Low-frequency binge drinking: associated factors and consequences

Binge drinking (BD) is a public health concern among young adults. Whether it is harmful even at a low frequency remains unclear.

To test if even low-frequency (less than once a month) BD is associated with a higher likelihood of alcohol use disorder (AUD), and if some key environmental and psychological features characterize low-frequency binge drinkers.

Alcohol-related, environmental and psychological data were collected from university students aged 18-25 who drank alcohol. Students were divided into four groups according to their BD frequency: non-binge drinkers (never had six or more drinks on one occasion), and binge drinkers with low (at least once lifetime but less than once a month), medium (at least once a month but less than once a week), or high (at least once a week) frequency.

Among the 3308 students included in this cross-sectional study, 473 never binged alcohol, while 1204, 1001, and 630 were low-, medium-, and high-frequency binge drinkers, respectively. Even low-frequency BD was associated with higher AUDIT scores and a larger prevalence of harmful drinking. Compared to non-binge drinkers, low-frequency binge drinkers also reported higher rates of smoking, sensation seeking, and endorsement of enhancement and social drinking motives.

Among 18-25-year-old students exposed to alcohol, even infrequent BD is associated with more harmful drinking. The findings highlight the importance of prevention strategies since BD less than once a month, which concerns a third of this population, is already associated with a higher likelihood of AUD.