Three exploratory studies of college theme parties

Involuntary social isolation and alcohol consumption: an ecological momentary assessment in Germany amid the COVID-19 pandemic

AIMS

Alcohol consumption often occurs in a social setting, which was affected by social distancing measures amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we examine how involuntary social isolation (i.e. comparing a no-lockdown stage with a lockdown stage) affects the association between loneliness, social activities, and drinking behavior.

METHOD

We performed an ecological momentary assessment eight times per day for 7 days amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. We recruited 280 participants and assessed their trait loneliness, daily state loneliness, social activities, and drinking behaviors.

RESULTS

We found that a lockdown condition moderates the association between trait and daily state loneliness and alcohol consumption. During a lockdown stage, trait loneliness was positively associated, whereas state loneliness was negatively associated with alcohol consumption. During a no-lockdown stage, trait and state loneliness were both negatively associated with alcohol consumption. For both no-lockdown and lockdown stages, duration of social interaction, male gender, and weekends was positively associated with alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that an involuntary social isolation condition (i.e. a lockdown stage) changes how trait loneliness is associated with alcohol consumption.

Where do heavy drinking college students experience alcohol consequences and where are they perceived to be normative?

High levels of alcohol consumption are common among college students and associated with endorsing negative alcohol-related consequences. Research suggests both drinking norms and location are strong predictors of drinking behavior in college students. Yet, normative perceptions of consequences, and whether they are location-specific, are less well-studied. We tested the hypotheses that college students who drink would have the highest levels of descriptive and injunctive norms for negative consequences, and would self-report the greatest number of negative consequences, at large gatherings/parties relative to someone's home/dorm and/or bars/clubs. Additionally, we explored whether specific acute consequences were more likely in some drinking locations versus others. Participants were 96 full-time undergraduate students who engaged in high-risk drinking. At baseline, participants reported descriptive and injunctive norms for negative consequences in three locations (home/dorm, large gathering/party, bar/club). Over a 28-day period, participants self-reported daily experiences of five alcohol-related consequences in these same locations. With repeated measures analyses of variance, we found that participants perceived their peers experienced more negative consequences and were more approving of negative consequences at large gatherings/parties and small gatherings at someone's home/dorm relative to bars/clubs. Likewise, nonparametric analyses demonstrated that the total number of consequences over the 28-day assessment period also differed by location, with participants reporting more consequences at home/dorm and large gathering/party locations than at bars/clubs. Future research is needed to better understand how the impact of norms on behavior differs across drinking location, and whether location-specific intervention content (e.g., normative correction) would be useful.

Feasibility and reliability of continuously monitoring alcohol use among female adolescents and young adults

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Transdermal alcohol sensors allow objective, continuous monitoring and have potential to expand current research on adolescent and young adult alcohol use. The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of transdermal alcohol sensor use among female adolescents as compared to female young adults.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This trial included 59 female adolescents and young adults aged 14-24 years who reported drinking during the previous month. All participants were asked to wear a Giner Wrist Transdermal Alcohol Sensor (WrisTAS)-7 over a 1 month prospective study. Participants came to the research lab weekly to complete a detailed self-report of behaviours, including day of drinking events, amounts and types of alcohol use and length of drinking events. Estimates of blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) were computed from self-report data using the Matthew and Miller, NHTSA and Zhang equations. Daily transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) peaks and calculated eBAC peak data were analysed with paired-samples t-tests and repeated measures correlations for validity comparisons.

RESULTS

All participants (100%, n = 59) completed the trial, however, two participants were removed due to greater than 50% of missing transdermal alcohol sensor data. Of the 57 participants, the data included 1,722 days of continuous alcohol monitoring. Missing data was recorded more frequently among female adolescents at about (11.78%) as compared to female young adults (8.59%; χ²  = -18.40, P < 0.001). Participant self-report of drinking occurred with greater frequency (374 events) than detected by the WrisTAS transdermal alcohol sensors (243 events). On days when self-report and sensor data indicated a drinking event, participants' eBAC was moderately correlated with TAC, after accounting for repeated measures.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study finds that transdermal alcohol sensors are moderately reliable when sensor data is paired with self-report. This objective data collection method may improve the ability to collect alcohol curves among adolescents.

Location-Specific Social Norms and Personal Approval of Alcohol Use are Associated with Drinking Behaviors in College Students

Background: Prior research on risky alcohol use points to drinking norms as predictors of drinking behavior. Most research to date has only explored global (versus context-specific) drinking norms as they relate to general drinking behavior. To better understand risky drinking behavior in students, how norms may vary across drinking environments should be considered. Objectives: We sought to explore differences in drinking norms (descriptive and injunctive), personal approval, and alcohol use across specific drinking locations and how these location-specific predictors combine to best predict alcohol consumption in home/dorm locations, bars, and parties. Methods: College student drinkers (N = 115, 76% female) participated in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey in 2015-2016 assessing personal and perceived drinking experiences and attitudes across various locations. Results: Alcohol use, descriptive norms of alcohol use, and injunctive norms of alcohol use (but not personal approval) varied across location. In addition, location-specific descriptive norms were associated with alcohol use in each drinking location, whereas location specific personal approval was associated with alcohol use only at home/dorm and bar locations. Furthermore, descriptive norms and personal approval of drinking in a given location predicted alcohol use in that same location, while norms or approval for other locations did not. Conclusion/Importance: Results highlight the importance of specificity of perceived drinking norms and personal approval for predicting location-specific alcohol use. These findings have implications for interventions, which may benefit from discussions of students' preferred drinking locations and providing location-specific normative feedback.

The event-level impact of one's typical alcohol expectancies, drinking motivations, and use of protective behavioral strategies

INTRODUCTION

Much of the past research on the excessive consumption of alcohol by college students has focused on the interplay of individual factors and typical drinking patterns, but this is not adequate to understand behavior as it occurs. The need to understand drinking at the event-level is critical in order to develop event-level prevention. To this end, this study examined a conceptual model of college students' drinking events in order to determine the potential mediating effect of drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) in the relationship between alcohol expectancies and event-level alcohol use and consequences.

METHODS

An existing data set containing information about 2279 college student drinking events were analyzed for this study. Students completed surveys during the administration of a commercial online alcohol course during 2010 and 2011. A theoretical model was analyzed with structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Both typical use of PBS and drinking motives mediated the relationship between expectancies and event-level alcohol use and problems. Positive expectancies were associated with greater positive motives, greater motives were associated with less use of PBS, and less PBS use was then, in turn, associated with higher event-level intoxication. Lastly, higher intoxication was associated with more serious consequences during the event.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to simultaneously explore the relationship between these factors and event-level drinking. There is a great need to continue to further explore the dynamic nature of drinking at the event-level to illuminate potential leverage points amendable to change.

Integrating Self-Affirmation and Implementation Intentions: Effects on College Student Drinking

Background

High levels of alcohol consumption are an enduring health risk among college students. Integrating multiple, complementary behavior change theories may offer a promising approach to promote reductions in alcohol consumption.

Purpose

The current study tested if integrating self-affirmation and implementation intentions would be more effective than a self-affirmation only, implementation intentions only, or control condition at reducing alcohol consumption in college students over a 2-week period.

Method

Two hundred and ninety-three college students who reported drinking in the past month were randomly assigned to a condition in a 2 (self-affirmation: values vs. control writing task) × 2 (implementation intentions: formed vs. not formed) between-subjects factorial design. Participants first completed a self-affirmation or control writing task, then read an article describing the risks of drinking. Next, all participants reported their common drinking behaviors and contexts, and then selected two harm-reduction strategies forming (or not forming) implementation intentions to use the strategies. Alcohol consumption was measured 1 and 2 weeks after the experiment.

Results

Participants in the integrated self-affirmation and implementation intention condition were most likely to abstain from drinking 1 week later. Affirmed participants continued to be more likely to abstain from drinking 2 weeks later.

Conclusions

The findings support the efficacy of integrating self-affirmation and implementation intentions to reduce college student drinking (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02926794).

Predictors of breath alcohol concentrations in college parties

Background

Alcohol use and subsequent consequences are harmful for individual college students. Other students and the university can also be negatively impacted by the consequences of alcohol use.

Method

A field-based study was used to assess the alcohol use environment at college parties. Researchers replicated a previous study by driving and walking a route to identify parties primarily on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings between 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM across an academic year. Parties were randomly sampled. Hosts were asked for permission to enter the party at each sampled location. A census of partygoers was attempted at each party. Participants were asked to complete a brief survey and give a breath sample. All participants were recruited into a follow-up survey. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of individual-level and party-level factors associated with intoxication are presented.

Results

The research team identified 29 parties: 16 were approached, and 12 were surveyed. Overall, 112 participants were surveyed for a response rate of approximately 28.7% of partygoers. Controlling for demographic characteristics, consumption of shots of liquor/spirits was significantly associated with a five times greater risk for intoxication. Notably, drinking games were protective of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) risk in this model. Individuals who reported engaging in drinking games were 74% less likely to report a BrAC above the U.S. legal limit, while controlling for underage drinking in the model. Several party characteristics were identified that increased overall BrAC at the parties, including whether the party was themed, if it was a Greek life party, and whether there were illicit drugs present. Notably, when intoxication is examined by gender and party theme, women are significantly more likely to be intoxicated at themed parties: 75% were above 0.08 at themed parties compared to 35% above 0.08 at non-themed parties.

Conclusions

Field-based data collection methods can, and should, be modified to conduct needs assessment and evaluation of prevention programs on college campuses. The findings on this campus were different than the originally sampled campus. Prevention programs should target unique risks identified on each campus, and to respond to problematic party behaviors with comprehensive programming rather than policy-level bans.

Up for Grabs? Sexual Objectification as a Mediator Between Women's Alcohol Use and Sexual Victimization

Sexual objectification, the tendency to reduce women to their bodies, body parts, or sexual functions for use by others, has been theorized to set the stage for more severe acts of violence but has been largely absent from the existing sexual victimization literature. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of sexual objectification in mediating the well-established link between women's alcohol use and sexual victimization. A large sample of undergraduate women ( N = 673) reported their alcohol use (frequency and quantity), experiences of sexual objectification (body evaluation and unwanted explicit sexual advances), and sexual victimization. Results indicated positive bivariate correlations among all study variables. Path analyses showed that mild forms of sexual objectification (body evaluation) mediated the link between the frequency of alcohol use and more extreme forms of sexual objectification (unwanted advances). Furthermore, the combined effect of sexual objectification (body evaluation and unwanted advances) mediated the link between alcohol use (frequency and quantity) and sexual victimization. The current findings are among the first to evaluate sexual objectification as a mechanism in the link between alcohol use and sexual victimization. Results suggest that efforts to prevent alcohol-related sexual violence may benefit from addressing sexual objectification.

The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM): a multi-site implementation

BACKGROUND

Drinking game participation has been associated with increased frequency and quantity of alcohol use, as well as alcohol-related problems, in college students. To date, the assessment of drinking games typically entails the use of self-developed measures of frequency of participation and amount of alcohol consumed while playing.

OBJECTIVES

The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM) is the first effort to create a comprehensive yet concise method of assessing drinking game participation. The HDGM assesses drinking during games, the specific types of drinking games played, and negative consequences experienced as a result of playing drinking games.

METHOD

Data from three samples of college students (n = 1002) who completed the HDGM and other self-report questionnaires of drinking behaviors were used for exploratory analyses.

RESULTS

Exploratory analyses suggest that the HDGM adequately captures the nuances of drinking game participation in this population and demonstrates initial evidence of good content and criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability. However, the HDGM did not predict risky drinking above and beyond standard measures of drinks per week and alcohol-related problems in any samples.

CONCLUSION

The HDGM may be useful for campus-wide assessment of drinking games and as a source of game-specific feedback when integrated into campus prevention and intervention efforts.

Towards the development of laboratory methods for studying drinking games: initial findings, methodological considerations, and future directions

BACKGROUND

Drinking games are prevalent among college students and are associated with increased alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences. There has been substantial growth in research on drinking games. However, the majority of published studies rely on retrospective self-reports of behavior and very few studies have made use of laboratory procedures to systematically observe drinking game behavior.

OBJECTIVES

The current paper draws on the authors' experiences designing and implementing methods for the study of drinking games in the laboratory.

RESULTS

The paper addressed the following key design features: (a) drinking game selection; (b) beverage selection; (c) standardizing game play; (d) selection of dependent and independent variables; and (e) creating a realistic drinking game environment.

CONCLUSIONS

The goal of this methodological review paper is to encourage other researchers to pursue laboratory research on drinking game behavior. Use of laboratory-based methodologies will facilitate a better understanding of the dynamics of risky drinking and inform prevention and intervention efforts.

Not just fun and games: a review of college drinking games research from 2004 to 2013

Drinking games are a high-risk social drinking activity consisting of rules and guidelines that determine when and how much to drink (Polizzotto et al., 2007). Borsari's (2004) seminal review paper on drinking games in the college environment succinctly captured the published literature as of February 2004. However, research on college drinking games has grown exponentially during the last decade, necessitating an updated review of the literature. This review provides an in-depth summary and synthesis of current drinking games research (e.g., characteristics of drinking games, and behavioral, demographic, social, and psychological influences on participation) and suggests several promising areas for future drinking games research. This review is intended to foster a better understanding of drinking game behaviors among college students and improve efforts to reduce the negative impact of this practice on college campuses.

Characterizing high school students who play drinking games using latent class analysis

Heavy alcohol use and its associated negative consequences continue to be an important health issue among adolescents. Of particular concern are risky drinking practices such as playing drinking games. Although retrospective accounts indicate that drinking game participation is common among high school students, it has yet to be assessed in current high school students. Utilizing data from high school students who reported current drinking game participation (n=178), we used latent class analysis to investigate the negative consequences resulting from gaming and examined underlying demographic and alcohol-related behavioral characteristics of students as a function of the resultant classes. Three classes of "gamers" emerged: (1) a "lower-risk" group who had a lower probability of endorsing negative consequences compared to the other groups, (2) a "higher-risk" group who reported that they experienced hangovers and difficulties limiting their drinking, got physically sick, and became rude, obnoxious, or insulting, and (3) a "sexual regret" group who reported that they experienced poor recall and unplanned sexual activity that they later regretted. Although the frequency of participating in drinking games did not differ between these three groups, results indicated that the "lower-risk" group consumed fewer drinks in a typical gaming session compared to the other two groups. The present findings suggest that drinking games are common among high school students, but that mere participation and frequency of play are not necessarily the best indicators of risk. Instead, examination of other constructs such as game-related alcohol consumption, consequences, or psychosocial variables such as impulsivity may be more useful.

Drinking plans and drinking outcomes: examining young adults' weekend drinking behavior

This study examined relationships among drinking intentions, environments, and outcomes in a random sample of 566 undergraduate college students. Telephone interviews were conducted with respondents before and after a single weekend assessing drinking intentions for the coming weekend related to subsequent drinking behaviors. Latent class analyses found evidence for four distinct drinking environments distinguished by private/public setting and presence of few/many intoxicated people. There was evidence that the drinking environment mediated the relationship between drinking intentions and heavy episodic drinking in this young adult sample. Future research might focus on examining person/environment interactions as they relate to heavy episodic drinking.