A Parsimonious, Integrative Model of Key Psychological Correlates of UK University Students' Alcohol Consumption

To examine the predictive utility of psychological correlates of alcohol consumption identified in previous (US-dominated) research for a UK student sample and construct an integrative model predictive of alcohol dependency in a sample of first-year undergraduate students. A self-report questionnair...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford) 2011-05, Vol.46 (3), p.253-260
Main Authors: ATWELL, Katie, ABRAHAM, Charles, DUKA, Theodora
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Alcohol Drinking - economics
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Alcohol Drinking - psychology
Alcoholism - epidemiology
Alcoholism - psychology
Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning
Biological and medical sciences
Culture
Educational Status
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Models, Theoretical
Motivation
Personality
Religion
Risk Factors
Self Efficacy
Social Behavior
Students - psychology
Students - statistics & numerical data
Surveys and Questionnaires
Toxicology
United Kingdom
Universities
Young Adult
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Summary:To examine the predictive utility of psychological correlates of alcohol consumption identified in previous (US-dominated) research for a UK student sample and construct an integrative model predictive of alcohol dependency in a sample of first-year undergraduate students. A self-report questionnaire completed by 230 students measured stable and modifiable correlates of alcohol dependence. Stable correlates included age when first regularly drinking (age of onset), personality traits and religiosity. Modifiable measures included drinking motives, self-efficacy, alcohol-related expectancies, prototype perceptions and normative beliefs. The final multivariate model highlighted the importance of age of onset, sensation-seeking and a series of social cognitive measures including: social drinking motives, confidence in the ability to drink within government guidelines (self-efficacy) and the perceived quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed by university friends. Beta-coefficients indicated that self-efficacy and social drinking motives were particularly important predictors. A significant interaction was observed between age of onset and self-efficacy. Earlier onset was associated with higher levels of alcohol dependence for low and moderate, but not high levels of self-efficacy. The model presented here could be used to identify students at risk of alcohol dependence and inform the design of campus-based interventions.
ISSN:0735-0414
1464-3502
DOI:10.1093/alcalc/agr016