Correlates of protective behavior utilization among heavy-drinking college students

Scott T. Walters, Bahman S. Roudsari, Amanda M. Vader, T. Robert Harris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

80 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that college students who use protective strategies while drinking are at a lower risk for drinking-related consequences. This study evaluated the correlates of protective behavior utilization in a group of 281 heavy-drinking college students. Students who reported heavier drinking were less likely to use protective behaviors, even after adjusting for covariates. Male gender and perceived history of parental alcohol abuse also predicted lower protective behavior score. The most frequently endorsed strategies among females were "Knowing where your drink has been at all times" and "Going home with a friend," whereas the most frequently endorsed strategies among males were "Knowing where your drink has been at all times" and "Using a designated driver." For females, the factor structure of the protective behaviors measure was consistent with previous studies; however, for males, the results suggest a four-factor solution. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications on future research and prevention programming.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2633-2644
Number of pages12
JournalAddictive Behaviors
Volume32
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2007

Keywords

  • Alcohol abuse
  • College students
  • Drinking patterns
  • Prevention
  • Protective behaviors

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