Binge Drinking in College may be Environmentally Based
Young men and women who enter their college years may expect that some partying may occur as a rite of passage as they transition from teen years into adulthood. While some college students are able to reign in drinking behaviors and make wise choices, it is common for college students to drink excess amounts of alcohol.
A study of college alcohol consumption determined whether college binge drinking is related to factors related specifically to individuals or if college choice affects binge drinking, suggesting an environmental influence in college drinking. The study (Wechsler & Nelson, 2008) reviews key findings from the landmark Harvard School of Public Health’s College Alcohol Study and looks at the influence of environmental factors on college students’ drinking patterns.
Approximately 50,000 students were recruited from 120 college and universities across the United States. The researchers administered four national surveys, conducted in 1993, 1997, 1999 and 2001. The surveys assessed alcohol consumption among college students and examined related drinking behaviors.
The surveys contained measures of alcohol consumption that determined whether students were participating in binge drinking. Binge drinking was defined as five or more consecutive drinks for men and four or more in a row for women on one or more occasions during the past two weeks.
The students were also assessed for frequent binge drinking, and measured for the number of drinking and drunken occasions taking place in the past 30 days. Researchers also gathered data on the contextual factors of the college environments.
The results of the assessment revealed that alcohol-related injuries were closely associated with binge drinking and that 21 percent of those who reported injuries had consumed at least eight drinks consecutively.
The researchers also found that where a student lived was highly connected with drinking behaviors. Students who lived at home had the lowest rates of alcohol consumption. The highest rates were among students who resided at fraternity or sorority houses.
In addition, demographics of the student body had an impact on binge drinking rates. The more diverse the student body, the lower the rate of binge drinking among students. Those students who were highly involved with volunteering during their college experience were also less likely to participate in binge drinking behaviors.
The findings of the study show that there is a clear connection between the campus environment and students’ drinking behaviors. The authors of the study believe that it may be more beneficial to plan prevention efforts based on college environment than based on targeting heavy individual drinkers.
