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Adolescent perceptions of college student drinking.
D L Thombs1, R S Olds, J Ray-Tomasek
1Department of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education, Kent State University, OH 44242-0001, USA. dthombs@educ.kent.edu
American Journal of Health Behavior
|August 24, 2001
Summary
Adolescents often perceive college student drinking inaccurately. These exaggerated perceptions are linked to increased substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, starting in middle school.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Substance Use Research
- Social Norms Theory
Background:
- Understanding adolescent perceptions of peer behavior is crucial for substance use prevention.
- Previous research indicates a gap between actual and perceived college student drinking norms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adolescent perceptions of college student drinking norms.
- To assess the relationship between these perceptions and substance use behaviors in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 2,017 adolescents in grades 7-12 across two Ohio school districts.
- Data were analyzed using canonical correlation to examine relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- By seventh grade, 89.6% of students had formed perceptions of collegiate drinking.
- Perceptions of college drinking were substantially and independently related to alcohol use intensity, drinking onset, and use of tobacco and other drugs.
Conclusions:
- Exaggerated perceptions of college student drinking serve as psychosocial markers for substance use.
- These findings highlight the importance of addressing misperceptions of social norms in adolescent substance use prevention efforts.