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...on Substance Abuse and the College
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www.ProjectCork.org
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Winter 2004
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Reporting sexual victimization to the police and
others: Results from a national-level study of college
women.
Fisher BS; Daigle LE; Cullen FT; Turner MG. Criminal
Justice and Behavior 30(1): 6-38, 2003. (52 refs.)
Beginning with M. P. Koss, C. A. Gidycz, and N. Wisniewski's pathbreaking
study, the sexual victimization of female college students has emerged
as salient research and policy concern. Building on this earlier work,
we used a national, random sample of 4,446 female college students to focus
on an issue of continuing importance: the level and determinants of victims'
willingness to report their sexual victimization. The analysis revealed
that although few incidents--including rapes--are reported to the police
and/or to campus authorities, a high proportion are disclosed to someone
else (mainly to friends). Incidents were more likely to be reported to
the police when they had characteristics that made them more "believable" (e.g.,
presence of a weapon or assailant who was a stranger). The use of alcohol
and/or drugs by offenders and/or victims had a unique effect, causing students
to be more likely to disclose their victimization to friends but not to
campus authorities. The implications of the findings for extant debates
and for future research are also explored.
Copyright 2003, Sage Publications.
Development and initial validation of the Hangover Symptoms Scale:
Prevalence and correlates of hangover symptoms in college students.
Slutske WS; Piasecki TM; Hunt-Carter EE. Alcoholism: Clinical and
Experimental Research 27(9): 1442-1450, 2003. (39 refs.)
Background: Despite its ubiquity, hangover has received remarkably little
systematic attention in alcohol research. This may be due in part to the
lack of a standard measure of hangover symptoms that cleanly taps the physiologic
and subjective effects commonly experienced the morning after drinking.
In the present study, we developed and evaluated a new scale, the Hangover
Symptoms Scale (HSS), to potentially fill this void. Methods: Participants
were 1230 currently drinking college students (62% women, 91% Caucasian).
They were administered a self-report inventory in which they reported the
frequency of occurrence of 13 different hangover symptoms during the past
12 months. Participants also reported their history of alcohol involvement,
alcohol-related problems, and family history of alcohol-related problems.
Results: On average, participants experienced 5 out of 13 different hangover
symptoms in the past year; the three most common symptoms were feeling
extremely thirsty/dehydrated, feeling more tired than usual, and headache.
Higher scores on the HSS were significantly positively associated with
the frequency of drinking and getting drunk and the typical quantity of
alcohol consumed when drinking, a personal history of alcohol-related problems,
and a family history of alcohol-related problems. After controlling for
sex differences in alcohol involvement, women had higher scores on the
HSS than men. Conclusions: The HSS appears to capture a reasonably, valid
set of adjectives describing common hangover effects. It is hoped that
the availability of a brief, valid hangover assessment such as the HSS
will encourage further study of hangover's frequency, correlates, and consequences.
Future research is needed to explore the performance of a re-worded HSS
in laboratory settings, which may help bridge the gap between laboratory
and survey investigations of hangover.
Copyright 2003, Research Society on Alcoholism. Used with
permission.
The marketing of alcohol to college students: The role of low prices
and special promotions.
Kuo M; Wechsler H; Greenber P; Lee H. American Journal of Preventive
Medicine 25(3): 204-211, 2003. (40 refs.)
Heavy episodic or binge drinking has been recognized as a major problem
on American college campuses affecting the health, safety, and education
of students. The present study examines the alcohol environment surrounding
college campuses and assesses the impact on students' drinking. This environment
includes alcohol promotions, price specials, and advertising at drinking
establishments that serve beer for on-premise consumption as well as retail
outlets that sell beer for off-premise consumption. Methods: The study
used student self-report data from the 2001 College Alcohol Study (CAS)
and direct observational assessments by trained observers who visited alcohol
establishments in communities where the participating colleges were located.
The analytic sample included more than 10,000 students as well as 830 on-premise
and 1684 off-premise establishments at 118 colleges. Results: Alcohol specials,
promotions, and advertisements were prevalent in the alcohol outlets around
college campuses. Almost three quarters of on-premise establishments offered
specials on weekends, and almost one half of the on-premise establishments
and more than 60% of off-premise establishments provided at least one type
of beer promotion. The availability of large volumes of alcohol (24- and
30-can cases of beer, kegs, party balls), low sale prices, and frequent
promotions and advertisements at both on- and off-premise establishments
were associated with higher binge drinking rates on the college campuses.
In addition, an overall measure of on- and off-premise establishments was
positively associated with the total number of drinks consumed. Conclusions:
The regulation of marketing practices such as sale prices, promotions,
and advertisements may be important strategies to reduce binge drinking
and its accompanying problems.
Copyright 2003, American College of Preventive Medicine.
Drinking and driving among college students: The influence of alcohol-control
policies.
Wechsler H; Lee JE; Nelson TF; Lee H. American Journal of Preventive
Medicine 25(3): 212-218, 2003. (31 refs.)
Studies have reported high rates of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related
problems, including drinking and driving, among college students. However,
most studies have been conducted in single colleges or states. This study
used a national sample to examine policy factors associated with alcohol-involved
driving. Methods: A random sample of full-time students (N=10,904) attending
a nationally representative sample of 4-year colleges in 39 states (n=119)
completed self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire examined
driving after consuming any alcohol, driving after greater-than or equal
to5 drinks, and riding with a high or drunk driver. Individual-level data
about driving after greater-than or equal to5 drinks were linked to information
on the policy environment at both local and state levels and to ratings
of enforcements for drunk driving laws. Results: Drinking and driving behaviors
are prevalent among a minority of college students and differ significantly
among student subgroups. Students who attend colleges in states that have
more restrictions on underaged drinking, high volume consumption, and sales
of alcoholic beverages, and devote more resources to enforcing drunk driving
laws, report less drinking and driving. Conclusion: The occurrence of drinking
and driving among college students differs significantly according to the
policy environment at local and state levels and the enforcement of those
policies. Comprehensive policies and their strong enforcement are promising
interventions to reduce drinking and driving among college students.
Copyright 2003, American College of Preventive Medicine.
Pluralistic ignorance and college student perceptions of gender-specific
alcohol norms.
Suls J; Green P. Health Psychology 22(5): 479-486, 2003. (35
refs.)
Students' perceived norms and personal concern about alcohol use were examined
in 4 (N = 971) experiments. Men reported that same-sex peers were less
concerned about campus alcohol practices than themselves or female students;
women believed that they were more concerned about campus alcohol practices
than both same- and opposite-sex peers (Experiments I and 2). Additional
evidence suggested that students were not merely engaging in impression
management. Men reported more social pressure to drink and greater embarrassment
about expressing drinking-related concerns; women expected more severe
consequences if they drank excessively (Experiment 3). A male student (vs.
female student) expressing concerns about alcohol was believed to experience
greater difficulties fitting in (Experiment 4). Implications for peer influence
and drug use intervention are discussed.
Copyright 2003, American Psychological Association, Inc.
and Division of Health Psychology.
Self-reported drinking-game participation of incoming college students.
Borsari B; Bergen-Cico D; Carey KB. Journal of American College Health 51(4):
149-154, 2003. (25 refs.)
Drinking games are associated with excess alcohol use and alcohol-related
problems, yet it is unclear whether they are unique to the college environment
or whether students come to college familiar with such games. Recent surveys
estimate that from 50-62 percent of students have played drinking games
in the past month. In the current study, 1,252 students attending voluntary
summer orientation programs were asked about their experiences with drinking
games, using the Institutional Review Board questionnaire. A majority (63%)
indicated they had played drinking games and viewed them as a means to
get drunk quickly and to socialize, control others, or get someone else
drunk. No gender differences were found for the students' motives for playing
drinking games. Logistic regression analyses revealed that familiarity
with drinking situations was associated with a greater likelihood of playing
drinking games. Students who reported drinking more frequently and consuming
greater quantities of alcohol than others, having lifetime marijuana use,
and initiating alcohol consumption between the ages of 14 and 16 years
were significantly more likely to have participated in drinking games.
These findings demonstrate the importance of considering students' participation
in drinking games when campus officials address alcohol use.
Copyright 2003, American College Health Association.
Gender role conflict and sex-specific drinking norms: Relationships
to alcohol use in undergraduate women and men.
Korcuska JS; Thombs DL. Journal of College Student Development 44(2):
204-216, 2003. (41 refs.)
Drinking motivations among undergraduates were examined with a 76-item
questionnaire administered to 640 undergraduates, (53%) female and (47%)
male. The questionnaire contained four sections: sociodemographic information,
alcohol use and perceived drinking norms, drinking consequences, and the
Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) (O'Neil et al., 1986). Findings from
the canonical correlation analysis suggest undergraduate alcohol use in
both sexes was best explained by same-sex, peer drinking norms. Gender
role conflict and sociodemographic variables had substantially weaker associations
with drinking behavior. The findings provide further theoretical support
for interventions seeking to change campus drinking norms and suggest that
normative feedback should be sex specific.
Copyright 2003, American College Personnel Association.
Greek-letter organizations, alcohol, and the courts: A risky mix?
Elkins B; Helms LB; Pierson CT. Journal of College Student Development 44(1):
67-80, 2003. (44 refs.)
This article examines all reported state and federal cases involving college
fraternities and sororities and negligence resulting from the use of alcohol
by college and university students from 1970 through 2001. Research examined
the litigation volume, fact patterns, defendants named for litigation,
and outcomes of cases. Results indicate student affairs professionals should
focus more on student intervention than on concerns about institutional
liability.
Copyright 2003, American College Personnel Association.
Brief group alcohol interventions with college students: Examining
motivational components.
McNally AM; Palfai TP. Journal of Drug Education 33(2): 159-176,
2003. (34 refs.)
The utility of brief interventions with at-risk college drinkers would
be enhanced if they could also be delivered in group settings without the
need for risk prescreening. The current study therefore explored whether
components of brief interventions could be effectively administered to
mixed groups of drinking and non-drinking students. Specifically, the outcomes
of two methods aimed toward increasing motivation for change were compared
to controls. One intervention focused on enhancing actual-ideal drinking
behavior discrepancy through a structured group discussion, while the other
focused on enhancing self-norm drinking behavior discrepancy through the
provision and discussion of didactic information. Among at-risk drinkers,
significant reductions in heavy drinking episode frequency at four-week
follow-up were found for the self-norm (S-N) group only, while reductions
in alcohol problems were obtained in both the S-N and control groups. Results
suggest that self-norm discrepancy enhancement strategies may be more effective
than actual-ideal discrepancy strategies when used with a mixed drinking
group.
Copyright 2003, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.
Correlates of ecstasy use among students surveyed through the 1997
College Alcohol Study.
Yacoubian GS. Journal of Drug Education 33(1): 61-69, 2003.
(25 refs.)
Anecdotal reports have suggested that the use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA or "ecstasy") is a growing problem across the United States, primarily
among college students and rave attendees. To assess this contention, the
drug-using behaviors of 14,520 college students were examined with data
collected through the 1997 College Alcohol Study (CAS). Prevalence estimates
of ecstasy use were generated and associations between ecstasy use, demographic
characteristics, and alcohol and other drug (AOD) use were explored. Six
percent of the sample reported lifetime ecstasy use, 3 percent reported
use within the past 12 months, and 1 percent reported use within the past
30 days. Compared to non-users, 12-month ecstasy users were significantly
more likely to be white, to be a member of a fraternity/sorority, and to
have used all other drugs of abuse during the past 12 months. Implications
for these findings are discussed.
Copyright 2003, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.
Voices of male athletes on drug use, drug testing, and the existing
order in intercollegiate athletics.
Diacin MJ; Parks JB; Allison PC. Journal of Sport Behavior 26(1):
1-16, 2003. (28 refs.)
This study gave voice to intercollegiate athletes regarding drug use and
drug testing. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews
with 8 NCAA Division I and Division III male athletes (aged 20-22 yrs)
and were analyzed inductively. Theories of reinforcement, pragmatic role
acceptance, and organizational deviance framed the interpretation of data.
Participants supported drug testing of athletes and identified factors
that influenced their perceptions of the use of performance-enhancing substances.
Additional themes were privacy issues related to drug testing and negotiating
the meaning of fairness. Analysis revealed ambiguities and contradictions
between athletics and academics, areas in which intercollegiate athletes
simultaneously function.
Copyright 2003, University of South Alabama.
Does heavy drinking affect academic performance in college? Findings
from a prospective study of high achievers.
Paschall MJ; Freisthler B. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(4):
515-519, 2003. (8 refs.)
This study examined the effects of heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems
and drinking opportunities on academic performance (grade point average
[GPA]) in a prospective cohort of college students attending the University
of California at Berkeley. Several waves of survey data were collected
from 465 students beginning in the summer prior to their freshman year.
Cross-sectional and regression analyses were conducted to determine whether
heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems and drinking opportunities
were associated with college GPA before and after controlling for demographics
and high school GPA. Cross-sectional analyses generally revealed modest
and nonsignificant associations between college GPA and measures of heavy
alcohol use, alcohol-related problems and drinking opportunities in the
first year of college. High school GPA was modestly associated with both
heavy alcohol use and college GPA. Only a summative measure of alcohol-related
academic problems was significantly associated with college GPA, but this
relationship did not persist in a regression model that included high school
GPA and student demographic characteristics as control variables. Heavy
alcohol use, alcohol-related problems and drinking opportunities do not
appear to have an important effect on students' academic performance, but
additional research with longitudinal data from representative student
samples is needed to confirm these findings.
Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc.
Promoting student support for alcohol misuse prevention on campus:
The role of secondhand consequence expectancies.
Reis J; Trockel M; Wall A. NASPA Journal 40(2): 59-75 (article
5, 2003. (21 refs.)
One hundred and eighty-four undergraduate students participated in a discussion
on common secondhand consequences of alcohol use, including concerns about
personal safety and impact on living environments. Students participating
in this discussion prior to completing an assessment of their support for
change indicated significantly more support for education- and policy-based
alcohol misuse prevention strategies than students completing the same
assessment before the discussion. This easy-to implement and brief intervention
may strengthen student resolve to be more proactively involved in prevention
of alcohol abuse for their campus community.
Copyright 2003, National Association of Student Personnel
Association.
Alcohol-related aggression and drinking at off-campus parties and bars:
A national study of current drinkers in college.
Harford TC; Wechsler H; Muthen BO. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(5):
704-711, 2003. (36 refs.)
Objective: This study examines relationships between alcohol-related aggression
and drinking at off-campus parties and bars. Other background variables
include gender, year in school, residence and heavy drinking in college.
Method: The study participants were respondents in the 1997 and 1999 Harvard
School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, national surveys of students
attending 119 4-year U.S. colleges. Based on responses from 8,426 students,
18-24 years of age, who were never married and who reported attendance
at off-campus parties and bars in the past month, an exploratory factor
analysis of the alcohol problem items was specified in a confirmatory factor
analysis framework based on a two-factor solution (disruptive behavior
and victims of altercations). In addition, the two factors were related
to study variables. Results: Among students attending both off-campus parties
and bars, level of drinking was related to higher levels of Factor I (disruptive
behaviors) at off-campus parties and bars. Level of drinking was related
to higher levels of Factor 2 (victims of altercations) at off-campus bars
but not off-campus parties. Factor I was higher among men, freshmen and
residents in coed dorms and lower among students living off-campus with
parents. Factor 2 was higher among women, freshmen compared with seniors
and residents of Greek houses and lower among students living off-campus
residence with parents. Conclusions: Findings from this study highlight
environmental factors in collegiate drinking practices and support targeted
and diverse strategies for prevention activities.
Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used
with permission.
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