Drinking Game Participation Among Undergraduate Students Attending National Alcohol Screening Day

• Published in: Journal of American college health Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 499 - 506
• Main Authors: Cameron, Jennifer M., Heidelberg, Natalie, Simmons, Lisa, Lyle, Sarah B., Mitra-Varma, Kathakali, Correia, Chris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.2010; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Age Factors; alcohol; Alcohol Abuse; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol Education; Alcohol use; Alcoholism - epidemiology; assesment; At Risk Persons; College students; Drinking; drinking games; Female; Games; Gender Differences; Health Status; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - methods; National Alcohol Screening Day; Peer Group; Play and Playthings - psychology; Prevention; Program Development; Psychometrics; Questionnaires; Regression Analysis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sex crimes; Social Influences; Statistics as Topic; Student Behavior; Students - psychology; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Undergraduate Students; United States - epidemiology; Universities - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; United States
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481003599096

Objectives, Participants, Methods: Drinking game participation has increased in popularity among college students and is associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The current study investigated drinking game participation among 133 undergraduates attending National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) in April of 2007. Results: A large percentage of the sample reported lifetime (77%) and recent (52%) drinking game participation. Males were more likely to report recent participation and reported higher levels of consumption while playing drinking games. Drinking game participants were more likely to experience a range of alcohol-related problems, and the relationship between drinking game participation and alcohol-related problems was mediated by weekly alcohol consumption. Conclusions: These results suggest that drinking game participation is a risk factor for elevated levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Programs should be developed to educate students about the risks of drinking game participation, and prevention programs like NASD should address drinking games.