A comparison of substance use behaviours and normative beliefs in North-West European university and college students

Helmer

Stock

et al. 2015

J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs

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ABSTRACT. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of peer substance use and related attitudes among European students. Challenging perceptions about peer substance use has become the basis of a form of prevention and intervention known as the social norms approach, which can be delivered using personalized online feedback. This article reports baseline alcohol use and attitudes data for university students across Europe collected as part of the Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE project (Project SNIPE). Method: Students from universities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were recruited to take part in an online survey by the use of email invitations, social media, classroom announcements, flyers, and stalls in social areas, such as in cafeterias and bars on campus. A total of 4,482 students agreed to participate. Results: Overall, respondents reported both perceived alcohol use and perceived acceptance of alcohol use among their peers that were higher than their own use or acceptance. Perceived peers' behaviors and attitudes were found to be predictive of personal behaviors and attitudes, with some variation across countries and by sex. Conclusions:The results suggest that students at the participating institutions across selected European countries exhibit overall similar patterns of perceptions as have been found on American college campuses. In conjunction with the finding that the perceived norm is predictive of personal behavior and attitudes, this research provides support to the view that the social norms approach may be a viable method to reduce alcohol consumption among students at European universities. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 76, 430-438, 2015)

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personal and Perceived Peer Use of and Attitudes Toward Alcohol Among University and College Students in Seven EU Countries: Project SNIPE

Helmer

Stock

et al. 2015

J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs

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“…The self-report survey instrument was developed through consultation of the literature and previous social norms surveys [21,24]. Surveys were paper-based and responses were obtained using a multiple choice, tick-box-style format.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Perceptions of group norms surrounding a particular behaviour consistently show strong positive associations with self-reports of engagement in and permissiveness towards that behaviour, with those with higher reported norms perceiving norms to be particularly high [20]. These effects have been identified in a broad a range of behavioural domains, including alcohol consumption [17,18,19], gambling [21], risky sex [22], seatbelt use [23], substance use [24], and snacking behaviour [25]. A relatively small number of studies have found no direct relationship between perceived norms and individuals’ own behaviour, but where this is the case, samples may be small and the reference groups unspecific and distal [26], or norms do predict behaviour but only under particular conditions [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Social Norms of Suicidal and Self-Harming Behaviours in Scottish Adolescents

Quigley

Rasmussen

2017

IJERPH

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Although the suicidal and self-harming behaviour of individuals is often associated with similar behaviours in people they know, little is known about the impact of perceived social norms on those behaviours. In a range of other behavioural domains (e.g., alcohol consumption, smoking, eating behaviours) perceived social norms have been found to strongly predict individuals’ engagement in those behaviours, although discrepancies often exist between perceived and reported norms. Interventions which align perceived norms more closely with reported norms have been effective in reducing damaging behaviours. The current study aimed to explore whether the Social Norms Approach is applicable to suicidal and self-harming behaviours in adolescents. Participants were 456 pupils from five Scottish high-schools (53% female, mean age = 14.98 years), who completed anonymous, cross-sectional surveys examining reported and perceived norms around suicidal and self-harming behaviour. Friedman’s ANOVA with post-hoc Wilcoxen signed-ranks tests indicated that proximal groups were perceived as less likely to engage in or be permissive of suicidal and self-harming behaviours than participants’ reported themselves, whilst distal groups tended towards being perceived as more likely to do so. Binary logistic regression analyses identified a number of perceived norms associated with reported norms, with close friends’ norms positively associated with all outcome variables. The Social Norms Approach may be applicable to suicidal and self-harming behaviour, but associations between perceived and reported norms and predictors of reported norms differ to those found in other behavioural domains. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are considered.

“…The work which has been done in the UK and Europe suggests that similar misperceptions of substance are evident in European student populations (McAlaney and McMahon 2007;McAlaney et al 2012;Page et al 2008), however there remains a need to further determine the nature of these misperceptions within UK students, particularly as the social norms approach becomes more popular in Europe (McAlaney et al 2011). It cannot be assumed that research developed in the American college system is applicable to European settings, given the differences in legislation, culture and educational systems (Wicki et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived social norms of health behaviours and college engagement in British students

Journal of Further and Higher Education

Jenkins²

2015

Self Cite

Community Engagement ManagerTech Stories * Corresponding author 2 Perceived social norms of health behaviours and college engagement in British students Abstract AimsThe social norms approach is an increasingly widely used strategy of behaviour and attitude change that is based on challenging misperceptions individuals hold about their peers. Research to date has been carried out predominately in the American college system, with a focus on substance use behaviours. The aim of the current study was to explore peer perceptions of both substance use and other behaviours in a British student sample, as the first step of determining whether the social norms approach may be applicable within Europe. MethodsStudents at eight Further Education colleges in the UK were surveyed on their personal and perceived peer health and college engagement behaviours and attitudes by means of a printed and online survey. ResultsRespondents reported a perceived norm of frequency of substance use that was higher than the reported norm. Results relating to the injunctive norms of substance use were mixed but demonstrated that the majority of respondents do not actively approve of tobacco, cannabis or other drug use. Respondents also reported a norm of academic engagement that was more positive than the perceived norm of their peers. ConclusionsThe results around substance use are consistent with work conducted in the American college system, despite the differences in culture and legislation. In addition there results indicate that there 3 may be similar misperceptions around other areas of health and college engagement. This suggests that the social norms approach may be a viable method of behaviour change in UK students.