Using ABM to examine how social network formation processes shape drinking behaviour and alcohol-related harm (360G-Wellcome-224850_Z_21_Z)

Drinking behaviour of one’s friends is found to be a strong predictor of one’s alcohol use, especially among adolescents. Two mechanisms have been extensively explored to explain drinking similarity among friendship groups: 1) selection, i.e. adolescents choosing to become friends with those who have similar drinking behaviours, and 2) influence, i.e. adolescents changing their drinking behaviours to match with their friends. The main aim of this study is to develop or adapt an agent-based model (ABM) to examine how social network formation processes shape drinking behaviour and alcohol-related harm. We will focus on exploring the bidirectional relationship between drinking behaviours and friendship groups among first year university students, and its health economic consequences. This study will build on the social contagion theory ABM developed by the CASCADE (Calibrated Agent Simulations for Combined Analysis of Drinking Etiologies) project, which will be calibrated by evidence found in literatures and collected from first-year undergraduate students at the University of Sheffield via web-based questionnaires. We aim to provide insights on the how social network formation processes shape drinking behaviour and alcohol-related harm among young British adult drinkers, when they drink within a newly formed friendship group, and inform individual-level or group-level intervention policies accordingly.