AVAILABILITY TRANSITIONS AND COLLEGE DRINKING

Pacific Institute For Res And Evaluation, Beltsville MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION: Although research into college drinking patterns and college drinking patterns and college drinking problems has expanded in recent years, this expansion has not been accompanied by either adequate assessments of the risks associated with drinking or the impacts of alcohol availability upon drinking patterns. A review of the recent literature also reveals an absence of comprehensive psychosocial studies of the development of alcohol use/abuse and drinking problems among college students. In particular, important transitions in the social and physical availability of alcohol which occur as a normal part of college life, and their impact on college g, have remained unexplored. In conjunction with research to be conducted as part of the center Research Component #3 - College Student Drinking and the Campus Environment: A Community Prevention Intervention, the specific aims of this five year project are to: (1) develop and conduct a comprehensive assessment of drinking patterns and risks in the college environment, and (2) assess the degree to which differing patterns of availability affect drinking patterns and risks. Against the background of a more comprehensive assessment of the psychosocial correlates of alcohol use/abuse, the relationships between patterns of drinking and the production of drinking problems will be examined, comprehensive assessments of the social and physical availability of alcohol will be developed, and a longitudinal study of the effects of availability transitions on college student drinking will be executed. Using two theoretical models developed in the proposal, (1) it is suggested that many alcohol-related problems may occur on relatively "moderate" rather than "binge" drinking occasions, and (2) it is shown how the structure and composition of social networks and outlet densities will affect access to alcohol and individual alcohol use. In particular, the model suggests that "binge" drinking will predominate in environments in which alcohol is a patchy resource (i.e., available on an irregular basis). The short term goals of the study are to evaluate the extent of drinking problems on two college campuses, relate observed drinking patterns to drinking problems, and develop comprehensive assessments of the social and physical availability of alcohol in college. The long term goal of the project is to elucidate the impacts of changing social versus physical availability upon access to alcohol and patterns of alcohol use.