Event-specific drinking and protective behavioral strategy use among college students

Abstract

Background Event-specific drinking occasions (e.g. holidays, special occasions, school breaks) have been associated with heavy drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. This study extends prior research by examining understudied holidays and changes in protective behavioral strategy use during these event-specific drinking occasions. Method Participants were 537 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 who retrospectively reported drinking in the past 2 weeks. Several alcohol use variables (e.g. frequency, quantity, heavy episodic drinking frequency), negative alcohol-related consequences, and protective behavioral strategies were assessed for the previous 14 days. Ten event-specific drinking occasions were coded for the 14-day reporting period. A series of Analysis of Covariance models were conducted to examine differences on alcohol use variables, negative consequences, and protective behavioral strategies for weeks that included an event-specific drinking occasion relative to a no holiday reference timeframe. Results Compared to the no holiday reference group, several event-specific drinking occasions (e.g. Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day) were associated with greater alcohol use, negative consequences, and protective behavioral strategy use. In contrast, other occasions were determined to be low-risk holidays (e.g. Veterans Day) when protective behavioral strategies were less frequently used. Some occasions (e.g. Spring Break) did not exhibit the expected clear pattern of risk. Conclusions College students’ alcohol use, negative consequences, and protective behavioral strategy use vary across event-specific drinking occasions. Determining which event-specific drinking occasions are associated with risky alcohol use and the lowest use of harm reduction strategies is important for prevention and intervention programs.