Alcohol policies on college campuses

State and local alcohol policies can minimize opportunities for people to use alcohol, thereby reducing consumption and alcohol-related problems. Little is known, however, about the prevalence of campus policies aimed at reducing college students' alcohol use and related problems. The authors surveyed school administrators in Minnesota and Wisconsin to assess the frequency of alcohol policies and whether institutional characteristics were likely to predict campus policies. They also compared administrators' responses to policies posted on college Web sites. Most schools prohibited beer kegs and provided alcohol-free housing for students. A minority of schools prohibited all alcohol use on campus or at Greek organizations or banned advertisements in school newspapers for alcohol or off-campus bars. The prevalence of policies varied with school characteristics, and agreement was poor between Web-site policy information and that provided by administrators. Further research on the prevalence of college alcohol policies might be useful for assessing trends and future prevention needs on campuses.     

Should They Stay or Should They Go: Greek Housing on Campus as Substance Use Prevention?

Greek life on college campuses offers many student benefits, including leadership skills and career networking, but is also associated with risk factors such as excessive alcohol use. This cross-sectional study compares hazardous alcohol and drug use, and use of protective behavioral strategies among non-Greek and Greek-affiliated students at 2 universities and differences among students at a university that offers on-campus Greek housing and a college with off-campus Greek housing. Findings reveal that Greek-affiliated students report more alcohol use, and no difference in drug use or in protective behavioral strategies, than non-Greek students. Among Greek students, those living in on-campus Greek housing report significantly lower alcohol use than students residing in off-campus Greek housing. Regardless of Greek status, students at the college with off-campus Greek housing are significantly more likely to use alcohol and marijuana in a fraternity or sorority house than students at the university with on-campus Greek housing.     

Using a social marketing approach to advertise Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE) services to college students

The authors report on an advertising campaign to communicate the availability and desirability of using Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE) services. They used social marketing precepts to develop posters to educate college students about using SANE as a health service and as an arm of prosecution. After 2 advertising campaigns, they conducted an anonymous survey of 1,051 college students. The findings indicated that posters placed in residence halls and public bathrooms reached students, produced a statistically significant increase in students' understanding of SANE services, and were significantly associated with their hypothetical encouragement of others to use SANE. Gender mediated some results. Posters placed in private viewing spaces were found to be a viable way to communicate information about SANE. Funding to combat violence against women on campus should be aimed at increasing students' access to SANE and should include the costs of advertising the program.     

People Like Us: Dominance-oriented Racial Affiliation Preferences and the White Greek System on a Southern U.S. Campus

Studying in-group affiliation preferences can be a valuable tool for understanding race relations in the contemporary United States. We draw on theories of social dominance and social identity to analyze racial attitudes, as measured by the Social Distance Scale, for a subset of black and white students at the University of Mississippi. While both black and white students expressed strong in-group preference, this preference was stronger for whites than for blacks, especially for white women presently affiliated or planning to affiliate with campus Greek organizations. Social dominance orientation, a measure describing whether social inequalities are accepted and justified, mediated the greater in-group preference of many whites, especially for intimate or high-power relationships. We discuss possible individual and institutional causes for the differences we observe, and we draw implications for understanding continued self-segregation both on- and off-campus in a society that implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, espouses “color-blind” ideals.     

Perceptions of environmental supports on the physical activity behaviors of university men and women: a preliminary investigation

OBJECTIVE: To examine perception differences between genders of university sidewalks and safety from crime on the physical activity (PA) behaviors of undergraduate students. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred and sixty undergraduate students participated in this study. METHODS: The authors derived questions from the South Carolina Environmental Supports for Physical Activity Questionnaire (SCESPAQ) and National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRS) PA module. RESULTS: The authors found a significant mean difference between genders for the Moderate Intensity Item (eg, walking and biking) and the Flexibility Item, t(558)=3.602, p=.001, and t(558)=1.946, p=.050, respectively. Of participants surveyed, 30% of women perceived this campus to be extremely safe compared with 49% of men, t(558)=4.240, p=.001. Gender and the perceptions of sidewalk presence were significantly related (p<.05) to respondents' walking or bicycling patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of sidewalks and safety from crime on this university campus were related to students' PA behaviors.     

Perceptions of the availability of recreational physical activity facilities on a university campus

OBJECTIVE: The author's purpose in this study was to assess perceptions of recreational physical activity (PA) facilities on a university campus. PARTICIPANTS: Four-hundred and sixty-seven undergraduate students participated in this study (women = 293; men = 174). RESULTS: The author found a significant percentage difference between women and men concerning the availability of racquetball courts on campus, 47% vs 63%, t (465) = -3.274. The author similarly found a significant percentage difference between women and men's perceptions concerning the availability of tennis courts. Twenty-seven percent of women were unaware or did not know tennis courts were available for PA, in comparison with 19% of men t (465) = -2.413. Awareness of recreational facilities revealed significant differences (Pillai's Trace = .189, p < .05) between freshmen and upperclassmen. Freshmen perceived themselves to have access to fewer recreational facilities on campus. CONCLUSION: More efforts to increase awareness of PA facilities are needed on university campuses.     

Life goals and gender differences among chronically homeless individuals entering permanent supportive housing

This research seeks to understand goals and the gender differences in goals among men and women who are transitioning into permanent supportive housing. Men and women experience homelessness differently. Data collected for this study come from a longitudinal investigation of HIV risk behavior and social networks among women and men transitioning from homelessness to permanent supportive housing. As part of this study, 421 baseline interviews were conducted in English with homeless adults scheduled to move into permanent supportive housing; participants were recruited between September 2014 and October 2015. This paper uses goals data from the 418 male-or female-identified respondents in this study. Results identified goal differences in education and general health between men and women that should be taken into account when service providers, policy makers, and advocates are addressing the needs of homeless women.     

An investigation of the endowment effect in the context of a college housing lottery

The endowment effect was examined in a two-part study in the context of a college housing lottery. Students who were awarded their first choice of residence hall were asked the lowest dollar amount they would be willing to accept (WTA) to give up their first choice hall whereas students who were denied their first choice were asked the highest dollar amount they would be willing to pay (WTP) to obtain their first choice. Results from the initial assessment showed the presence of the endowment effect regarding students’ valuation of their first choice residence hall immediately after the housing lottery (i.e., WTA price was significantly higher than WTP price). The follow-up surveyed participants from the initial assessment who responded when contacted a second time after they had experienced two months of life in the residence hall they were awarded in the lottery. Results from the follow-up showed that the endowment effect was still present after experiencing life in the residence hall. Moreover, further analyses revealed that the endowment effect was, in fact, enhanced after the living experience. These findings demonstrate that within the context of a housing lottery, a highly-valued commodity, long-term experiences substantially increase the magnitude of the endowment effect, even when controlling for other factors that have been shown to impact this effect.     

Slave Mothers and White Fathers: Defining Family and Status in Late Colonial Cuba

This paper outlines the mechanisms used to position the offspring of slave women and white men at various points within late nineteenth-century Cuba's racial hierarchy. The reproductive choices available to these parents allowed for small, but significant, transformations to the existing patterns of race and challenged the social separation that typically under girded African slavery in the Americas. As white men mated with black and mulatta women, they were critical agents in the initial determination of their children's status–as slave, free, mulatto, or even white. This definitional flexibility fostered an unintended corruption of the very meaning of whiteness. Similarly, through mating with white men, enslaved women exercised a degree of procreative choice, despite their subjugated condition. In acknowledging the range of rape, concubinage, and marriage exercised between slave women and white men, this paper highlights the important links between reproductive practices and the social construction of race.     

Perceived norms and alcohol consumption: differences between college students from rural and urban high schools

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined perceived norms and drinking among college students who attended high schools in rural and urban communities. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Undergraduates (99 men and 85 women) who attended high schools in communities with populations ranging from less than 100 to more than 400,000 completed surveys assessing perceived norms and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that students from smaller towns and in smaller high school graduating classes reported heavier drinking and that perceived norms were positively associated with drinking. Perceived norms were unrelated to population variables, and the relationship between perceived norms and drinking did not vary as a function of population variables. Results suggest that differences in drinking as a function of coming from more rural areas contribute to drinking behavior in college independently of perceived norms. CONCLUSIONS: College students may adjust to campus drinking norms relatively quickly, and longitudinal research would be useful in understanding this transition.     

Unwanted sexual contact on campus: a comparison of women's and men's experiences

While sexual victimization continues to be a problem on college campuses, recent attention has been drawn to understanding gender differences in victimization rates and consequences. To date, these studies remain relatively few in number. The current study surveyed 651 male and female undergraduate students about unwanted sexual experiences during 1 academic year. Comparison of men and women revealed expected differences in incidence rates, with women reporting higher rates of unwanted contact. Within the subsample of reported victims, however, there was gender similarity in terms of the context of unwanted sexual experiences. Analyses also revealed the negative consequences of these experiences for both men and women and low rates of disclosure regardless of gender. Across the full sample of students surveyed, there were interesting gender differences in knowledge of campus support services, with women more likely to have attended a prevention program and to have indicated greater knowledge of rape crisis services.     

Rural brewing,exclusion, and development policy-making

This article highlights the economic role of women in the brewing industry in rural and periurban areas of sub-Saharan African countries. Local beer drinking is a form of social exchange and a reward for time-intensive work. Modern beer brewing in rural areas is a family operation. Beer is produced for subsistence and for sale. Locally brewed beer has a lower alcohol content than commercial brews. The author refers to Pradervand's (1990) study of local brewing in five east and west African countries. Pradervand found that men spent an estimated CFAF 18 billion per year on local brews compared to the value of total national exports of CFAF 21 billion per year in 1996. The male Kitui in rural Kenya were found to spend 60% of their weekly income on beer. Women dominate brewing in eastern and southern Africa. Rural beers are grain based (maize, millet, or sorghum), but may also be made from bananas, bamboo, sugar cane, or coconut. An estimated 25% of women in a village survey in Tanzania reported that beer was brewed one to four times a month. Another survey in the 1980s found that 73% of women brewed beer at some time. Beer brewing is a very significant economic activity for rural women. It provides higher levels of income and employment. Urban brewing by women has a negative image that rural women's beer brewing does not have. Grain for brewing comes from family farms or markets. Women's clubs are used as income generation groups for loans and as support groups. Women's beer brewing is not supported by development interventions or recognized by UN agencies. There are resource implications due to an estimated 5%-30% of annual wood consumption used for beer brewing. If women's role in beer brewing is ignored, male-dominated commercial interests will further marginalize rural women.     

College student perceptions on campus alcohol policies and consumption patterns

Environmental strategies for colleges and universities to reduce alcohol consumption among their students include the development and enforcement of campus alcohol policies. This study examines students' knowledge and attitudes toward campus alcohol policies and how they relate to alcohol consumption and alcohol social norms. A sample of 422 freshman students was surveyed during their first month at a 4-year public college. Findings indicated that the majority of students (89%) were aware of campus policies, yet of those who were aware, less than half (44%) were accepting of these campus rules and regulations. In addition, the majority (79%) of students drank at social events, despite this behavior being in direct violation of campus alcohol policies. However, those who supported campus rules consumed significantly less alcohol at social events than those who opposed or had no opinion of the rules. Also, those who supported the rules perceived that their peers and students in general consumed significantly less alcohol at social events than those who were opposed or had no opinion. This outcome supports the premise established by several theories of behavior change including the theory of planned behavior, which state that behavior is influenced less by knowledge than by attitude and intention.     

Enforcing a Tobacco-Free Campus Through an Ambassador-Based Program: A Phenomenology

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether student awareness and attitudes about organic foods would predict their behaviors with regard to organic food consumption and other healthy lifestyle practices. A secondary purpose was to determine whether attitudes about similar eco-friendly practices would result in socially conscious behaviors. Participants: The sample was students (N = 443) enrolled in 1 of 2 core courses in a mid-sized Southern university. Method Summary: Students completed an anonymous 28-item survey about their awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. Linear regression and path analysis were used to test whether attitudes were related to purchase of organic foods and eco-friendly behaviors. Results: Many students (49%) possessed factual knowledge about organic foods. More (64%) felt positively about having organic food options available to them both on campus and elsewhere. Taste and price most influenced the purchase of such foods. Attitudes were significant predictors of consumption behaviors and healthy practices. Conclusions: Positive attitudes toward organic foods and other environmentally friendly practices significantly predicted similar behaviors. Student consumers seem to act upon their beliefs.     

Gender differences in predicting high-risk drinking among undergraduate students

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in college students' high-risk drinking as measured by an estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) based on gender, height, weight, self-reported number of drinks, and hours spent drinking. Using a developmental/contextual framework, high-risk drinking is conceptualized as a function of relevant individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and contextual factors regularly mentioned in the college drinking literature. Individual characteristics include race, gender, and age; interpersonal characteristics include number of sexual partners and having experienced forced sexual contact. Finally, contextual factors include Greek membership, living off-campus, and perception of peer drinking behavior. This study is a secondary data analysis of 1,422 students at a large university in the Southeast. Data were gathered from a probability sample of students through a mail survey. A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed gender differences in the pathway for high-risk drinking. For men, high-risk drinking was predicted by a combination of individual characteristics and contextual factors. For women, interpersonal factors, along with individual characteristics and contextual factors, predicted high-risk drinking, highlighting the importance of understanding female sexual relationships and raising questions about women's risk-taking behavior. Implications for prevention and assessment are discussed.     

Moderators of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Consumption in College Students

Abstract

Objective: Among college students, several studies have found a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. The current study tested gender, Greek status, and ethnicity as potential moderators of the physical activity-alcohol use relationship. Participants: Participants were college freshmen (n = 310) endorsing alcohol/drug use. Methods: Students completed questionnaires assessing a number of health behaviors. Results: Results indicated that gender and Greek status were significant moderators of the relationship between physical activity and alcohol consumption. There was a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use for men and Greeks, but not for females and non-Greeks. Conclusions: These findings suggest that exercise does not serve as a protective factor for any of the subgroups of college students studied and is positively associated with drinking among college students who are men and/or involved with the Greek system.     

“Drunkorexia”: Exploring the Who and Why of a Disturbing Trend in College Students’ Eating and Drinking Behaviors

Abstract. Objective: “Drunkorexia,” limiting food intake before alcohol consumption, increases college students’ risk for negative alcohol-related health consequences. The current study tested whether (1) women engage in drunkorexia more frequently than men; (2) weight control motivations explain sex differences in drunkorexia; and (3) among women, weight control motivations are a particularly strong predictor of drunkorexia for heavier drinkers. Participants: Undergraduate males and females (N = 63) recruited during fall of 2011. Methods: Participants self-reported their alcohol consumption, drunkorexia, and weight control motivations online. Results: Findings supported hypotheses: weight control motivations explained why women engage in drunkorexia more than men; and the weight control motivation → drunkorexia relation was strongest for heavier- (vs lighter-) drinking women. Conclusion: Women have more weight concerns than men, which makes them more likely to engage in drunkorexia. Heavy-drinking women with strong weight control motivations are at greatest risk for drunkorexia. Interventions should help students more safely reconcile pressures to be thin and drink alcohol.     

College students' acceptance of trans women and trans men in gendered spaces: The role of physical appearance

ABSTRACT

Transgender people often face prejudice and discrimination in school, employment, housing, and health care, and this can affect their psychological well-being. Although the literature on prejudice toward transgender people is growing, there is limited research that has examined differences in attitudes toward trans women and trans men separately. Specifically, the current study examined the role of physical appearance in the acceptance of transgender women and men in gendered spaces, including bathrooms, locker rooms, residence halls, and sorority and fraternity organizations. Participants viewed masculine-appearing and feminine-appearing images of a trans woman and trans man. Measurements of overall transacceptance and gendered-space acceptance were assessed. Results indicated that, in general, trans women were less accepted than trans men. The masculine-appearing trans woman was less accepted in the gendered spaces compared to the feminine-appearing trans woman and both images of the trans men. Also, female participants were generally more accepting of transgender people than male participants were. These findings suggest that, compared to trans men, discrimination of trans women is more likely, especially when the trans woman's physical appearance transgresses traditional gender expectations.     

The Problem of Alcohol Advertisements in College Newspapers

Abstract

In a sample of college newspapers, alcohol advertisements made up approximately one-half of all national advertising. Most of these were for beer. In addition, most of the papers also carried local “on sale” alcohol ads. Ads for soft drinks and for books were far less prominent in the sample. Numerous beer ads contained a philosophy inimical to the aims of college education. Study, learning, science, campus organizations, graduation, and even education itself were ridiculed, and beer drinking was substituted for them. These appeals were considered in relation to studies of drinking problems on campus and peer pressures on students to join in the drinking. Campus efforts toward alcohol education were reviewed and outstanding programs singled out. It was suggested that students, faculty, and staff discuss the problem and seek some resolution.