RESUMO
We surveyed 1,900 first-year students at the University of Virginia 1 month after arrival. We looked at drinking and driving practices. Men drank more and they drank more often than women. Our data suggest that in defining frequent heavy drinkers, one should consider body weight. We now define frequent heavy drinking as five or more drinks in a row at least weekly for men, and for women we use three to four drinks or more in a row at least weekly. Frequent heavy drinkers and dangerous drivers appeared disproportionately among students planning to join fraternities and sororities. We believe correction of alcohol abuse and addiction by college students must focus, at least in part, on social organizations, especially fraternities and sororities. Also, we must attend to characterologic features that predispose to alcohol abuse and dependence and dangerous driving practices.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas , Condução de Veículo , Assunção de Riscos , Estudantes/psicologia , Adolescente , Peso Corporal , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Probabilidade , Fatores Sexuais , Conformidade SocialRESUMO
We surveyed 1528 first-year students at the University of Virginia, 1 month after their arrival on campus, who had used alcohol at some time in their lives. Our survey was designed to identify alcohol and cocaine use, and related psychosocial patterns. Men drank more and more often than women. Our data suggest that body weight should be considered in defining those who drink heavily and often. We define 'frequent heavy drinking' as five or more drinks in a row each week for men and three to four drinks or more in a row each week for women. Frequent heavy drinkers, cocaine users, and students with psychosocial problems appeared disproportionately among students planning to join fraternities and sororities. Although first-year students used cocaine infrequently, its users followed the patterns of frequent heavy drinkers. We believe efforts to correct alcohol and cocaine misuse by college students should be directed, in part, at social organizations such as Greek-letter societies. Also, we must attend to psychosocial features that predispose to alcohol and cocaine misuse.
Assuntos
Comportamento do Adolescente , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Cocaína , Estudantes , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/psicologia , Alcoolismo/epidemiologia , Alcoolismo/psicologia , Peso Corporal , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Feminino , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Masculino , Fatores de Risco , Fatores Sexuais , Comportamento Social , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Virginia/epidemiologiaRESUMO
We surveyed 1703 first-year students at the University of Virginia one month after arrival who used alcohol at some time in their lives. Our survey looked at drinking practices and psychosocial patterns. Men drank more and more often than women. Our data suggest that in defining frequent heavy drinkers, one should consider body weight. Now, we define frequent heavy drinking as five or more drinks in a row at least weekly for men, and for women, we use three to four drinks or more in a row at least weekly. Frequent heavy drinkers and students with psychosocial problems appeared disproportionately among students planning to join fraternities and sororities. We believe efforts to correct alcohol abuse and addiction by college students must focus, at least in part, on social organizations, especially fraternities and sororities. Also, we must attend to psychosocial features that predispose to alcohol abuse and addiction.
