Friends in low places: The impact of locations and companions on 21st birthday drinking

Abstract

The present research examined how various locations and companions were associated with hazardous drinking during 21st birthday celebrations. The sample included 912 college students (57% female) who completed an online survey to examine 21st birthday drinking. Locations included bars, friends’ houses, restaurants, outdoor barbecues, homes, parents’ homes, Fraternity/Sorority houses, and other. Companions included friends, family members, casual acquaintances, roommates, significant others, Fraternity/Sorority members, and none (alone). Participants consumed an average of 7.6 drinks and reached an average eBAC of .15 during their 21st birthday celebrations. Locations accounted for 20%/18% of the variance in number of drinks and eBAC, respectively, whereas companions accounted for 23%/20% of the variance. Drinking with romantic partners was associated with less drinking, whereas drinking with Fraternity/Sorority members was associated with more drinking. Stepwise regressions combining locations and companions suggested that, overall, celebrating in a bar setting and with Fraternity and Sorority members were the strongest variables associated with drinking. With the exception of a bar setting, companions were the most important contextual factors associated with 21st birthday drinking.

Social Network Factors and Addictive Behaviors Among College Students

“…Surveys of natural drinking groups before and after visiting drinking establishments have shown that higher status members drink the most in heavy drinking groups, and encourage the most consumption by other members [53]. In high risk alcohol-related contexts (i.e., 21st birthday celebrations), where excessive drinking is heavily encouraged by most of the people present, romantic partners stand out as a unique protective influence [54]. These findings suggest multiple potentially fruitful avenues to pursue with respect to innovative intervention strategies by considering the roles and dynamics of individuals in personal drinking networks.…”

Risk factors for elevations in substance use and consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic among sexual and gender minorities assigned female at birth

“…For example, drinking with friends has been associated with more alcohol consumption and consequences than drinking with family members ( Connor et al, 2014 ). There is mixed evidence for the effects of drinking with romantic partners, with some finding it to be associated with less alcohol consumption ( Rodriguez et al, 2016 ) and others finding no association ( Keough et al, 2015 ). Solitary drinking has been consistently linked to more drinking consequences ( Keough et al, 2018 ), and this has been attributed to higher coping motives for solitary drinking ( Creswell et al, 2014 ).…”

Positive urgency worsens the impact of normative feedback on 21st birthday drinking

“…To this end, a number of studies have tested the efficacy of personalized normative feedback interventions. The theoretical foundation of this type of intervention relies on the power of perceived social norms to influence behavior, which has been well-documented in the alcohol literature (e.g., Miller and Brannon, 2015;Neighbors et al, 2014;Patrick et al, 2012;Rodriguez et al, 2016;Schwinn and Schinke, 2013). When applied to student drinking interventions, the personalized normative feedback typically comprises a brief message sent out to students that describes the typical drinking behavior of their peers (Miller and Brannon, 2015;.…”