Pregaming: An Exploratory Study of Strategic Drinking by College Students in Pennsylvania |
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| Authors: | William DeJong PhD Beth DeRicco PhD Shari Kessel Schneider MSPH |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts;2. Outside The Classroom, Inc. , Needham, Massachusetts;3. Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention , Education Development Center, Inc. , Newton, Massachusetts;4. MetroWest Youth Risk Behavior Survey Project , Education Development Center, Inc. , Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Objectives: This exploratory study examined pre-event drinking, or pregaming, by US college students. Participants: 112 undergraduates from 10 Pennsylvania colleges participated. Method: A focus group, including a written questionnaire, was conducted at each institution. Results: Only 35.7% of the participants had not pregamed during the last 2 weeks. Pregamers consumed an average of 4.9 (SD = 3.1) drinks during their most recent session. Gender, class year, and other demographic variables did not predict pregaming. Heavier drinkers, and those stating that the average student pregamed 3+ times in the last 2 weeks, were more likely to report pregaming in the last 2 weeks. How much students drink when pregaming is influenced by how much they expect to drink later on. Conclusion: Pregaming presents a growing challenge for campus officials. Additional research is needed on the nature of the problem and which combination of prevention strategies might best address this behavior. |
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| Keywords: | alcohol college students drinking high-risk drinking pregaming |
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