The overarching practical purpose of the proposed research is to develop evaluation tools that can be used to provide an epidemiological analysis of environment-behavior and person-behavior relationships related to moderate and excessive alcohol consumption among individuals attending college football tailgate parties.
Specific aims of the proposed research include: 1) the development and refinement of field research methodologies and measures for a large-scale epidemiological study of alcohol consumption at college football tailgate parties; 2) an initial assessment of environmental factors related to excessive alcohol consumption at tailgate parties; 3) the identification of specific demographic and personal factors related to various levels of alcohol consumption and intoxication at tailgate parties; 4) determination of estimates of statistical power for a future test of our conceptual model of alcohol consumption and related negative outcomes, especially risk for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), that result from tailgate partying at college football games; and 5) laying the groundwork for a comprehensive and multi-university study of tailgating at college football games that will inform the development, implementation and evaluation of university-based interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption at sporting events. Variables that will be assessed in the proposed research include both environmental factors (e.g., availability of food and nonalcoholic beverages, national ranking, win/lose record of teams, conference affiliation, rivalry status, outcome of game) and person factors (e.g., gender, drinking history, relationship with the university, and support for one of the competing teams). Exploratory analyses will be used to evaluate environmental and epidemiological determinants of alcohol consumption at tailgate parties, and provide direction regarding environmental and personal factors that deserve further epidemiological study and could be the target of university policies and/or prevention interventions to reduce alcohol consumption at tailgate parties.
| Downing, Chris; Balderrama-Durbin, Christina; Broncucia, Hali et al. (2009) Ethanol teratogenesis in five inbred strains of mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 33:1238-45 |
