TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal patterns of binge drinking among first year college students with a history of tobacco use
AU - Beets, Michael W.
AU - Flay, Brian R.
AU - Vuchinich, Samuel
AU - Li, Kin Kit
AU - Acock, Alan
AU - Snyder, Frank J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported with funding from the Tobacco Etiology Research Network (TERN) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Beets and Flay had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
PY - 2009/7/1
Y1 - 2009/7/1
N2 - Background: Underage heavy episodic drinking is a major contributor to alcohol-related morbidity/mortality. Reports indicate underage binge drinking among college students is widespread and has remained stable over the past decade. This study describes individual characteristics and calendar-specific events associated with binge drinking episodes over the course of freshman college academic year (2002-2003). Methods: Students (N = 827, age 18 years), with a prior history of tobacco use, attending a large Midwest university completed weekly web-based surveys on the number of drinks consumed for each of the past 7 days over the duration of 35 consecutive weeks (avg. number of weeks reported 16.0 ± 10.5). Results: Average prevalence of binge episodes across the academic year was 17.2 ± 14.4%, 23.6 ± 8.3%, and 66.3 ± 11.2% for weekdays, Thursdays, and weekend days, respectively. Two-level random effects logit survival models for repeated events indicated the prevalence of weekday and Thursday binge drinking was associated with specific university/community events (Local festival odds ratio [OR] 6.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.34-8.36), holidays (New Year's Eve OR 18.48, CI 12.83-26.63), and academic breaks (Spring Break OR 6.45, CI 4.57-9.08). Expected associations of younger age of first heavy drinking, past 12-month drinking, and experiencing negative consequences from heavy drinking were observed. Conclusions: Although individual characteristics were related to engaging in a binge episode, binge episodes were strongly associated with time-specific calendar events. Effective interventions to prevent immediate and long-term health consequences associated with binge drinking should consider environmental and institutional policy-level controls to reduce high levels of binge drinking on college campuses connected with holidays and university/community events.
AB - Background: Underage heavy episodic drinking is a major contributor to alcohol-related morbidity/mortality. Reports indicate underage binge drinking among college students is widespread and has remained stable over the past decade. This study describes individual characteristics and calendar-specific events associated with binge drinking episodes over the course of freshman college academic year (2002-2003). Methods: Students (N = 827, age 18 years), with a prior history of tobacco use, attending a large Midwest university completed weekly web-based surveys on the number of drinks consumed for each of the past 7 days over the duration of 35 consecutive weeks (avg. number of weeks reported 16.0 ± 10.5). Results: Average prevalence of binge episodes across the academic year was 17.2 ± 14.4%, 23.6 ± 8.3%, and 66.3 ± 11.2% for weekdays, Thursdays, and weekend days, respectively. Two-level random effects logit survival models for repeated events indicated the prevalence of weekday and Thursday binge drinking was associated with specific university/community events (Local festival odds ratio [OR] 6.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.34-8.36), holidays (New Year's Eve OR 18.48, CI 12.83-26.63), and academic breaks (Spring Break OR 6.45, CI 4.57-9.08). Expected associations of younger age of first heavy drinking, past 12-month drinking, and experiencing negative consequences from heavy drinking were observed. Conclusions: Although individual characteristics were related to engaging in a binge episode, binge episodes were strongly associated with time-specific calendar events. Effective interventions to prevent immediate and long-term health consequences associated with binge drinking should consider environmental and institutional policy-level controls to reduce high levels of binge drinking on college campuses connected with holidays and university/community events.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Binge drinking
KW - Environment
KW - Life events
KW - Young adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=65549138030&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.12.017
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.12.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 19423242
AN - SCOPUS:65549138030
VL - 103
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
SN - 0376-8716
IS - 1-2
ER -