title: Alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students: A longitudinal test of 2 explanatory models of health behavior.
abstract: To help clarify the effect of gender on the bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students.
  
  
  
  Five hundred twenty-four (52% female) college students recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up in April 2009 and April 2011, respectively.
  
  
  
  Participants reported their alcohol use and strenuous physical activity on 2 occasions (baseline and follow-up) spaced approximately 1 or 2 years apart.
  
  
  
  For females, alcohol use quantity at baseline was associated with increased strenuous physical activity at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, and alcohol use frequency at baseline was associated with decreased strenuous physical activity at 2-year follow-up. For males, alcohol use frequency at baseline predicted decreased strenuous physical activity at 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  
  Gender differences may be explained from an eating disorders perspective such that women use physical activity as a compensatory strategy to combat potential weight gain from calories consumed during alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milich
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.|b Markey Cancer Center , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Burris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012737:Sex Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; college students; drinking; gender; physical activity