Perceived norms and alcohol consumption: differences between college students from rural and urban high schools

The authors examined perceived norms and drinking among college students who attended high schools in rural and urban communities.

Undergraduates (99 men and 85 women) who attended high schools in communities with populations ranging from less than 100 to more than 400,000 completed surveys assessing perceived norms and alcohol consumption.

Analyses revealed that students from smaller towns and in smaller high school graduating classes reported heavier drinking and that perceived norms were positively associated with drinking. Perceived norms were unrelated to population variables, and the relationship between perceived norms and drinking did not vary as a function of population variables. Results suggest that differences in drinking as a function of coming from more rural areas contribute to drinking behavior in college independently of perceived norms.

College students may adjust to campus drinking norms relatively quickly, and longitudinal research would be useful in understanding this transition.