Analysis Of The Spread Of Alcohol Consumption Among Students Through Agent-based Models

Alcohol abuse is a critical issue in schools worldwide, with students starting to drink at younger ages. Key factors such as social pressure, household conditions, and emotional stability significantly influence student drinking behavior, often leading to compulsive drinking. This study investigates...

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Autores:
Leiva R, María Alejandra
Galvis, Diego Esteban
Castano, Juan Pablo
Tipo de recurso:
Fecha de publicación:
2024
Institución:
Universidad EAFIT
Repositorio:
Repositorio EAFIT
Idioma:
eng
OAI Identifier:
oai:repository.eafit.edu.co:10784/34770
Acceso en línea:
https://hdl.handle.net/10784/34770
Palabra clave:
Agent-Based Modeling
Alcohol Consumption
Recovery Workshops
Modelación Basada en Agentes
Consumo de Alcohol
Recovery Workshops
Rights
License
Acceso abierto
Description
Summary:Alcohol abuse is a critical issue in schools worldwide, with students starting to drink at younger ages. Key factors such as social pressure, household conditions, and emotional stability significantly influence student drinking behavior, often leading to compulsive drinking. This study investigates how peer influence contributes to compulsive drinking among students and explores preventive measures. To explore these interventions, we utilized agent-based modeling to simulate alcohol consumption dynamics among students. Each student is modeled as an agent with attributes like susceptibility to peer pressure and drinking status. The model, implemented in NetLogo, follows a discrete-time process where agents move and interact, updating their behavior based on peer influence. Recovery workshops were tested to evaluate their impact on reducing compulsive drinking. Specifically, when the initial percentage of binge drinkers was set to 20% and the social influence radius was increased to 7, nearly all students from groups 1 to 4 became binge drinkers at an accelerated rate. However, implementing recovery workshops where 50% of binge drinkers reduced their alcohol intake led to a visible slowdown in compulsive drinking rates, significantly mitigating the spread. These results highlight the importance of early, targeted interventions in schools to transform societal drinking patterns, promoting a healthier, more stable student population. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators working to combat underage drinking and its social consequences.