College-Related Alcohol Beliefs and Problematic Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator.
College-related alcohol beliefs, or beliefs that drinking alcohol is central to the college experience, have been shown to robustly predict alcohol-related outcomes among college students. Given the strength of these associations, it is imperative to understand more proximal factors (i.e., closer in a causal chain leading to alcohol-related outcomes) that can explain these associations.



The current research examined alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as a potential mediator of the association between college-related alcohol beliefs and alcohol outcomes among college student drinkers.



Participants were undergraduate students from a large southeastern university (Sample 1; n = 561) and a large southwestern university (Sample 2; n = 563) in the United States that consumed alcohol at least once in the previous month.



Path analysis was conducted examining the concurrent associations between college-related alcohol beliefs, PBS use (both as a single facet and multidimensionally), alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences (i.e., double mediation). In both samples, there was a significant double-mediated association that suggested that higher college-related alcohol beliefs is associated with lower PBS use (single facet), which is associated with higher alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Multidimensionally, only one double-mediation effect (in Sample 2 only) was significant (i.e., college-related alcohol beliefs → manner of drinking PBS → alcohol consumption → alcohol-related consequences). Conclusions/Importance: These results suggest that targeting these college-related alcohol beliefs as well as PBS use are promising targets for college alcohol interventions. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
a Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, & Addictions , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico , USA.
Adrian J
AJ
Bravo
b Department of Psychology , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , USA.
Mark A
MA
Prince
a Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, & Addictions , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico , USA.
Matthew R
MR
Pearson
D000293:Adolescent; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
Alcohol; college students; college-alcohol beliefs; consequences; protective behavioral strategies