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Free alcohol use and consequences: gender differences among undergraduates
Kimberly G Wagoner1, Jill Blocker, Thomas P McCoy
1Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. kwagoner@wakehealth.edu
American Journal of Health Behavior
|April 11, 2012
Summary
Undergraduates frequently obtaining free alcohol were more likely to engage in high-risk drinking and face consequences. Females obtained alcohol more often but reported fewer negative outcomes, despite higher odds of risky drinking.
Area of Science:
- Social Science
- Public Health
- Psychology
Background:
- College students are a demographic with high rates of alcohol consumption.
- Understanding factors influencing alcohol acquisition and related behaviors is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender disparities in obtaining free alcohol among undergraduates.
- To analyze the relationship between obtaining free alcohol, high-risk drinking patterns, and experienced consequences.
Main Methods:
- Annual web-based surveys conducted from 2003 to 2005.
- Involved random samples of a large undergraduate population (N=10,729).
Main Results:
- Key predictors of obtaining free alcohol included gender, race, age, Greek affiliation, income, and relationship status.
- Frequent obtainers of free alcohol showed increased odds of heavy episodic drinking and negative consequences.
- While females reported less heavy episodic drinking overall, frequent alcohol obtainers who were female had higher odds of heavy episodic drinking.
Conclusions:
- About 25% of undergraduates frequently obtained free alcohol.
- Females obtained free alcohol more frequently and had higher odds of high-risk drinking but experienced fewer consequences compared to males.
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