Predictors of alcohol abuse behaviors of undergraduates

A representative sample of 713 Mary Washington College undergraduates responded to questions about alcohol effects, their own alcohol use, and their beliefs about the risks associated with alcohol use for college students in general and for themselves in particular. Item correlations suggested four indexes: personal risk of abuse, personal risk of alcohol-related misfortune, alcohol consumption, and alcohol abuse. Knowledge did not predict reduced use or abuse patterns, nor did perceived risk of abuse for students in general. Abuse, consumption and personal risk of abuse were all positively intercorrelated. However, personal risk of alcohol-related misfortune was negatively correlated with all other indexes. These findings have important implications for programs to reduce alcohol abuse among young people.