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Spring break trips as a risk factor for heavy alcohol use among first-year college students
Christine M Lee1, Jennifer L Maggs, Lela A Rankin
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Box 354694, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. leecm@u.washington.edu
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|October 25, 2006
Summary
Spring break trips increase alcohol consumption for college students, particularly those seeking parties. This behavior escalates alcohol use during both the academic semester and the break itself.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- College students often engage in high-risk behaviors during spring break.
- Excessive alcohol consumption is a common concern during these vacations.
- The specific impact of spring break on alcohol use compared to typical behavior is not well-understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if spring break travel influences risky alcohol consumption patterns.
- To assess spring break as a situational risk factor for alcohol use.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study analyzing data from 176 first-year college students.
- Weekly telephone interviews conducted over a 10-week period.
- Multilevel modeling used to analyze alcohol consumption trends.
Main Results:
- Men, fraternity/sorority members, and those with higher fun-social alcohol expectancies drank more during the semester.
- Overall alcohol use did not significantly increase during the general spring break week.
- Spring break travelers demonstrated a significant increase in alcohol consumption during their trips.
Conclusions:
- Spring break trips are identified as a risk factor for increased alcohol use.
- Some students may actively seek opportunities for excessive alcohol consumption during trips.
- Findings have implications for niche selection and targeted prevention strategies for college student drinking.
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