title: Undergraduate student drinking and related harms at an Australian university: web-based survey of a large random sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is considerable interest in university student hazardous drinking among the media and policy makers. However there have been no population-based studies in Australia to date. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of hazardous drinking and secondhand effects among undergraduates at a Western Australian university.
  
  
  METHODS
  We invited 13,000 randomly selected undergraduate students from a commuter university in Australia to participate in an online survey of university drinking. Responses were received from 7,237 students (56%), who served as participants in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety percent had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months and 34% met criteria for hazardous drinking (AUDIT score ≥ 8 and greater than 6 standard drinks in one sitting in the previous month). Men and Australian/New Zealand residents had significantly increased odds (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.9-2.3; OR: 5.2; 95% CI: 4.4-6.2) of being categorised as dependent (AUDIT score 20 or over) than women and non-residents. In the previous 4 weeks, 13% of students had been insulted or humiliated and 6% had been pushed, hit or otherwise assaulted by others who were drinking. One percent of respondents had experienced sexual assault in this time period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Half of men and over a third of women were drinking at hazardous levels and a relatively large proportion of students were negatively affected by their own and other students' drinking. There is a need for intervention to reduce hazardous drinking early in university participation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ACTRN12608000104358.
authors.affiliation: Western Australian Centre for Health Promotion Research, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Australia. j.hallett@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallett
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Howat
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Maycock
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
authors.forename: Satvinder S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult