Abstract

Background: Adolescent alcohol consumption affects social and psychological development, including attention, learning, and social adjustment. Research from North America and Europe suggests alcohol use influences friendship networks through homophily (preference for similar peers) and sociometric friendship (social attractiveness). However, these dynamics remain underexplored in Latin America. This study examines whether Chilean adolescents form friendships based on shared alcohol use (homophily hypothesis) and whether alcohol use predicts more friendship nominations (sociometric friendship hypothesis). Methods: The sample comprised 707 students from 27 classrooms in Chile, selected using a clustered stratified sampling design. Friendship networks were measured through peer nominations, and lifetime alcohol use was self-reported. Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGM) analyzed the likelihood of friendships based on alcohol use, age, gender, and parental education. Meta-analyses aggregated classroom-level results. Results: Findings supported the homophily hypothesis, with adolescents significantly more likely to form friendships with peers who shared similar alcohol use behaviors. However, the sociometric friendship hypothesis showed no significant association with alcohol use. Conclusion: Adolescents in Chile exhibited alcohol use homophily consistent with global findings. However, we found no significant sociometric friendship effects, which may reflect Chilean cultural norms that normalize adolescent drinking. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.