Calorie restriction on drinking days: an examination of drinking consequences among college students.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the association between restricting calories on intended drinking days and drunkenness frequency and alcohol-related consequences among college students.


METHODS
Participants included a random sample of 4,271 undergraduate college students from 10 universities.


METHODS
Students completed a Web-based survey regarding their high-risk drinking behaviors and calorie restriction on intended drinking days.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine percent of past 30-day drinkers reported restricting calories on days they planned to drink alcohol, of which 67% restricted because of weight concerns. Restricting calories on drinking days was associated with greater odds of getting drunk in a typical week. Women who restricted were more likely to report memory loss, being injured, being taken advantage of sexually, and having unprotected sex while drinking. Men were more likely to get into a physical fight.


CONCLUSIONS
These results highlight the importance of considering weight control behaviors in the examination of high-risk college drinking.
The Department of Communication, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. gilessm@wfu.edu
Steven M
SM
Giles
Heather
H
Champion
Erin L
EL
Sutfin
Thomas P
TP
McCoy
Kim
K
Wagoner
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities