Examination of Drinking Habits and Motives of Collegiate Student-Athletes

Abstract

Universities across the United States have reported consistently high rates of alcohol use and abuse among students during the past 20 years. The college student alcohol consumption level is considered an important public health concern. The increase in problematic drinking seems to be campus wide, but there is an understudied at-risk demographic-collegiate student-athletes. The purpose of this study is to examine student-athletes' motives for alcohol consumption, drinking patterns, and alcohol-related negative consequences. Student-athletes (N = 283) from five Midwestern universities completed an online questionnaire assessing this behavior. Male student-athletes reported higher levels in all three categories than females. In addition, differences were found in the drinking motives of individual and team sport student-athletes. Unlike previous studies, Division I student-athletes did not differ from Division III with respect to these behaviors. Male student-athletes seem particularly at-risk for problematic alcohol consumption. Additionally, differences were found in motives experienced for alcohol consumption based on sport type (i.e., individual versus team). Level of play was not found to influence drinking motives or alcohol consumption which may signify participation in intercollegiate athletics is a greater influence than division. Differences found in gender and sport type may provide insight to help decrease dangerous drinking habits of student-athletes.

Female Student-Athletes’ Transition out of Collegiate Competition

“…Maladaptive coping mechanisms do occur in retired athletes such as alcohol dependence, drug use, increased smoking, and suicide in extreme cases (Douglas & Carless, 2009;Schwenk et al, 2007;Wippert & Wippert, 2008;Wylleman et al, 2004;Wylleman, Rosier, & De Knop, 2015). These unfavorable coping mechanisms are an issue because student-athletes also consume more alcohol, are more likely to binge drink, and experience more drinking related problems than their non-student-athlete peers (Taylor, Ward, & Hardin, 2017;Wylleman et al, 2004). Forty-four percent of male and 33% of female collegiate student-athletes participated in excessive drinking (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2014).…”

Physical Activity in Natural Environments Is Associated With Motivational Climate and the Prevention of Harmful Habits: Structural Equation Analysis

“…Adolescence represents a key stage in the development and acquisition of healthy and/or harmful habits that will endure throughout adulthood (Urrutia-Pereira et al, 2017). According to Lindgren et al (2017) it is crucial to understand why tobacco and alcohol consumption begins during adolescence and to determine motivating factors, with the aim of avoiding the emergence of these behaviors and encouraging young people to acquire healthy life habits that persist during adulthood (Taylor et al, 2017).…”

Everyone Else Is Doing It: The Association Between Social Identity and Susceptibility to Peer Influence in NCAA Athletes

“…Although participation in intercollegiate sport is linked to many positive outcomes (e.g., high graduation rates; Gayles & Hu, 2009), student-athletes also engage in higher levels of risky behavior than their non-athlete peers (Brisola-Santos et al, 2016; Taylor, Ward, & Hardin, 2017; Turrisi, Mastroleo, Mallett, Larimer, & Kilmer, 2007). We conceptualize risky behavior as hazardous conduct – either on or off the sporting field – that jeopardizes the physical or social health of an athlete or fellow team members.…”