Alcohol use and attitudes: a comparison of college athletes and nonathletes

The purpose of this study was to compare patterns of use and attitudes toward alcohol by college athletes and nonathletes. One hundred forty-six college students from colleges in the Jackson, Mississippi area were compared on athletic participation, sex, and race as these variables affected alcohol use and attitudes toward use. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire administered by the investigators. Chi squares and t-tests for differences between means were utilized to assess differences among subgroups on dependent variables. Analysis of data indicated that minimal differences existed in drinking behaviors of athletes and nonathletes. Athletic participation exerted a slight influence upon the drink of choice and patterns of drinking. Some significant racial and gender-related differences were found in drinking behaviors. The more negative attitudes of athletes toward alcohol consumption did not result in drinking behaviors distinct from nonathletes.     

Jocks, gender, race, and adolescent problem drinking

Alcohol remains the drug of choice for many adolescents; however, the nature of the relationship between athletic involvement and alcohol misuse remains ambiguous. In this article, we used a longitudinal sample of over 600 Western New York adolescents and their families to explore the gender-specific and race-specific relationships between identification with the "jock" label and adolescent alcohol consumption, specifically problem drinking. Operationalization of problem drinking included frequency measures of heavy drinking, binge drinking, and social problems related to alcohol (e.g., trouble with family, friends, school officials over drinking). Self-identified adolescent "jocks" were more likely to engage in problem drinking than their non-jock counterparts, even after controlling for gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, physical maturity, social maturity, and frequency of athletic activity. Jock identity was strongly associated with higher binge drinking frequency in Black adolescent girls. This study underscores the need to distinguish between objective and subjective meanings of athletic involvement when assessing the relationship between sport and adolescent health-risk behavior.     

Gender Differences in the Associations Among Body Mass Index,Weight Loss,Exercise, and Drinking Among College Students

Abstract

Objective: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. Participants: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use. Results: Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a positive relationship between exercise and alcohol use. Weight loss behaviors were positively associated with drinking for both female and male students; however, the association was significantly stronger for females. Conclusions: This investigation furthers previous research on drunkorexia and also sheds additional light on the gender-based differences in weight management behaviors of drinkers.     

Correction of normative misperceptions: an alcohol abuse prevention program.

Normative misperception refers to the tendency of college students to misperceive campus drinking norms to be more liberal than they actually are. Initial investigations have demonstrated the effectiveness of normative education on reduction of alcohol use in primary and secondary education settings. This study examined the utility of a group program designed to challenge seventy-one male college students' misperceptions of college drinking norms. Participants were enrolled into either a normative education group or a control group representing traditional alcohol education efforts. Participants in the normative education groups demonstrated more accurate perceptions of campus drinking norms and a significant reduction in consequences of alcohol use while those in the control group did not. Changes in normative perceptions were among the strongest contributors to a function discriminating between those who decreased their drinking and those who did not. Results suggest that normative education may be an effective approach to modifying drinking behaviors.     

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.     

Binge drinking in female college students: the association of physical activity, weight concern, and depressive symptoms

As an initial step in building gender-specific binge drinking intervention programs, the authors investigated the relation of potentially modifiable factors (physical activity level, weight concern, and depressive symptoms) to binge drinking while controlling for the effects of previously established correlates of binge drinking (tobacco and marijuana use, GPA, and perception of peer alcohol use). Four-hundred-twelve college women completed an in-class survey. Multivariate analyses revealed that tobacco and marijuana use, GPA, and physical activity were significantly associated with binge drinking, whereas tobacco use and perception of peers' alcohol use were associated with more frequent binge drinking. The findings suggested that the variables associated with any binge drinking and frequency of binge drinking may differ and that binge drinking can be associated with positive health behaviors (ie, greater physical activity) as well as risky health behaviors (eg, tobacco use).     

Validation of a measure of college students' intoxicated behaviors: associations with alcohol outcome expectancies, drinking motives, and personality

OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to develop a measure of college students' intoxicated behaviors and to validate the measure using scales assessing alcohol outcome expectancies, motives for drinking, and personality traits. PARTICIPANTS AND METHOD SUMMARY: The authors administered these measures and an inventory describing 50 intoxicated behaviors to 198 college students and conducted factor analysis on intoxicated behaviors. Logistic regression models examined relationships between intoxicated behavior dimensions and expectances, motives, and personality traits. RESULTS: Self-reported behaviors during intoxication episodes were reducible to 3 basic dimensions that formed reliable and valid scales: social, antisocial, and emotionally labile intoxication. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers can use the Intoxicated Behaviors Inventory to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting drinking or to identify college students at risk for problematic consequences of alcohol use. In addition, results point to the need for community efforts to encourage more moderate drinking among college students.     

Extracurricular activities, athletic participation, and adolescent alcohol use: gender-differentiated and school-contextual effects

This research investigates the effects of extracurricular activities on alcohol use among male (n = 4,495) and female (n = 5,398) adolescents who participated in the 1990-92 National Education Longitudinal Study. Previous studies have assessed the association between extracurricular activities and alcohol use, but none have explored whether the association depends on the school context. Using a multilevel model, I examine whether school-level factors affect the relationship between involvement in athletic or nonathletic activities and changes in adolescent alcohol use from 1990 to 1992. The results indicate that the negative association between nonathletic activities and alcohol use is stronger among males in low-minority-population schools. Moreover the positive association between athletic involvement and alcohol use is stronger among females in lower-socioeconomic-status schools and males in higher-socioeconomic-status schools. I propose that these results reflect variation in high school cultures and in the resources available to schools.     

Socioeconomic Status and Body Mass Index in Canada: Exploring Measures and Mechanisms

We examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption), and body mass index (BMI) using the Canadian Community Health Survey 2.1. We explore two different measures of SES, education and income, to elucidate material and cultural explanations of the SES‐BMI relationship. Results vary significantly by gender, highlighting the complexity of the relationship between SES, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and BMI. We suggest that body weight is still a gendered status symbol, and that cultural and psychosocial factors may be more important than material factors in perpetuating this health inequality.     

Peer Group Patterns of Alcohol‐Using Behaviors Among Early Adolescents in Victoria,Australia, and Washington State,United States

The goal of this study was to examine and cross‐nationally compare the peer group patterns of alcohol‐drinking behaviors among cohorts of early adolescents (ages 11–14 years) in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State, United States. Latent transition analysis revealed that after 1 year, transitions congruent with peer influence (whereby non‐drinking adolescents initiated alcohol use in the presence of drinking peers) and reverse peer influence were observed in both states; however, transitions congruent with peer selection (whereby drinking adolescents self‐selected into drinking peer groups) were only observed among Victorian early adolescents. Findings were interpreted to suggest that Australian family and cultural norms that more commonly allow early adolescent alcohol use lead to a higher rate of peer selection.     

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.     

A review of temporal effects and outcome predictors in substance abuse treatment studies with long-term follow-ups. Preliminary results and methodological issues

This article is an initial report from a review of alcohol and drug treatment studies with follow-ups of 2 years or more. The goals of the review are to examine the stability of substance use outcomes and the factors that moderate or mediate these outcomes. Results from 12 studies that generated multiple research reports are presented, and methodological problems encountered in the review are discussed. Substance use outcomes at the group level were generally stable, although moderate within-subject variation in substance use status over time was observed. Of factors assessed at baseline, psychiatric severity was a significant predictor of outcome in the highest percentage of reports, although the nature of the relationship varied. Stronger motivation and coping at baseline also consistently predicted better drinking outcomes. Better progress while in treatment, and the performance of pro-recovery behaviors and low problem severity in associated areas following treatment, consistently predicted better substance use outcomes.     

Athletic involvement and its relevance to hazardous alcohol use and drinking game participation in female college athletes: a preliminary investigation

OBJECTIVE AND PARTICIPANTS: The authors designed this cross-sectional study to examine sports team differences in hazardous alcohol use and drinking game participation, as well as the social correlates of these behaviors among female college athletes (N = 176; M age = 19.9 years, SD = 1.24, range = 18-22). METHODS: Respondents completed self-report surveys in small groups. They reported drinking behaviors, frequency of team social events involving alcohol use, and team cohesion. RESULTS: The authors found significant differences across sports teams with regard to hazardous alcohol use and participation in drinking games with teammates. Findings also revealed that a high frequency of team social events involving alcohol use was associated with elevated use and an increased likelihood of drinking game participation. CONCLUSIONS: The authors discuss future research directions and implications.     

Unhealthy behavior clustering and mental health status in United States college students

Abstract

Objective: Examine the association of health risk behavior clusters with mental health status among US college students. Participants: 105,781?US college students who completed the Spring 2011 National College Health Assessment. Methods: We utilized the latent class analysis to determine clustering of health risk behaviors (alcohol binge drinking, cigarette/marijuana use, insufficient physical activity, and fruit/vegetable consumption), and chi-square and ANOVA analyses to examine associations between the class membership and mental health (mental health diagnoses, psychological symptoms, and self-injurious thoughts/behaviors). Results: Three classes were identified with differing rates of binge drinking, substance use, and insufficient physical activity but similar rates of insufficient fruit/vegetable consumption. Students classified with the highest rates of binge drinking and cigarette/marijuana use had the highest rates across all mental health variables compared to other classes. Conclusions: Students who reported engaging in multiple health risk behaviors, especially high alcohol and cigarette/marijuana use, were also more likely to report poorer mental health.     

Alcohol-related incident guardianship and undergraduate college parties: enhancing the social norms marketing approach

This randomized experiment examines the effects of contextual information on undergraduate college student's levels of alcohol-related incident guardianship at college parties. The research is conceptualized using routine activities theory and the theory of planned behavior. The experiment examines attitudinal variations about heavy drinking differentiated by sex, athletic status, and location of the drinking event. The sex and athletic status variables produce statistically effects on the dependent variables, while location of the drinking event is not significant. The article concludes by discussing the importance of context as it pertains to the social norms marketing strategy utilized in much college alcohol programming, and suggests a more directed marketing approach.     

Self-reported drinking-game participation of incoming college students

Drinking games are associated with excess alcohol use and alcohol-related problems, yet it is unclear whether they are unique to the college environment or whether students come to college familiar with such games. The authors queried 1,252 students attending voluntary summer orientation programs about their experiences with drinking games. A majority (63%) indicated they had played drinking games and viewed them as a means to get drunk quickly and to socialize, control others, or get someone else drunk. Logistic regression analyses revealed that familiarity with drinking situations was associated with a greater likelihood of playing drinking games. Students who reported drinking more frequently and consuming greater quantities of alcohol than others, having lifetime marijuana use, and initiating alcohol consumption between the ages of 14 and 16 years were significantly more likely to have participated in drinking games. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering students' participation in drinking games when campus officials address alcohol use.     

Exposure to Parent and Peer Alcohol Use and the Risk of Drinking Onset and Escalation Among Adolescents

Although the rate of alcohol use among adolescents has declined, it remains their drug of choice. Parent and peer alcohol use are powerful risk factors for youth alcohol use. However, questions remain about how these factors influence underage drinking. The present study investigates the relationship between exposure to parent or peer alcohol use and two stages of adolescent drinking—onset and escalation—overall and at five age points during adolescence. Participants were 9348 adolescents in Waves I (WI) and II (WII) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, whose parents completed interviews at WI, and who identified themselves as either non-drinkers or experimental drinkers at WI. Reports of WII alcohol use were used to measure onset among WI non-drinkers and escalation among WI experimenters. Risk ratios were calculated to assess the overall impact of exposure to parent or peer alcohol use on onset and escalation, and at five age points (i.e., ≤?13, 14, 15, 16, and ≥?17). Findings show that exposure to either parent or friend alcohol use increased the risk of onset and escalation. Age-based analyses reveal a more nuanced relationship, showing variability in the nature and strength of influence by stage of drinking and by age. This study highlights the relevance of both parent and peer modeling on youth drinking throughout adolescence. Implications in advancing prevention and treatment include parental education about the impact of their own behaviors and the importance of monitoring teens’ friendships.     

A cross-country comparison of alcohol,tobacco, and marijuana use among youth who are employed,in school or out of the labor force and school (OLFS)

Labor force and school attachment may influence alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use in the US and Canada. Differences in social welfare provision, which provide protections for individuals with insecure attachments to the labor force or education, may in turn impact the behavior and health of youth in these countries. Yet, there is little research to understand the health consequences for youth of being out of the labor force and school (OLFS). Data of 25–29 year old participants of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (year 2010) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (2009–2010) were used to examine differences in substance use by labor force and school attachment. Logistic regression suggests that OLFS in the US and Canada were less likely to report alcohol uptake and more likely to use tobacco compared to employed youth. Unemployment was differentially associated with substance use behaviors by country. Country of residence and subsequent exposure to social welfare policy does not appear to impact substance use behaviors among OLFS. However, associations of unemployment and gender by country indicates differences in substance use behavior. More research should seek to understand factors that influence alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among OLFS and unemployed youth.     

Some factors involved in alcohol consumption of first-year undergraduates.

Three studies were conducted with samples of first-year undergraduates in order to assess relationships among college drinking, adjustment, recent life-changing events, interpersonal factors, self-control, and perceived risk. Significant correlations were found between alcohol use and life-change, but not between alcohol use and college adjustment. In addition, several significant findings linked alcohol use to social factors. Responses to open-ended interview questions suggest that self-control and risk may play a role in students' decisions regarding consumption, after initial experience with alcohol use. Non-social factors, namely stressful events, appear to play a role in consumption behavior; however, students more frequently report on social factors as motivating their decisions regarding alcohol intake.     

The Associations of Financial Stress and Parenting Support Factors with Alcohol Behaviors During Young Adulthood

This study examined concurrent and prospective associations of financial stress (financial strain, lack of financial access, public assistance) and parenting support factors (relationship quality, living at home, financial support) with young adults’ alcohol behaviors (alcohol use, heavy drinking, and problematic drinking) over a 5-year period. Analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data (N = 7,159) showed that, over the study period, alcohol use and heavy drinking declined while problematic drinking increased. In addition, living at home and parental relationship quality were associated with fewer concurrent and prospective alcohol behaviors whereas financial strain and parents’ financial support were associated with more alcohol behaviors. The implications for minimizing alcohol misuse in young adults amid uncertain economic conditions are discussed.