NCJ Number
180682
Journal
Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: Fall 1998 Pages: 18-33
Date Published
1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The prevalence and frequency of binge drinking among 334 first-year students at a private university were examined in relation to alcohol-related problems, social contexts of drinking, and personality characteristics.
Abstract
Binge drinking was defined as "the consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion at least once within the two weeks preceding the survey administration." Based on selected items from the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, participants rated how often they experienced each of 16 alcohol-related problems since entering college. The social contexts related to alcohol consumption were assessed through the six scales of the 30-item Social Context of Drinking Scale-College Version. The 40-item Sensation-Seeking Scale-Form B yielded four scale scores that reflected various aspects of sensation-seeking tendencies. Binge drinking rates among the sample were higher than national averages, and frequency of binge drinking was associated with more alcohol-related problems. Freshman binge drinking, in general, was related to social developmental factors that involved peer and family influence, along with impulsiveness and thrill-seeking tendencies. Frequent binge drinkers were more likely to use drinking as a coping behavior, to drink in more high-risk situations, and to show stronger tendencies toward disinhibition. Frequent-binge-drinking men were more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors associated with their drinking. These findings further support the efficacy of the Social Context of Drinking construct (Beck, Thombs, and Summons, 1993) in the study of abusive drinking patterns among young adults. Implications for early prevention programming at the university level are discussed. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 42 references