Attitude toward heavy drinking as a key longitudinal predictor of alcohol consumption and problems

Little research has considered the importance of a person's attitude toward heavy drinking when evaluated against other well-known predictors of alcohol use and related harm including drinking motives and drinker identity. The current study aimed to evaluate whether one's favorable attitude toward heavy drinking is a unique predictor of prospectively assessed drinking-related outcomes when considered against descriptive and injunctive norms, drinking intentions, drinking motives, and drinker identity.

Participants in the current study comprised mandated students (n = 374; 54% male) who violated a campus alcohol policy and received a brief intervention (eCHECKUP TO GO). Analyses included the use of negative binomial regression to examine baseline predictors- attitude toward heavy drinking, perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, drinking intentions, drinking motives, and drinker identity-of prospective alcohol use outcomes and alcohol-related problems 1 month later.

We found that one's attitude toward heavy drinking remains a significant predictor of binge frequency, peak drinking, and alcohol-related problems when accounting for norms, intentions, motives, and identity.

This study has important theoretical and intervention implications. Indeed, the finding that one's attitude toward heavy drinking remains a significant predictor of alcohol-related outcomes when intentions are included in the model has implications within the theory of planned behavior. Furthermore, attitude toward heavy drinking has predictive utility when considered against descriptive and injunctive norms, drinking motives, and drinker identity. These findings contribute to a growing literature suggesting that attitudes could be an important intervention target when the goal is to change drinking behavior.