Runners’ Alcohol use and Responses to the Brief MAST

Abstract

We assessed drinking habits and responses to the Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (BMAST) in runners (student and nonstudent) participating in a 10-mi race. Questionnaires were sent to 1445 race registrants: 483 nonstudent men, 153 student men, 154 nonstudent women, and 105 student women responded (62% total response rate). We compared the student runners’ responses to BMAST questions, as well as binge rates and family history of problem drinking, to those of a reference college-student (slightly younger) population from the same state (n = 3726). The male student-runner binge drinking rate was 50% and the women student-runner rate was 47.6%, similar to those of the comparison group. There was no difference in rates of an “alcoholic score” on the BMAST among student runners (10.4% men, 5.1% women) compared to other runners. Student runners were more likely to have sought help for their drinking compared to nonrunner students. Nearly 20% of subjects in the student groups (runners and nonrunners) reported at least one parent with problem drinking significantly lower than the 28% reported by nonstudent runners. These data suggest that running may be a healthy substitute for drinking and warrant further investigation.