ERIC Number: EJ722441
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 16
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-2379
EISSN: N/A
Gender Differences in Predicting High-Risk Drinking among Undergraduate Students
Wilke, Dina J.; Siebert, Darcy Clay; Delva, Jorge; Smith, Michael P.; Howell, Richard L.
Journal of Drug Education, v35 n1 p79-94 2005
The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in college students' high-risk drinking as measured by an estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) based on gender, height, weight, self-reported number of drinks, and hours spent drinking. Using a developmental/contextual framework, high-risk drinking is conceptualized as a function of relevant individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and contextual factors regularly mentioned in the college drinking literature. Individual characteristics include race, gender, and age; interpersonal characteristics include number of sexual partners and having experienced forced sexual contact. Finally, contextual factors include Greek membership, living off-campus, and perception of peer drinking behavior. This study is a secondary data analysis of 1,422 students at a large university in the Southeast. Data were gathered from a probability sample of students through a mail survey. A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed gender differences in the pathway for high-risk drinking. For men, high-risk drinking was predicted by a combination of individual characteristics and contextual factors. For women, interpersonal factors, along with individual characteristics and contextual factors, predicted high-risk drinking, highlighting the importance of understanding female sexual relationships and raising questions about women's risk-taking behavior. Implications for prevention and assessment are discussed.
Descriptors: Individual Characteristics, Undergraduate Students, Drinking, Mail Surveys, Gender Differences, Alcohol Abuse, Student Behavior, Sexuality, Context Effect, Racial Differences, Peer Influence, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A