Endorsed reasons for not drinking alcohol: A comparison of college student drinkers and abstainers
Journal
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Journal Volume
34
Journal Issue
1
Pages
64-73
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
Little is known about how the reasons that college student drinkers and abstainers have for choosing not to drink might differ. The present study examined this issue among a sample of 2,500 U.S. college students from 18 colleges and universities. Abstainers endorsed significantly more reasons for not drinking than drinkers, and among drinkers, light drinkers endorsed more reasons than heavy drinkers. Abstainers' decision not to drink appeared to be a lifestyle choice that was supported by multiple reasons, including personal values, religious beliefs, not wanting the image of a drinker, and beliefs about alcohol's effect on behavior. Heavy drinkers were more likely to endorse situational reasons such as having to drive home later or being concerned about school work or weight gain from drinking. Implications of these findings for alcohol prevention work on college and university campuses are discussed. ? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Subjects
Abstainers; Alcohol abstention; Alcohol consumption; College students; Drinkers; Reasons for not drinking
SDGs
Other Subjects
adolescent; adult; article; attitude to health; clinical trial; drinking behavior; factorial analysis; female; health survey; human; male; multicenter study; multivariate analysis; psychological aspect; statistical model; student; United States; Adolescent; Alcohol Drinking; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Surveys; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Students; United States; Young Adult
Type
journal article