The lack of a standard definition for the terms “Diet strictly” and “Exercise vigorously for a long period of time”, used to create the variable “Lose weight,” means respondents may have different interpretations of the terms, which is another limitation of the study. Another limitation is inability to determine if the nondrinkers had ever been a passenger with a driver who has had a lot to drink. It may be that even if an adolescent is not drinking, their peer group includes those who are imbibing and driving after binge drinking, which still puts the nondrinker at risk for injury. Subsequent research should assess this relationship. Another limitation is that questions for the alcohol-related problem behaviors were only asked of those with a high exposure to drinking, meaning they reported having drank on at least six occasions. Those drinking on fewer than six occasions may have participated in the various risky behaviors, but that would not be reflected in these analyses.
