African American College Students' Drinking Behaviors and Their Relationship to Self-Efficacy and Positive or Negative Expectancies Regarding Alcohol Consumption.

Patrice R Jenkins,Pedro M Hernandez,Chaiqua A Harris

doi:10.3390/bs10100153

Patrice R Jenkins, Pedro M Hernandez + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10100153

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Abstract

College students’ alcohol consumption remains a significant concern for colleges and universities. However, most research overwhelmingly utilizes White samples from predominantly White universities, limiting knowledge of African American students’ drinking behaviors on historically Black campuses. This study examined alcohol usage among African American college students by investigating relationships between alcohol consumption and positive and negative expectancies as well as self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 282 students was used. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) measured alcohol consumption and identified individuals whose consumption created hazardous drinking patterns. Alcohol expectancy was measured by the Alcohol Effects Questionnaire (AEQ), and the Spheres of Control Scale measured self-efficacy. Students in this sample tended to believe that alcohol consumption was linked with more negative than positive alcohol expectancy beliefs. Alcohol expectancies, specifically positive expectancies, appeared to play a significant role in predicting alcohol consumption. There was also a positive relationship between positive expectancies and alcohol consumption. Despite these results, our regression model was only able to account for about 20% of the variance (r2 = 0.187). These findings are important in developing prevention and intervention programs to address the pervasive and critical social ills and reduce alcohol consumption among African American college students.

Highlights

Research indicates that as many as 9.6% of today’s college students self-report drinking habits that classify them as heavy drinkers, and when binge drinking is considered, these rates rise to37% [1]
African Americans, and the social consequences of drinking among African Americans [2]. These factors are essential in understanding drinking behavior among African Americans, our study examines additional factors related to alcohol consumption, levels of self-efficacy, and alcohol expectancies among African American college students who drink
The results revealed that lower drinking refusal self-efficacy yielded higher alcohol expectancies, which equated to higher levels of alcohol consumption; lower alcohol expectancies yielded lower levels of alcohol consumption

Summary

Introduction

Research indicates that as many as 9.6% of today’s college students self-report drinking habits that classify them as heavy drinkers (i.e., consuming 15 drinks or more per week), and when binge drinking (i.e., consuming five or more drinks in roughly two hours) is considered, these rates rise to37% [1]. Research indicates that as many as 9.6% of today’s college students self-report drinking habits that classify them as heavy drinkers (i.e., consuming 15 drinks or more per week), and when binge drinking (i.e., consuming five or more drinks in roughly two hours) is considered, these rates rise to. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 54.9% of full-time college students 18 and older reported drinking in the past month. These findings illustrate the continuing pervasiveness of alcohol consumption as a significant problem faced by colleges and universities across the country.

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