Binge drinking is increasingly being recognized as a major problem among college populations and has serious adverse consequences. Numerous educators have argued that drinking and alcohol-related problems represent one of the most significant social problems of our nation's college campuses. It is often asserted that the foundations for binge drinking behavior are established during early adolescence and high school. Yet there are few empirical studies that have explored this issue in a rigorous way. The present study applies a comprehensive social psychological theory to the analysis of binge drinking in college youth. It also analyzes binge drinking in adulthood from features of the individual's environment, upbringing, and personality during adolescence. The project uses data from the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a two wave panel study of approximately 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 through 12. These adolescents will be re-interviewed in the year 2000, approximately five years after their initial interview. An in depth survey on binge drinking will be administered to a sample of 700 first and second year college students, with more general questions being reserved for the larger study population. The major aims of the research are (1) to conduct an in depth analysis of social psychological correlates of binge drinking in college youth, (2) to predict transitions towards and away from binge drinking of college students relative to their experiences in grade school and high school prior to attending college, and (3) to explore adolescent correlates of binge drinking during young adulthood for non-college populations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA012269-02
Application #
6168502
Study Section
Community Prevention and Control Study Section (CPC)
Project Start
1999-09-01
Project End
2004-05-31
Budget Start
2000-06-01
Budget End
2001-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$160,317
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Albany
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Albany
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
12222