title: Context matters: Student-perceived binge drinking norms at faculty-level relate to binge drinking behavior in higher education.
abstract: Binge drinking in higher education is an important problem. To target binge drinking in students it is necessary to study the social context of students. Faculties (i.e., colleges or schools in Northern American education) are social contexts in which students behave, but little is known about how the faculty structure relates to monthly binge drinking. This study investigates the relationship with student-perceived binge drinking norms at faculty-level in addition to known personal determinants.
  
  
  
  Data were collected in 7181 students within 22 faculty-level units, using an anonymous online survey. Multilevel analyses were used to investigate the relationship of both individual-level determinants (e.g., perceived norms, social drinking motives) and student-perceived binge drinking norms at faculty-level on monthly binge drinking.
  
  
  
  Two-third (62.2%) of the sample were female and the mean age was 21.06 (SD=2.85) years. In males, significant faculty-level variance in monthly binge drinking was found. At faculty-level, only same-sex student-perceived binge drinking norms showed a positive relationship (OR=2.581; 95%CI=[1.023,6.509]). At individual level, both opposite- and same-sex perceived binge drinking norms, and social drinking motives positively related to monthly binge drinking. In females, no significant faculty-level variance was found. Only individual-level determinants positively related to monthly binge drinking. No cross-level interactions were found.
  
  
  
  Besides individual determinants, especially in men, faculties are relevant environmental structures and networks to take into account when targeting binge drinking in higher education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital Campus, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: joris.vandamme@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Damme
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital Campus, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: anne.hublet@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hublet
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital Campus, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: b.declercq@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Room P120, Poole House, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jmcalaney@bournemouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McAlaney
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Antwerp University, Campus Drie Eiken Universiteitsplein 1, D.R.230, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium. Electronic address: guido.vanhal@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Hal
authors.affiliation: Association for Alcohol and other Drug problems, Vanderlindenstraat 15, 1030 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: johan.rosiers@vad.be.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosiers
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital Campus, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: lea.maes@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital Campus, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: els.clays@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clays
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Binge drinking; Peer group; Perceived norm; Social environment; Student; University