Gender differences in predicting high-risk drinking among undergraduate students.
The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in college students' high-risk drinking as measured by an estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) based on gender, height, weight, self-reported number of drinks, and hours spent drinking. Using a developmental/contextual framework, high-risk drinking is conceptualized as a function of relevant individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and contextual factors regularly mentioned in the college drinking literature. Individual characteristics include race, gender, and age; interpersonal characteristics include number of sexual partners and having experienced forced sexual contact. Finally, contextual factors include Greek membership, living off-campus, and perception of peer drinking behavior. This study is a secondary data analysis of 1,422 students at a large university in the Southeast. Data were gathered from a probability sample of students through a mail survey. A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed gender differences in the pathway for high-risk drinking. For men, high-risk drinking was predicted by a combination of individual characteristics and contextual factors. For women, interpersonal factors, along with individual characteristics and contextual factors, predicted high-risk drinking, highlighting the importance of understanding female sexual relationships and raising questions about women's risk-taking behavior. Implications for prevention and assessment are discussed.
Wilke
Dina J
DJ
College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306-2570, USA. dwilke@mailer.fsu.edu
Siebert
Darcy Clay
DC
Delva
Jorge
J
Smith
Michael P
MP
Howell
Richard L
RL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000431:Ethanol