title: Impairments in daily functioning after heavy and extreme episodic drinking in university students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major public health issue in university students. The dangers of heavy drinking are well known, with both acute and long-term consequences; however, there is limited information on patterns of extreme drinking (twice over the recommended threshold for low-risk drinking), and the differential effects of heavy versus extreme drinking on immediate consequent functioning in daily life. The current study investigated drinking patterns in a sample of university students and the association of different levels of alcohol consumption with self-reported physical, cognitive and emotional function the day after the drinking episode.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this study were collected from a sample of 281 University of Otago students using a 21 day Internet-based daily diary. Participants reported on their drinking the previous night and their physical, cognitive and emotional functioning on that day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants reported drinking on 26.8% days overall and consuming an average of 7.2 standard drinks per occasion. Only heavy drinking (7+standard drinks for men, 5+standard drinks for women) and particularly extreme drinking (14+for men, 10+for women) predicted significant decreases in physical and cognitive functioning the next day. However, low-risk drinking (≤ 6 drinks for men,≤ 4 for women) was not associated with next-day impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that there are adverse, intermediate consequences of excessive drinking on dimensions relevant to students' lives. Drinking within low-risk guidelines is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: Tamlin S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Conner
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult