Rurality in Relation to Adolescent Binge Drinking: Examining the Role of Parental Norms

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between rurality and binge drinking, investigating the mediating role of parental norms. In rural areas in The Netherlands, there are indications that binge drinking occurs inside keten, or party barns. Keten are self-constructed spaces unique to Dutch nightlife. Because of their unofficial character and inadequate policy to supervise them, little is known about the activities inside. Using data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from both 2017 (N = 7,392) and 2021 (N = 5,733), the current study first uses the 2017 data to establish a correlation between rurality and keten. This correlation was then used as an approximation for keten in the 2021 data for the main analyses. The results indicate rurality itself did not significantly predict binge drinking. When parental norms were considered, the indirect relationship was significant, although small. This suggests parental norms perfectly mediate the relationship between rurality and binge drinking. Age explained the variance in parental norms, which is in line with theory, as alcohol-specific parenting is dynamic throughout developmental stages. Prevention studies already emphasize the role of parents in interventions. This study highlights interactions between ecological layers, showing parental norms are influenced by their environment. To address this, interventions could be tailored to rural context, for example by adapting the tone to address local social norms. As secondary data was used, it could not be confirmed binge drinking happened in keten. Future research using precise data on keten is needed to further establish this connection.