In terms of rates of growth, girls showed greater growth in alcohol use than boys (Figure 1a). Model 1 (age as the sole predictor) showed the odds of drinking increased more than fourfold each year for girls [Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.40], and increased approximately 2.5 times/year year for boys (OR = 2.62). Average emotional closeness to mothers and fathers showed a roughly linear decrease over time for both genders (Figure 1c). Parental disapproval of alcohol use showed a minimal decline from wave 2 to 3, and there was a large negative decline from wave 3 to 4 (Figure 1d). Family conflict increased slightly from wave 2 to 3 for both genders, with a marginally greater increase for girls compared to boys (Figure 1b). From wave 3 to 4, both genders reported significant increases in family conflict, with girls reporting greater increases than boys. In sum, these results indicated that growth in alcohol use developed strongly from waves 3–5 and there were large changes in family variables occurred between waves 3 and 4.
