Drinking Game Participation Research Articles

A randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of the eCHECKUP TO GO on drinking games participation and behavior among high school seniors

BackgroundAmong high school students, seniors report the highest levels of hazardous drinking behavior, including playing drinking games. Technology-based interventions are a promising approach for reducing hazardous drinking behavior among this age group. Objectives: This randomized controlled trial investigated the efficacy of the eCHECKUP TO GO, an online personalized feedback intervention, on reducing the frequency of playing drinking games, the number of drinks consumed while playing drinking games, and the number of drinks consumed on occasions when drinking games were played among high school seniors (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03613818). Method: Participants were recruited from two high schools. Class periods were randomized to the intervention condition or an assessment-only control condition. Participants completed online surveys at baseline, 30-day, and 6-month assessments. The subsample in this study (N = 109) consisted of high-risk drinkers (i.e., students reporting binge drinking in the past two weeks at baseline). Results: We did not find any significant differences in frequency of playing drinking games between the intervention and control conditions. For number of drinks consumed, students in the intervention condition reported a significant reduction in the number of drinks consumed while playing drinking games (p < 0.01) and total number of drinks consumed on drinking game occasions (p < 0.04) at the 30-day follow-up relative to students in the control condition. Reductions within the intervention group were sustained at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: Results support the efficacy of the eCHECKUP TO GO for decreasing hazardous alcohol use among high school seniors.

A confirmatory factor analysis of a revised motives for playing drinking games (MPDG-33) scale among university students in the United States.

Participating in a drinking game (DG) is common practice among university students and can increase students' risk for heavy drinking. Given the theoretical link between motivations to drink and alcohol use, careful consideration should be given to students' motivations to play DGs. In this study, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised version of the motives for playing drinking games (MPDG) scale, the MPDG-33. University students (n =3345, Mage = 19.77years, SDage = 1.53; 68.8% = women; 59.6% = White) from 12U.S. universities completed a confidential online self-report survey that included the MPDG-33 and questions regarding their frequency of DG participation and typical drink consumption while playing DGs. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the 7-factor model fit the data adequately, and all items had statistically significant factor loadings on their predicted factor. All subscales had adequate to excellent internal consistency and were positively correlated with the frequency of DG participation and the typical number of drinks consumed while playing DGs (though the correlations were small). Findings suggest that the MPDG-33 can be reliably used in research and clinical settings to assess U.S. university students' motives for playing DGs.

Business as usual? Drinking games participation before and during an academic pandemic (COVID-19) year among university students

Objective: A drinking game (DG) is a risky social drinking activity that is prevalent among university students and promotes rapid alcohol consumption. We examined university students’ DG behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students (N = 368; M age=21.12; women = 72.6%; Hispanic = 44.7%) from seven universities completed an online survey in 2021 (spring/summer). Results: 57% played DGs in-person before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. These students were less worried about their health/symptoms if they were to contract COVID-19, had lower confidence in wearing a mask properly/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, and endorsed higher enhancement drinking motives than students who played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic (30%). Conclusions: College health practitioners could pay close attention to students who endorse high enhancement motives as they are susceptible to risky DG play.

Utility of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire-Drinking Game (B-YAACQ-DG) scale in screening hazardous alcohol use among university student drinking gamers in the United States

Background Many young adults who are enrolled in a university play drinking games (DG), a risky drinking practice that is known to facilitate heavy alcohol consumption. DG participation is associated with increased risk for harm and as such, identifying university students at risk for experiencing DG harms is key. Standardized instruments designed to assess DG behavior and related outcomes are limited by having no established cutoffs to identify those individuals who play DG who are at risk for hazardous alcohol use. In the present study, we developed a short form of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire-Drinking Games (B-YAACQ-DG) for use among university student samples based on differential item functioning (DIF)-free items across gender, and established cutoffs indicating hazardous use using receiver-operating characteristic curves with AUDIT scores of 6+ as the reference standard. Method Students (N = 1,299; ages 18–25; 67.7% women; 71.0% White) from four large public universities in the United States completed a confidential online survey. Results Although gender-based DIF on several items on the B-YAACQ-DG emerged, there were 16-items that were DIF-free across men and women. An optimal cutoff score for detection of hazardous use for the full version (23-items) of the B-YAACQ-DG was experiencing 4+ DG consequences in the past month, and 3+ consequences for the 16-item DIF-free version. Conclusions Health practitioners and alcohol researchers can use the B-YAACQ-DG alongside the AUDIT, to identify university students who play DGs that are in need of intervention. The B-YAACQ-DG can also be used to assess specific DG harms experienced among students who play DGs.

What pandemic? A multisite study of drinking motives and drinking games participation among college students during a pandemic (COVID-19) academic year

A drinking game (DG) is a widely practiced social activity that tends to encourage rapid alcohol consumption. While social restrictions during the pandemic (COVID-19) academic year were implemented as a health measure across many colleges/universities, the extent to which college student drinkers continued to play DGs in-person is not well understood. Because theory and research suggest that drinking motives are proximal correlates of drinking behaviors, we examined which drinking motives increased the likelihood of playing DGs in-person, and playing DGs in-person in a group of 10 + people during the 2020–21 pandemic academic year. College students (past-year drinkers) from 12 universities completed an online survey (N = 900; Mage = 19.42, Range = 18–25; SDage = 1.45, White = 73.1%, 69.2% female). Of the students surveyed, 590 students played DGs, with 460 students only playing DGs in-person. Of the students who played DGs in-person, 274 students reported that the maximum number of people they played DGs with in-person exceeded the CDC’s recommended guidelines (10 + people). Accounting for demographics, general alcohol use, and perceived COVID-19 threat, social drinking motives were positively associated with an increased likelihood of playing DGs in-person; the inverse was found for coping motives. Drinking motives were not associated with the likelihood of playing DGs with 10 + people but greater alcohol use and lower perceived threat of COVID-19 were. Given that the pandemic did not deter many student drinkers from playing DGs in-person, further investment in targeted intervention and public health initiatives aimed at substance-free alternatives promoting engagement and enhancement of social activities may be needed.

A National Study on Drinking Game Behaviors and Related Consequences Among NCAA Student-Athletes: Racial/Ethnic and Sex Differences

Research indicates that college student-athletes report more alcohol use and negative drinking consequences than non-student-athletes. One drinking practice that has been linked to heavy alcohol use and related consequences is playing drinking games. In the present study, we investigated which segment of the student-athlete population is most at risk for frequent drinking game participation, elevated alcohol consumption while playing drinking games, and negative drinking game consequences. We examined sex and racial/ethnic differences in behaviors and consequences associated with drinking games in a national sample of White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) student-athletes. A total of 11,839 student-athletes (51.4% women) from 165 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions who endorsed lifetime participation in drinking games completed a confidential online survey. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that being a White (vs. Black or Hispanic) student-athlete was associated with more frequent drinking game participation, and among AAPI and Black (but not White or Hispanic) student-athletes, men played drinking games more frequently than women. Being a Black (vs. White) student-athlete was associated with more drinking game consumption; no sex differences in drinking game consumption were found among Black student-athletes. Among White, AAPI, and Hispanic student-athletes, being a male student-athlete was associated with more drinking game consumption. Finally, female student-athletes had a higher likelihood of experiencing one or more negative consequences from drinking games than did male student-athletes. The association between drinking game participation and negative drinking game consequences was also stronger for women compared with men. Student-athletes are heterogeneous with regard to drinking game behaviors and related consequences. Knowing who is at greatest risk for drinking game participation and related outcomes is an important first step in developing targeted intervention approaches for student-athletes.

Latent class analysis of drinking game consequences among college drinkers

Participation in drinking games has been identified as one specific alcohol-related context linked to increased risk for heavier alcohol consumption and negative consequences among college students. Despite advances in drinking game research, questions remain about the different types of individuals at risk from participating. The current study utilized latent class analysis to classify individuals based on their endorsement of eight negative drinking game consequences from the Hazardous Drinking Games Measure. Analyses included identification of classes among 656 college students, followed by covariate analyses regressing class membership on motives for playing drinking games, general drinking motives, impulsivity facets, general problematic alcohol use, and specific drinking game behaviors. A total of three classes were identified, including a class with the fewest number of problems, a class with higher rates of hangovers and becoming sick, and a class with relatively higher rates of a majority of the other consequences. Classes differed in endorsement of motives, impulsivity facets, general problematic consumption, and drinking game behaviors. Generally, coping, conformity, and social general drinking motives; conformity and enhancement and thrills motives for playing drinking games; the impulsivity facet of negative urgency; the number of drinks consumed while playing drinking games; playing consumption type drinking games; and general problematic alcohol use were associated with more problematic class membership. Results highlight distinct classes of individuals at risk from drinking game participation. Recommendations for future studies and potential prevention and intervention efforts are also discussed.

A meta-analysis of drinking game participation and alcohol-related outcomes.

Research suggests that it is common for emerging adults in the U.S. and other countries to participate in a drinking game (DG). Playing DGs is associated with greater alcohol consumption and increased risk for experiencing alcohol-related harms. Gender differences in emerging adults' DG behavior and negative alcohol-related consequences have also been documented but the results have been mixed. We conducted the present meta-analysis in order to (a) quantify the association between DG participation and alcohol use and related consequences, and examine the moderating effect of gender and methodological factors on these associations, and (b) provide effect size estimates for power analyses for future DGs research. 48 manuscripts, representing 31 independent samples, were included in the meta-analysis. We found medium effect sizes between DG participation and frequency of alcohol use (r = .47) and binge drinking (r = .50), quantity of alcohol use (r = .38) and consumption while playing DGs (r = .45), alcohol use (frequency × consumption index; r = .49), and alcohol-related consequences (r = .38). Playing DGs is associated with greater frequency of alcohol use, higher alcohol consumption, and more alcohol-related consequences. Findings also indicated that as the percentage of women in the sample increased, the association between DG participation and quantity of alcohol use strengthened. No gender moderation effect was found for the associations between DG participation and the other alcohol outcomes variables, which suggests that men and women who play DGs are equally at risk for experiencing alcohol-related consequences and may benefit from clinical attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Drinking games among university students in five countries: Participation rates, game type, contexts, and motives to play

Most published studies, regarding students’ participation in drinking games (DGs), originate from the United States of America (USA). This study extends research to the United Kingdom (UK) and countries of mainland Europe.University students from five countries completed an anonymous online questionnaire which included measures of the frequency of DG participation, along with types, contexts and motives for participation. Responses are compared by the gender, and country of domicile of the participants.The study is based on the results of the questionnaire administered to 306 Social Work students from five universities/countries of which 72.2% are females, with a mean age of 22.6 years. This included students in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. A high proportion of students, irrespective of gender, or country of domicile, stated that they participated in DGs. To ‘meet people’ and ‘to get drunk’ are the most important reasons stated for DG participation. Less benign motives, to ‘control others’ or ‘get other people drunk’, are reported as ‘not important’. The most common types of DGs were consumption and team DGs. The pre-partying involved in DGs and associated consequences show important targets in alcohol harm minimization interventions. Harm minimization/public health messages regarding safer drinking need to recognize that younger students often feel they are immortal and do not fully appreciate risks and adverse effects of DGs and drink to have fun and be sociable.

Drinking game participation among high school and incoming college students

Drinking game participation among high school and incoming college students

Examining drinking game harms as a function of gender and college student status.

Drinking game (DG) participation among young adults is widespread. Because heavy alcohol consumption is commonly associated with playing DGs, this activity presents a health risk for those who play. In the present study, we explored the most common negative DG consequences experienced by young adults and how DG consequences differed by gender and college status. Participants were young adult drinking gamers (N = 1,600; age 18-25; Mage = 22.6; 47% men; 41% noncollege students; 77% White) recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. They completed an online anonymous survey which included items on the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire that were modified to measure DG consequences experienced in the past month. Over half of the participants reported experiencing a hangover, saying/doing embarrassing things, having less energy, and feeling sick as a result of playing DGs. Using IRT analysis, we also found differential item functioning (DIF) on several items across gender and college status. We then created a short-form version of the DG consequences measure that excluded items demonstrating DIF, and based on this modified measure, we examined differences in severity of negative DG consequences as a function of gender and college status. Controlling for age, college status, DG frequency/consumption, and alcohol use on non-DG occasions, we found that men experienced slightly more DG consequences than women. Similar findings emerged for college students compared to noncollege students. This study is an important first step toward understanding who is most at risk for experiencing certain types of negative DG consequences and how researchers/practitioners could measure this construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Test-Retest Reliability of the 7-Factor Motives for Playing Drinking Games Scale and its Associations With Drinking Game Behaviors Among Female College Athletes

Drinking games (DGs) participation is prevalent among college-attending emerging adults. Research also suggests that student-athletes play DGs more frequently than non student-athletes, but what motivates student-athletes to participate in DGs is not well understood. Using data from a larger longitudinal study with Division III female athletes, we examined the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of the revised 7-factor Motives for Playing Drinking Games (MPDG) measure, and explored how its subscales were related to DGs behavior across two annual timepoints (n = 49). Results indicated that the MPDG shows adequate test-retest reliability over a one year period among student-athletes. Controlling for age and general alcohol consumption, conformity motives were positively associated with DG consumption at timepoint 1, whereas the DG motives of enhancement/thrills and boredom were positively related to DG consumption at timepoint 2. Implications for future research directions on motives for playing DGs and DGs behavior among student-athletes are discussed.

Drinking game participation and outcomes in a sample of Australian university students.

Most drinking game (DG) research among university students has been conducted among USA college samples. The extent to which demographics and game type (e.g. team and sculling games) are linked to DG behaviours/consequences among non-USA students is not well understood. As such, the current study investigated characteristics of DG participation (and associated outcomes) among a sample of Australian university students. University students (N = 252; aged 18-24 years; 67% female) who had consumed alcohol in the prior year completed an online survey. Measures included demographics, DG behaviours (lifetime, frequency and consumption) and gaming-specific consequences. Most of the students reported lifetime DG participation (85%). Among those who played a DG in the prior 6 months (69%), most had experienced a negative gaming-specific consequence. While team games were the most popular DG played, regression analysis demonstrated that participation in games which encouraged consumption (e.g. sculling) were associated with increased alcohol consumption during play. In addition to being older, playing DGs more frequently, and consuming more alcohol while playing, participation in both consumption and dice games (e.g. 7-11, doubles) predicted more negative gaming-specific consequences. DG participation is common among Australian university students, as it is in other parts of the world. The importance of game type is clear, particularly the risk of consumption games. Findings could help inform interventions to reduce participation in consumption games and identify students who might be especially at-risk for experiencing negative DG consequences.

Understanding Drinking Game Behaviors: A Consideration of Alcohol Expectancies and Motives to Play and Drink.

Drinking motives have been theorized as "the final common pathway" to alcohol use, and have been found to be associated with certain drinking patterns and related outcomes. Given the importance of the context in which people drink, researchers have also begun to pay close attention to motives that are specific to participation in a drinking game. The present study builds on this burgeoning body of work by testing how sociability and liquid courage alcohol outcome expectancies and valuations are indirectly associated with drinking game behaviors by way of drinking game motives. Participants consisted of 686 students from eight U.S. colleges/universities (ages 18-23, mean age = 19.45; 73.8% female; 68.2% white) who completed a self-report questionnaire which asked about drinking game behaviors and motives for playing, alcohol outcome expectancies and valuations, general drinking motives, and typical alcohol use. Controlling for demographics, general drinking motives, and typical alcohol use, results indicated that liquid courage (alcohol outcome expectancies) and sociability (alcohol outcome expectancies and valuations) were indirectly associated with drinking game behaviors by way of enhancement/thrills and social lubrication motives for playing drinking games, respectively. Findings suggest that motives specific to playing drinking games operate similarly to general drinking motives as the "final common pathway" to drinking game behaviors. Implications for motivation-matched and expectancy challenge strategies aimed at reducing drinking games participation on college campuses are discussed.

Do brief motivational interventions reduce drinking game frequency in mandated students? An analysis of data from two randomized controlled trials.

College students frequently engage in drinking games (DGs) and experience a variety of consequences as a result. It is currently unknown whether brief motivational interventions (BMIs) that provide feedback on DG participation can reduce this high risk behavior. This study examined outcome data from 2 randomized clinical trials to examine whether BMIs facilitate change in DG frequency and how these changes may occur. Mandated college students (Trial 1, N = 198, 46% female; Trial 2, N = 412; 32% female) were randomized to BMI or comparison control conditions. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to compare the BMI and comparison groups to determine whether the BMI reduced DG participation over time. Percent change talk (PCT) during the discussion of DG during the session was examined as a predictor of change in DG frequency, and gender was examined as a moderator of treatment effects. Controlling for regular drinking frequency, participants who received a BMI did not significantly reduce their DG frequency relative to the comparison group in either sample, and the BMI was equally ineffective at reducing DG behavior for men and women. DG-related PCT during the BMI was associated with lower DG frequency at the second follow-up in both trials. In Trial 1, PCT during the BMI was associated with less steep increases in DG frequency across the course of all follow-ups. Effects of PCT on DG behavior were not moderated by gender. Findings did not support hypothesized reductions in DG participation following a BMI. Future research should explore whether targeted DG-specific interventions could reduce DG participation and the role of in-session client language in facilitating such change. (PsycINFO Database Record

Drinking game participation, gender performance and normalization of intoxication among Nigerian university students

BackgroundMost research on drinking games (DGs) and the associated risks focuses on Western countries. In the Nigerian context, DGs activity has not attracted scholarly attention but growing media reports indicate that Nigerian youths play DGs, and that a number of gamers have died during or immediately after game-playing. MethodsDrawing on gender performance scripts, we explored the performance of gender through DGs practices and the factors that motivate DGs participation. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with male and female college students (aged 19–23years) at a university in south-eastern Nigeria. ResultsThe participants discussed the popularity of the DGs that students play on this campus, identifying the spaces where each game is played and the motivations for game-playing. Collective, contextual constructions of gender identities through ‘Fastest-Drinker’ DG were identified, and the participants also performed gender through ‘Truth-or-Dare’ and ‘Endurance’ DGs. Men dominated ‘First-to-Finish’ DGs, which are played at parties and bars, and consumed beer or stout, while women, who mainly played Truth-or-Dare games, drank spirits or sweetened alcoholic beverages. Boredom and fun seeking provoked game-playing among women while adherence to masculinity norms, which engendered the public performance of masculinity and gambling activities, motivated men to play DGs. To avoid ‘collective shame’, men's friendship groups provided support/care for inebriated game-playing members, but the immediacy of this support/care varied according to DGs type. ConclusionDGs appear to normalize heavy drinking and the culture of intoxication on this campus. Measures to monitor alcohol sales outlets around campuses and interventions that target students' leisure spaces should be developed.

Social anxiety and drinking game participation among university students: the moderating role of drinking to cope

ABSTRACTBackground: Few studies have examined the relationship of social anxiety with drinking game participation. Drinking games represent a popular form of drinking in university settings. Due to their structure, games may appeal to socially anxious drinkers, particularly among those seeking to fit in or cope with the social setting. Objectives: To examine the relationship of social anxiety with frequency of drinking game participation among a university undergraduate sample and to investigate if drinking motives moderate this association. Method: A total of 227 undergraduate students aged 18–24 years (73% female) who had consumed alcohol in the prior year were included in the current investigation. Hierarchical regression examined the influences of social anxiety and drinking motives on frequency of drinking game participation, as well the interactions of social anxiety with drinking for coping motives and conformity motives. Results: Social anxiety failed to emerge as a significant predictor of frequency of drinking game participation. However, drinking to cope moderated the relationship of social anxiety with frequency of drinking game participation. Socially anxious students who drank to cope were more likely to participate in drinking games on occasions when they consumed alcohol than those who did not endorse this drinking motive. Conclusion: Results demonstrated the influence of drinking to cope in the relationship of social anxiety with frequency of drinking game participation. Future work should examine the relationship with other indicators of drinking game activity. Intervention efforts addressing social anxiety and drinking should consider motives for drinking, as well as drinking patterns.

Drinking Game Participation Among High School and Incoming College Students: A Narrative Review.

The transition from high school to college has been characterized as a potentially vulnerable period because of decreased parental supervision and increased autonomy. This transition can increase risk for participation in high-risk behaviors such as drinking games (DGs), which are a social drinking activity that encourages intoxication and are associated with negative alcohol-related consequences. To date, there has not been a narrative review of DG research that examines this activity among high schoolers and incoming college students specifically, and thus, the current review bridges this gap. Findings indicate that DG participation is consistently linked to negative consequences (e.g., passing out, becoming sick) and other high-risk behaviors, such as prepartying (drinking before going to a social event). In addition, DG participation is linked to demographic (e.g., age, gender), psychological (e.g., personality, alcohol cognitions), and contextual/cultural factors (e.g., the college drinking culture). These findings have implications for current prevention and intervention efforts and suggest promising directions for future research.

Drinking Games Participation Among High School and Incoming College Students: A Narrative Review.

Journal of Addictions Nursing 27(1):p E1, January/March 2016. | DOI: 10.1097/01.JAN.0000481966.33116.a5

A “player’s” game? Masculinity and drinking games participation among White and Asian American male college freshmen.

A “player’s” game? Masculinity and drinking games participation among White and Asian American male college freshmen.