Detecting college binge drinkers using an extended time frame.
Collegiate binge-drinking is estimated at 44% nationwide, yet epidemiological studies typically limit estimates of binge drinking to episodes during the prior 2 weeks. This study hypothesized that a group of students will have binged on alcohol during the past 3 months but not within the past 2 weeks, and therefore would not be detected using the standard 2-week time frame. Forty males and 72 females who reported drinking alcohol within the past 3 months were included in this study. Fifty-four of the student drinkers (48.2%) were classified as binge drinkers using the prior 2-weeks time criterion, whereas 88 (78.6%) were identified as bingers using the prior 3 months as the criterion. Over one third (38.6%) of the students who binged during the past 3 months would not have been identified as bingers using a 2-week detection period. Furthermore, age, church attendance, alcohol-related consequences, and age of first intoxication were the same regardless of whether bingers had binged in the past 2 weeks or the past 3 months. In contrast, recent binge drinkers reported more frequent alcohol consumption than the 3-month bingers.
Vik
P W
PW
Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello 83209-8112, USA. vikpete@isu.edu
Tate
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SR
Carrello
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P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data