Changes in Heavy Drinking Over the Third Decade of Life as a Function of Collegiate Fraternity and Sorority Involvement: A Prospective, Multilevel Analysis

Although affiliation with a fraternity or sorority is an important risk factor for heavy drinking, recent research indicates that this risk may be limited to the college years. Random coefficient growth modeling was used to track changes in patterns of heavy drinking over the course of 11 years as a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health psychology 2003-11, Vol.22 (6), p.616-626
Main Authors: Bartholow, Bruce D, Sher, Kenneth J, Krull, Jennifer L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Differences
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Alcohol Drinking - psychology
Alcohol Drinking - trends
Alcohol Use
Alcoholism
Biological and medical sciences
Changes
Family Health
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Fraternities
Fraternity Membership
Greek associations
Heavy drinking
Human
Human Sex Differences
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Involvement
Longitudinal studies
Male
Medical sciences
Midwestern United States - epidemiology
Offspring
Organizations
Peer Group
Peer relationships
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Social Environment
Social Influences
Sororities
Sorority Membership
Students - psychology
Students - statistics & numerical data
Time Factors
Transgenerational Patterns
Universities - statistics & numerical data
USA
Young adults
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Summary:Although affiliation with a fraternity or sorority is an important risk factor for heavy drinking, recent research indicates that this risk may be limited to the college years. Random coefficient growth modeling was used to track changes in patterns of heavy drinking over the course of 11 years as a function of gender and collegiate Greek involvement ( N = 318). Overall, greater cumulative exposure to the Greek system led to increased heavy drinking during the college years, particularly among men. Shortly after leaving college, heavy drinking levels dropped markedly and remained low through approximately age 30. Inclusion of peer alcohol use norms in the model reduced the influence of Greek involvement. Implications for models of heavy drinking and health risks are discussed.
ISSN:0278-6133
1930-7810
DOI:10.1037/0278-6133.22.6.616