Article
Examining Drinking Patterns and High-Risk Drinking Environments Among College Athletes at Different Competition Levels
Journal of Drug Education
(2015)
Abstract
This study examined drinking patterns of three different college student groups: (a) intercollegiate athletes, (b) intramural/club athletes, and (c) nonathletes. Additionally, we investigated whether a relationship exists between drinking setting and risk of increased drinking. We analyzed data on the athletic involvement, drinking behaviors, and drinking settings of 16,745 undergraduate students. The findings revealed that drinking patterns for intramural/club athletes remained relatively consistent at all quantity levels; however, intercollegiate athletes consumed alcohol in higher quantities. Further, intramural/club athletes drank in almost every drinking setting, whereas intercollegiate athletes were more limited. The drinking patterns and settings suggest a stronger social motivation for drinking among intramural/club athletes than among intercollegiate athletes and point to a need to specify competition level when studying college athletes.
Keywords
- college drinking,
- athletes,
- intramural and club sports,
- drinking enviornments
Disciplines
Publication Date
March, 2015
DOI
10.1177/0047237915575281
Publisher Statement
The final definitive version of this paper has been published in the Journal of Drug Education, Volume 45 Issue 1, March 2015 published by SAGE Publishing, All rights reserved.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047237915575281
Citation Information
Marzell, M., Morrison, C., Mair, C., Moynihan, S., & Gruenewald, P. J. (2015). Examining drinking patterns and high-risk drinking environments among college athletes at different competition levels. Journal of Drug Issues, 45(1), 5-16. doi:10.1177/0047237915575281