title: Sociodemographic and psychobehavioral characteristics of US college students who abstain from alcohol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the sociodemographics and psychobehavioral characteristics of undergraduate US college students who abstain from alcohol.
  
  
  METHODS
  The respondents were 5,210 undergraduates from 32 colleges and universities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was mailed to 300 randomly selected students per institution (spring 2000 or 2001). The response rate was 56.2%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 20.5% of the students abstained. Predictors of abstention included the student's own negative attitude toward alcohol use; perception of friends' alcohol attitudes; male gender; being under age 21; abstaining in high school; non-Greek member or pledge; nonathlete; nonsmoker; non-marijuana user; participant in a religious group; working either 0 or 10+ hours per week for salary; having a mother who abstains; and having a close friend who abstains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional research on abstainers is warranted. Campus-based prevention programs should be grounded in a better understanding of how motives not to drink are developed and sustained in high school and college.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University's College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiun-Hau
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: DeJong
authors.forename: Laura Gomberg
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Towvim
authors.forename: Shari Kessel
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult