# Sibling Socialization of Alcohol and Drug Use from Early through Late Adolescence

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $382,283

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
A growing body of research indicates that siblings have marked influence on adolescents' alcohol and other
substance use. Results from genetically informed designs reveal that concordance between siblings in these
domains exceeds the influence of shared genetics and shared environments, including parenting, suggesting
that sibling similarities arise via some form of social influence. Despite strong evidence that siblings are unique
socializers of substance use, research on the mechanisms driving these associations is underdeveloped.
There is a critical need to identify those processes that influence adolescents' decisions regarding substance
use. The lack of mechanistic understanding precludes informed development of family-based behavioral
intervention strategies. Thus, rooted in ecological and family systems frameworks, we propose an integrative
theoretical framework of sibling influence and identify the micro- and global-social influence processes that
account for sibling similarities and differences. Additionally, taking a developmental perspective, we will identify
the dual trajectories and reciprocal associations between older and younger siblings' substance use behaviors
and related cognitions from early through late adolescence. This advance is critical, as previous work has only
considered top-down (i.e., older to younger sibling) socialization. Testing ecological principles, we will also
investigate the degree to which community characteristics moderate the influence of sibling socialization and
youth's substance use more generally. The sample will include 600 sibling pairs and their residential parents
(~2220 participants). Using address based sampling strategies, we will recruit families that include a focal older
sibling in grades 8-10 (~13-16 years of age) and a sibling up to three grades younger (~12-15 years of age).
Using an accelerated longitudinal within-family design with planned missingness, participants will be followed
over the course of two years (i.e., three annual assessments). Two data collection methods will be employed at
each assessment. First, annual internet-based computer assisted self-interviews (CASI) with parents and
youth will assess participants' alcohol and other substance use and related cognitions, psychosocial
functioning, and peer, parent and sibling relationship qualities. Second, a series of internet-based diary
interviews will be completed by younger and older siblings. Over four consecutive weekends, these interviews
will assess the content of siblings' daily interactions as well as the contexts and companions of their activities
(including substance use). In general, the aims will be tested using latent variable modeling (LVM). This flexible
analytic procedure is advantageous as it can handle both diary and longitudinal data which are nested within
individuals as well as data from siblings which are further nested within families. Furthermore, LVM permits the
efficient testi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10189447
- **Project number:** 5R01AA025331-05
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Shawn David Whiteman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $382,283
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-20 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10189447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10189447, Sibling Socialization of Alcohol and Drug Use from Early through Late Adolescence (5R01AA025331-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10189447. Licensed CC0.

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