to alcohol marketing on 2 categories of media (watching TV, streaming videos, or going to the movies or browsing the internet). Models included race/ethnicity, age, gender, and past-week number of hours using the media category being assessed.

Results

More than half of the U.S. adolescents reported being sometimes or often exposed to alcohol marketing. Hispanic adolescents had approximately 1.6 greater adjusted odds than non-Hispanic White adolescents of reporting sometimes or often being exposed to alcohol marketing while watching TV, streaming videos, or going to the movies and while browsing the internet. As adolescents’ age increased, self-reported alcohol marketing exposure also increased for both media categories assessed.

Conclusions

Monitoring alcohol marketing exposure, including exposure on the internet, can inform efforts for reducing racial/ethnic disparities in underage drinking risk factors.