title: Personal and Perceived Peer Use of and Attitudes Toward Alcohol Among University and College Students in Seven EU Countries: Project SNIPE.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of peer substance use and related attitudes among European students. Challenging perceptions about peer substance use has become the basis of a form of prevention and intervention known as the social norms approach, which can be delivered using personalized online feedback. This article reports baseline alcohol use and attitudes data for university students across Europe collected as part of the Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE project (Project SNIPE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Students from universities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were recruited to take part in an online survey by the use of email invitations, social media, classroom announcements, flyers, and stalls in social areas, such as in cafeterias and bars on campus. A total of 4,482 students agreed to participate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, respondents reported both perceived alcohol use and perceived acceptance of alcohol use among their peers that were higher than their own use or acceptance. Perceived peers' behaviors and attitudes were found to be predictive of personal behaviors and attitudes, with some variation across countries and by sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that students at the participating institutions across selected European countries exhibit overall similar patterns of perceptions as have been found on American college campuses. In conjunction with the finding that the perceived norm is predictive of personal behavior and attitudes, this research provides support to the view that the social norms approach may be a viable method to reduce alcohol consumption among students at European universities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.|Division of Psychology, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McAlaney
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS), Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Helmer
authors.affiliation: Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: Medical Sociology and Health Policy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.|Research & Development, Occupational Health Services Mensura, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vriesacker
authors.affiliation: Medical Sociology and Health Policy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Hal
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dempsey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akvardar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacky University of Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.|Department of Educational Psychology & Psychology of Health, PJ Safarik University in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salonna
authors.affiliation: Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacky University of Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.|Department of Educational Psychology & Psychology of Health, PJ Safarik University in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalina
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain.|IDISNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guillen-Grima
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bridgette M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bewick
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mikolajczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001290:Attitude; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D061108:Social Media; D066262:Social Norms; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult