Drinking game behaviors among college students: how often and how much?
BACKGROUND
Participation in drinking games (DG) has been identified as a common health-risk behavior among college students. However, research suggests that the frequency of DG participation alone may not pose a significant health risk; rather, gaming may be most hazardous when large amounts of alcohol are consumed.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to examine whether specific gaming behaviors (frequency of play and amount of consumption) place gamers at elevated risk for negative drinking outcomes.


METHODS
Students from 30 U.S. colleges completed self-report questionnaires via the Internet about their drinking attitudes and behaviors. Four groups of student gamers (N = 2,230) were examined: low frequency/low consumption (n = 1,047), low frequency/high consumption (n = 453), high frequency/low consumption (n = 326), and high frequency/high consumption (n = 404).


RESULTS
Multilevel regression analyses indicated that the frequency x consumption interaction emerged as a significant predictor of negative drinking consequences. Follow-up analyses indicated that quantity of alcohol consumed during DG predicted negative drinking consequences for high-frequency gamers only. CONCLUSIONS/SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: The present results challenge the assumption that all drinking-gaming practices pose equivalent health risks for gamers. Considering only participation in or level of consumption during DG may not tell the complete story with respect to the health hazards involved with gaming behaviors among college students.
Zamboanga
Byron L
BL
Department of Psychology, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063, USA. bzamboan@smith.edu
Schwartz
Seth J
SJ
Van Tyne
Kathryne
K
Ham
Lindsay S
LS
Olthuis
Janine V
JV
Huang
Shi
S
Kim
Su Yeong
SY
Hudson
Monika
M
Forthun
Larry F
LF
Bersamin
Melina
M
Weisskirch
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
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