Sociodemographic and psychobehavioral characteristics of US college students who abstain from alcohol.
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.
Huang
Jiun-Hau
JH
Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University's College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
DeJong
William
W
Towvim
Laura Gomberg
LG
Schneider
Shari Kessel
SK
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