CORK Newsletter. Colleges. Winter 2003

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...on Substance Abuse and the College Campus

www.ProjectCork.org

Winter 2002/03

Alkie," "frat brother," and "jock": Perceived types of college students and stereotypes about drinking.

Ashmore RD; Del Boca FK; Beebe M. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 32(5): 885-907, 2002. (32 refs.)
Two studies assessed perceived types of college students and associated stereotypes about drinking. In the first study, 64 university students responded to an open-ended probe asking them to list types of college students and then rated the amount of drinking done by each of a set of preselected types. In the second study, 236 students responded to the same open-ended item and directly rated a set of types that had been revised based on Study I in terms of drinking and involvement in the academic and sociosexual collegiate subcultures. As hypothesized, consensual responses to the open-ended probe reflected the college student culture. Also as hypothesized, types of students socially defined in terms of the sociosexual aspects of college (e.g., "fraternity boy") were rated as likely to drink heavily, whereas types that were seen as being pulled away from college social life, through assumed involvement in academics (e.g., "brain/straight As"), were rated as drinking relatively little. Finally, rated sociosexual involvement was positively correlated, and academic involvement was negatively correlated, with perceived drinking, which supports a central assumption of the framework guiding the research.

Mailed personalized normative feedback as a brief intervention for at-risk college drinkers.

Collins SE; Carey KB; Sliwinski MJ. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(5): 559-567, 2002. (37 refs.)
Objective: The current study examined the efficacy of mailed personalized normative feedback (PNF) as a brief alcohol intervention for at-risk college drinkers, and investigated discrepancy as a possible mediator of the intervention effect. Method: Participants consisted of 100 at-risk college drinkers who completed an alcohol- use assessment at baseline, 6-week posttest and 6-month follow-up. Measures included number of drinks consumed per heaviest drinking week, frequency of heavy-drinking episodes, peak blood alcohol concentration and number of alcohol-related problems, all for the last month. Participants were randomly assigned to either a mailed brief intervention (MBI; n = 49) or attention-control (C; n = 5 1) group. The MBI group received mailed PNF that was based on baseline responses to the drinking measures; the C group received a psychoeducational brochure about alcohol. Results: Mixed-model, repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine the effects of time, group and gender on discrepancy and the drinking variables. Following the intervention, the MBI group reported significantly higher perceived discrepancy between self and others' drinking than the C group, The MBI group reported consuming significantly fewer drinks per heaviest drinking week and engaging in heavy episodic drinking less frequently than the C group at the 6-week posttest; however, these differences were no longer evident at the 6-month follow-up. Hierarchical regression analyses did not provide evidence for the hypothesized mediating effect of discrepancy. Conclusions: Mailed PNF may be a cost- and time-efficient means of developing discrepancy and temporarily reducing heavy alcohol consumption among at-risk college drinkers.

Smoking among female college students: A time for change.

Gaffney KF; Wichaikhum OA; Dawson EM. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing 31(5): 502-507, 2002
The transition from high school to college begins a time of personal growth accompanied by normal developmental stressors. Some young women use smoking as a coping mechanism. The immediate danger for these students is nicotine dependence, with subsequent maternal and child morbidities. College provides an optimal time to break this devastating trajectory. With an understanding of psychosocial development, nurses who care for college-age women can effect changes in smoking behavior.

Preparing adolescent patients for college. (review).

Goldstein MA. Current Opinion in Pediatrics 14(4): 384-388, 2002. (42 refs.)
Adolescents making the transition to college should have a thorough medical evaluation during the year prior to matriculation. In addition to required and recommended immunizations and tests, a comprehensive history and physical examination is important. Screening for substance abuse, sexual activity, depression, and suicidality is needed with appropriate anticipatory guidance, examinations, and treatment, if indicated. The teen should also be counseled on stress, sleep, and self-care, with information on when to seek medical care. The adolescent should be encouraged to continue communications with the primary care clinician during college. While respecting the adolescent's confidentiality, it is important that the physician communicate all significant medical and psychiatric health information to the college health center before the adolescent arrives on campus.

Drinking to cope among college students: Prevalence, problems and coping processes.

Park CL; Levenson MR. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(4): 486-497, 2002. (64 refs.)
Objective: To examine four issues regarding college-student drinking to cope: (1) The prevalence of drinking to cope among students in a medium-sized Midwestern state university: (2) the relationships among drinking to cope and alcohol-related outcomes: (3) the use of drinking to cope within the larger Context of students' coping processes: and (4) gender differences in drinking to cope, Method: Data were drawn from a sample of 275 undergraduates (164 women, 104 men, 7 subjects of unreported gender) in across-sectional sample. Of the 275 students assessed, data were analyzed from the 260 who reported ever having consumed alcohol. Drinking to cope was examined both as a style and in response to a specific situation identified by the participant, Results. Drinking to cope is very common among college students and is related to much higher level of alcohol consumption, episodes of heavy drinking. and levels of both negative and positive alcohol-related consequences. In examining the relative influence of drinking to cope and other variables on alcohol use, regression analyses indicated that positive alcohol expectancies were strongly related to alcohol use and that, even when considering other variables. situational drinking to cope remained a fairly strong predictor of most of the alcohol-use indicators. Analysis of gender differences suggested that men rely on alcohol to cope more than women do. Conclusion, : Drinking to cope is a significant and highly problematic factor in college student alcohol use. Implications for interventions are discussed.

Effects of a social norm feedback campaign on the drinking norms and behavior of Division I student-athletes.

Thombs DL; Hamilton MJ. Journal of Drug Education 32(3): 227-244, 2002. (25 refs.)
Social norm feedback is a promising strategy for reducing alcohol misuse on college campuses. However, little is known about the impact of these interventions on at-risk populations, such as student-athletes. This study examined the effects of a campus-wide media campaign on Division I student-athletes at three universities. A discriminant function analysis revealed that a composite measure of perceived campus drinking norms distinguished between two campaign exposure groups. With the exception of one perceived norm measure (closest friends), the campaign-exposed group reported more conservative estimates of alcohol use in peers. However, there was no evidence that the campaign had reduced alcohol use. The inability of the campaign to reduce perceptions of alcohol use among one's closest friends may have accounted for the lack of change in drinking behavior. Discussion is directed to the potential limitations of using social norm feedback campaigns to reduce alcohol misuse in high- risk groups, such as student-athletes.

Alcohol consumption and expectancies among sexually coercive college men.

Wilson AE; Calhoun KS; McNair LD. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 17(11): 1145-1159, 2002. (44 refs.)
This study investigated the relationship between college men's self- reported histories of coercive sexual behavior, alcohol consumption, and alcohol expectancies regarding sexual behaviors. Hypotheses were (a) history of sexually coercive behavior would be associated with more alcohol consumption, (b) sexually coercive men would hold greater alcohol expectancies for sexual behaviors, and (c) alcohol expectancies would moderate the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual coercion. In addition, the authors hypothesized that alcohol expectancies would vary as a function of the method of sexual coercion used, such that men reporting that they had sexually coerced a woman by giving her alcohol would hold greater alcohol expectancies than would coercive men who used other methods. Results supported the first three hypotheses. However, men who used alcohol as a means of coercion did not hold significantly greater alcohol expectancies than did coercive men who used other means.

Effects of heavy drinking in college on study effort, grade point average, and major choice.

Wolaver AM. Contemporary Economic Policy 20(4): 415-428, 2002. (19 refs.)
This article measures the effects of college drinking on study hours, grade point average (GPA), and major choice using simultaneous equation models and data from the 1993 College Alcohol Study. Binging and intoxication decrease GPA directly and indirectly by reducing study hours. Greater frequency of drinking increases the effect on study hours but not the total effect on GPA. College drinking increases the probability of choosing a business major but decreases the probability of choosing engineering. Simulations show that the effects of heavy drinking on GPA and major choice reduce future weekly earnings by between 0.3 and 9.8%.

Alcohol and drug-related negative consequences in college students with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Dunn EC; Larimer ME; Neighbors C. International Journal of Eating Disorders 32(2): 171-178, 2002. (20 refs.)
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between disordered eating and substance use in a nonclinical sample of college students. Method: Participants completed the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS), which includes full diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and anorexia nervosa (AN) as outlined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis-orders, as well as assessments of both alcohol and drug use and use-related consequences. Results: Individuals meeting criteria for BN reported more alcohol-related negative consequences despite the fact that they did not drink significantly more alcohol and did not drink more frequently than non-eating-disordered individuals. Similarly, individuals with BN reported more negative consequences related to illicit drug use than non-eating-disordered individuals, although no differences in lifetime and recent use of drugs were found. Discussion: Results highlight the importance of distinguishing between use and consequences in evaluating eating disorders and comorbid substance use problems.

For all these reasons, I do ... drink: A multilevel analysis of contextual reasons for drinking among Canadian undergraduates.

Kairouz S; Gliksman L; Demers A; Adlaf EM. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(5): 600-608, 2002. (40 refs.)
Objective: Student drinking is largely related to the setting of the drinking occasion as well as to individual psychosocial characteristics. This article Assesses the effect of the reasons for drinking on situational alcohol use above and beyond other environmental and individual factors. Method: The data were drawn from the Canadian Campus Survey, a national mail survey conducted in 1998 with a sample of 8,864 students in 18 universities. Each student provided information on up to five drinking occasions, resulting in 25,347 drinking occasions among 6,598 drinkers. At the individual level, this study focused on the university life experience. At the situational level, information about alcohol intake was recorded relative to why, when, where and with whom drinking occurred and the reasons for drinking. Results: Our results show that the reasons for drinking explain 8.3% of the variance in individual alcohol intake per occasion at the individual level and 8.1% at the drinking occasion level. Conclusions: Reasons for drinking and the drinking setting together influence consumption. Moreover, reasons are context specific, because students drink for different reasons in different contexts. Thus, contextual motivational models may be more effective in helping one understand the various pathways to alcohol use and misuse.

Impact of perceived second-hand consequences related to alcohol use on college students' drinking behavior intent: A test of feasibility.

Trockel M; Wall A; Reis J. Journal of Drug Education 32(3): 179-193, 2002. (22 refs.)
This article presents the results of an experiment designed to determine the impact of a group discussion about second-hand consequences of alcohol use on college students' intentions to consume alcohol. Participants were students enrolled in two large Community Health courses at a large Midwestern university (n = 184). After randomization of class sections into an intervention or a control group, intervention group students participated in a class discussion on the negative consequences college students experience as a result of other students' drinking behavior, prior to answering survey questions regarding their drinking behavior intent. Compared to controls who completed the questionnaire only, intervention group participants reported intent to limit themselves to fewer drinks per drinking occasion (p = .003) and fewer drinks per week (p = .004). The effects of the brief educational intervention were analyzed using structural equation modeling, to test the feasibility of a hypothesized intervention mechanism.

Trends in smoking, diet, physical exercise, and attitudes toward health in European university students from 13 countries, 1990-2000.

Steptoe A; Wardle J; Cui WW; Bellisle F; Zotti AM; Baranyai R et al. Preventive Medicine 35(2): 97-104, 2002. (31 refs.)
Background. Smoking, diet, and physical exercise are key determinants of health. This study assessed changes over 10 years and their relationship to changes in health beliefs and risk awareness. Method. A survey was carried out of university students from 13 European countries (Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain) in 1990 (4,701 men, 5,729 women) and repeated in 2000 (4,604 men, 5,732 women). We assessed smoking, exercise, fruit and fat intake, beliefs in the importance of behaviors for health, and awareness of the influence of behaviors on heart disease risk. Results. Smoking prevalence increased and fruit consumption decreased between 1990 and 2000, while physical exercise and fat intake were more stable. There were large variations between country samples. Health beliefs weakened, with marked decreases in beliefs about smoking and diet. Across country samples, changes in beliefs correlated with changes in the prevalence of behaviors. Awareness of the effects of smoking and exercise was stable, but knowledge of the role of fat intake increased over the decade. Conclusions. The differences in health behaviors, beliefs, and risk awareness between the two surveys were disappointing in this educated sector of young adult Europeans. The association between changes in beliefs and prevalence of behavior emphasizes the importance of enhancing positive attitudes to healthier lifestyles.

The relation between alcohol abuse or dependence and academic performance in first-year college students.

Aertgeerts B; Buntinx F. Journal of Adolescent Health 31(3): 223-225, 2002. (9 refs.)
A large-scale study (N = 3518) was designed to assess the academic performance of college freshmen in relationship to alcohol abuse or dependence. Alcohol abuse or dependence was identified in 501 (14%) students; of these, 128 (3.6%) were alcohol-dependent. Of the students who met criteria of alcohol dependence, 62.5% failed in their first year, compared to 50% among students who did not report these drinking problems.