title: The personal protective behaviors of college student drinkers: evidence of indigenous protective norms.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Social Norms Resource Center at the Social Science Research Institute, DeKalb, IL 60115-2854, USA. mhaines@niu.edu
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012945:Social Values; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities