Risk for excessive alcohol use and drinking-related problems in college student athletes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Risk for excessive alcohol use and drinking-related problems in college student athletes

AU - Yusko, David A.

AU - Buckman, Jennifer F.

AU - Pandina, Robert J.

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (T32AA07569) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (DA17552) as part of the Rutgers Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center. The authors would like to thank the athletic department of the northeastern university where this research took place. The authors would also like to thank Leah Lagos for her help with data collection and data base management. The authors would also like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewer for the comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

PY - 2008/12

Y1 - 2008/12

N2 - There is compelling evidence that college student athletes engage in frequent episodes of heavy drinking and are prone to negative consequences resulting from such use. This study sought to identify risk and protective factors associated with student-athlete drinking and determine if student-athlete risk factors differed from those of non-athletes. Athletes compared to non-athletes reported more exaggerated perceptions of peer heavy drinking and lower sensation seeking and coping and enhancement motives for drinking, suggesting a risk profile distinct from non-athletes. In the overall sample, higher sensation seeking, overestimation of peer heavy drinking, non-use of protective behaviors while drinking, and higher enhancement and coping drinking motives were associated with greater frequency of heavy episodic drinking and more negative drinking consequences. In athletes compared to non-athletes, sensation seeking was more strongly associated with heavy episodic drinking and drinking to cope was more strongly associated with negative alcohol-related consequences. Overall, the results suggest that already proven brief intervention strategies, with minor adaptations related to the roles of sensation seeking and drinking to cope, may be helpful for student athletes.

AB - There is compelling evidence that college student athletes engage in frequent episodes of heavy drinking and are prone to negative consequences resulting from such use. This study sought to identify risk and protective factors associated with student-athlete drinking and determine if student-athlete risk factors differed from those of non-athletes. Athletes compared to non-athletes reported more exaggerated perceptions of peer heavy drinking and lower sensation seeking and coping and enhancement motives for drinking, suggesting a risk profile distinct from non-athletes. In the overall sample, higher sensation seeking, overestimation of peer heavy drinking, non-use of protective behaviors while drinking, and higher enhancement and coping drinking motives were associated with greater frequency of heavy episodic drinking and more negative drinking consequences. In athletes compared to non-athletes, sensation seeking was more strongly associated with heavy episodic drinking and drinking to cope was more strongly associated with negative alcohol-related consequences. Overall, the results suggest that already proven brief intervention strategies, with minor adaptations related to the roles of sensation seeking and drinking to cope, may be helpful for student athletes.

KW - Alcohol use

KW - Athletes

KW - College students

KW - Drinking

KW - Risk factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=53049100436&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=53049100436&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.07.010

DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.07.010

M3 - Article

C2 - 18752900

SN - 0306-4603

VL - 33

SP - 1546

EP - 1556

JO - Addictive Behaviors

JF - Addictive Behaviors

IS - 12

ER -