Peer-group and price influence students drinking along with planned behaviour

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Binge drinking is prevalent among young adults, posing significant public health concerns.
• Understanding the psychological and social determinants of binge drinking is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a framework for explaining binge drinking in university students.
• To identify key predictors of binge drinking and intention to drink within a student population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 178 university students who completed self-report questionnaires.
• Binge drinking was defined as consuming four (females) or five (males) or more standard drinks in one session.
• The TPB constructs, drinking intentions, and actual drinking behaviours were assessed.

Main Results:

• Binge drinking was reported by 39.6% of males and 35.9% of females.
• The TPB explained a small portion of the variance in intention to drink (7%).
• Friends' drinking behaviour significantly predicted binge drinking, accounting for 44% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• The TPB was a weak predictor of student binge drinking, potentially due to measurement issues.
• Peer influence and the university environment (e.g., social norms, alcohol availability, pricing) are significant factors in student drinking.
• Interventions should address peer dynamics and the social context of drinking on campus to curb excessive alcohol consumption.