The Personal Protective Behaviors of College Student Drinkers: Evidence of Indigenous Protective Norms

• Published in: Journal of American college health Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 69 - 76
• Main Authors: Haines, Michael P., Barker, Gregory, Rice, Richard M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Heldref 01-09-2006; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Accident Prevention; Adult; Age Factors; alcohol; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Behavior; Behavior Standards; College Students; Data Analysis; Drinking; Ethnic Groups; Factor Analysis; Feedback (Response); Female; Focus Groups; Gender Differences; Harm; Health Behavior; Health education; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical Services; Medical treatment; Personality Traits; Polls & surveys; Predictor Variables; protective behaviors; Public Colleges; R&D; Research & development; Researchers; Resilience (Psychology); Sampling; School Size; Schools; Selfprotection; Sex Factors; situational abstinence; Social Environment; social norms; Social Values; Student Behavior; Students; Students - psychology; Studies; Undergraduate Students; Universities
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.3200/JACH.55.2.69-76

Given the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the relative infrequency of harm among college students, the authors sought to determine how most college students protect themselves from alcohol-related harm. An analysis of the aggregate National College Health Assessment data identified a cluster of personal protective behaviors that correlated with reduced risk when drinking. Further analysis revealed that nearly three-quarters of student drinkers regularly employ at least 1 protective behavior, and well over half of the students who use protective behaviors routinely employ 2 or more. In addition, the data reveal that student drinkers employ situational abstinence, with nearly 7 out of 10 students reporting that they sometimes or usually refrain from drinking alcohol when they socialize. The use of these protective behaviors is a strong predictor of safety and harm for college-student drinkers.