title: Sports Participation and Alcohol Use: Associations With Sports-Related Identities and Well-Being.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies indicate that those participating in sports are a high-risk population for hazardous alcohol use. Previous research identifies psychosocial drivers underpinning this link between sports participation and risky drinking behavior; however, the evidence is restricted to cross-sectional prevalence studies. Theoretical evaluations suggest that psychologically constructed identities are a defining factor for behaviors in this context. Therefore, the present study sought to examine longitudinally the relationships among sports-related identities, well-being, and alcohol behaviors in those participating in sports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents completed self-report questionnaires on their alcohol consumption, drinking motives, athlete identity (personal identity), sports group identification (social identity), and general well-being. A sample of 475 participants (male = 55.6%; mean age = 20.2 years) provided data at Time 1 for cross-sectional analysis. Longitudinal associations were conducted with 92 participants (male = 42.4%; mean age = 20.8 years) who provided follow-up data (Time 1 and 6 months later).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cross-sectional results revealed an association between social identity and alcohol consumption, which was fully mediated by positive reinforcement drinking motives. Correlation analysis found a significant positive relationship between Time 1 alcohol consumption and social identity 6 months later. Furthermore, social identity was positively associated with consumption, whereas athlete identity was negatively associated therewith. Finally, well-being was positively associated only with sports group identification over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that sport-related drinking may be an avenue for building group identification, and this identification is linked to well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom.|School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012933:Social Identification; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult