ERIC Number: EJ873612
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: N/A
Pregaming: An Exploratory Study of Strategic Drinking by College Students in Pennsylvania
DeJong, William; DeRicco, Beth; Schneider, Shari Kessel
Journal of American College Health, v58 n4 p307-316 Jan-Feb 2010
Objectives: This exploratory study examined pre-event drinking, or pregaming, by US college students. Participants: 112 undergraduates from 10 Pennsylvania colleges participated. Method: A focus group, including a written questionnaire, was conducted at each institution. Results: Only 35.7% of the participants had not pregamed during the last 2 weeks. Pregamers consumed an average of 4.9 (SD = 3.1) drinks during their most recent session. Gender, class year, and other demographic variables did not predict pregaming. Heavier drinkers, and those stating that the average student pregamed 3+ times in the last 2 weeks, were more likely to report pregaming in the last 2 weeks. How much students drink when pregaming is influenced by how much they expect to drink later on. Conclusion: Pregaming presents a growing challenge for campus officials. Additional research is needed on the nature of the problem and which combination of prevention strategies might best address this behavior. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Prevention, Focus Groups, Drinking, At Risk Students, Health Behavior, Alcohol Abuse, Questionnaires, Gender Differences, Age Differences, College Athletics, Predictor Variables, Expectation, Place of Residence, Grade Point Average, Employment Level
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A