title: College students' readiness to reduce binge drinking: criterion validity of a brief measure.
abstract: We assessed the criterion-related validity of a contemplation ladder used to determine college students' readiness to reduce binge drinking. 1356 students in halls of residence in Dunedin, New Zealand completed a self-report survey including the contemplation ladder, AUDIT questionnaire, and other alcohol-related measures. Two groups of binge drinkers were identified, one reporting bingeing more than twice per week (n=645), and one bingeing 1-2 times per week (n=237). A third group did not report binge drinking (n=474). A higher readiness to change binge drinking was associated with more frequent bingeing, more interpersonal and academic problems with alcohol, less frequent use of cannabis, and living in a hall with a norm of binge drinking. The contemplation ladder for alcohol was sensitive to other alcohol-related behaviours, and may be useful in surveys of drinking where a brief measure of readiness to change is needed.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Society of NZ Social and Behavioural Research Unit, Preventive and Social Medicine, Frederick St, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. rob.mcgee@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D009042:Motivation; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students; D013695:Temperance / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult