title: Alcohol use disorders and hazardous drinking among undergraduates at English universities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on alcohol use disorders and hazardous drinking from a survey of university students in England in 2008-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was carried out in a purposive sample of 770 undergraduates from seven universities across England.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one per cent of the sample (65% men; 58% women) scored positive (8+) on the AUDIT, comprising 40% hazardous drinkers, 11% harmful drinkers and 10% with probable dependence. There were large and significant differences in mean AUDIT scores between the universities taking part in the survey. Two universities in the North of England showed a significantly higher combined mean AUDIT score than two universities in the Midlands which in turn showed a significantly higher mean AUDIT score than three universities in the South. When the effects of university attended were extracted in a binary logistic regression analysis, independent significant predictors of AUDIT positive status were younger age, 'White' ethnicity and both on-campus and off-campus term-time student accommodation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Undergraduates at some universities in England show very high levels of alcohol-related risk and harm. University authorities should estimate the level of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorders among students at their institutions and take action to reduce risk and harm accordingly. Research is needed using nationally representative samples to estimate the prevalence of alcohol risk and harm in the UK student population and to determine the future course of drinking problems among students currently affected.
authors: School of Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Northumberland Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE18ST, UK. nick.heather@northumbria.ac.uk
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Heather
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Partington
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Partington
authors: Fran
authors: F
authors: Longstaff
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Allsop
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Jankowski
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Wareham
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: St Clair Gibson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004739:England; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol