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Reasons given by college students for drinking: a discriminant analysis investigation
R E Billingham1, A V Parrillo, W C Gross
1Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405.
The International Journal of the Addictions
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Discriminant analysis identified specific drinking motivations differentiating at-risk college students from their peers. These findings offer insights into gender-specific patterns of alcohol consumption among students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- College students represent a demographic with significant alcohol consumption.
- Understanding the motivations behind alcohol use is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
- Previous research indicates gender differences in drinking patterns and reasons for consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific reasons for drinking that discriminate between at-risk and not-at-risk college student drinkers.
- To examine gender-specific discriminant functions for alcohol consumption motivations.
Main Methods:
- Discriminant analysis was employed to analyze self-reported reasons for drinking.
- Participants (N=473) were categorized into at-risk and not-at-risk groups based on alcohol consumption levels.
- Analyses were conducted separately for male and female student subsamples.
Main Results:
- For females, 11 of 22 reasons significantly discriminated between groups, explaining 36% of the variance and achieving 71% correct classification.
- For males, 5 of 22 reasons significantly discriminated between groups, explaining 36% of the variance and achieving 69% correct classification.
- Both gender-specific models demonstrated statistical significance (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Specific drinking motivations effectively differentiate at-risk from not-at-risk college students.
- Gender plays a role in the predictive power of drinking reasons for identifying at-risk individuals.
- Findings support the development of tailored prevention and intervention strategies based on drinking motivations and gender.