Is the pregame to blame? Event-level associations between pregaming and alcohol-related consequences.
OBJECTIVE
Pregaming (drinking before a social occasion) predicts alcohol consequences between persons; people who pregame report greater consequences than those who do not. The present study examined within-person associations between pregaming and daily consequences.


METHODS
Participants were college students (N = 44; 50% female) reporting past-month pregaming. Daily drinks consumed (during pregaming and across the entire drinking episode) and alcohol consequences were assessed with a 30-day Timeline Followback interview.


RESULTS
Within individuals, engaging in pregaming predicted consequences experienced on a given day above and beyond the number of drinks consumed across the drinking episode and typical drinking level. Furthermore, there was a trend toward pregaming placing women at more risk for consequences than men.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings support a context-specific risk for consequences that is conferred by pregaming and that is independent of how much drinking occurs across the drinking episode. Results highlight pregaming as a target for future interventions.
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Jennifer_Merrill@brown.edu
Jennifer E
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Merrill
Leah N
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Vermont
Rachel L
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Bachrach
Jennifer P
JP
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D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011998:Recreation; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult