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Published on: January 5, 2018
Protective behavioral strategies and negative alcohol-related consequences in college students
1Arizona State University, USA. teresaaraas@sheridanhospital.org
Objective:
Alcohol abuse among college students is associated with a quality of life burden. The current study replicated and extended previous research on protective behavioral strategies (PBS) by examining relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences.
Method:
A national sample of 29,792 U.S. college students who completed the National College Health Assessment during spring 2004 was included. Using a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data, relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences were examined.
Results:
Greater PBS use was associated with fewer negative alcohol-related consequences, while less frequent use of PBS was correlated with increased negative alcohol-related consequences.
Discussion:
The current study findings strongly support expanded educational alcohol-intervention programs promoting greater PBS use aimed at reducing or completely alleviating negative alcohol-related consequences (e.g., BASICS, ASTP). Future research should further investigate such PBS-based intervention programs, examine the existence of latent PBS, and study use of combined PBS.
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