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Environmental predictors of heavy episodic drinking.
1School of Social Work, San Diego State University, CA 92182-4119, USA.
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
|June 22, 2001
Summary
College students’ heavy episodic drinking is linked to drinking with friends and observing intoxication. However, dating events appear to reduce the likelihood of heavy drinking episodes, offering protective factors.
Area of Science:
- Social sciences
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is a prevalent issue among college students.
- Understanding the environmental and social contexts of HED is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between environmental characteristics and heavy episodic drinking (HED) in college students.
- To identify contextual factors that predict HED within specific drinking events.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 409 undergraduate students from a large public university.
- Analysis of 274 recent drinking events reported by students.
- Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses to identify predictive factors.
Main Results:
- Drinking with friends, consuming beer and hard liquor, and observing multiple intoxicated individuals predicted HED.
- Dating events were found to be protective against HED.
Conclusions:
- Environmental and social factors significantly influence HED among college students.
- Prevention efforts should consider the social dynamics and specific contexts of drinking events.
- Dating contexts may offer a protective element against HED, warranting further investigation.