Drinking at college parties: Examining the influence of student host-status and party-location

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 36; no. 12; pp. 1365 - 1368
• Main Authors: Buettner, Cynthia K, Khurana, Atika, Slesnick, Natasha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2011; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; College students; Drinking behaviors; Female; Hosting college parties; Humans; Intervention; Leadership; Leisure Activities; Male; Midwestern United States - epidemiology; Off-campus parties; Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Social Environment; Students - psychology; Universities; Young Adult; Midwestern United States; Off-campus parties; College students; Hosting college parties; Drinking behaviors
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.08.002

Abstract The present research focuses on the party related drinking behaviors of college students and explores the differences in these behaviors based on students' host status (i.e. party host vs. party attendee). Furthermore, we examine if the differences in party hosts and attendees' drinking behaviors vary as a function of the party location (on-campus vs. off-campus). Multiple regression analyses were conducted using data from 3796 undergraduates at a Midwestern University. Findings revealed a significant interaction between host status and party location, such that student party hosts reported significantly greater drink consumption and related consequences as compared to party attendees, only when the party was organized o ff-campus . For parties organized on-campus , student hosts reported lower drink consumption as compared to attendees. College-based preventive interventions should target students likely to host off-campus parties due to their high risk for involvement in heavy drinking.