Dangerous alcohol consumption among young adults in the United States represents a longstanding public health issue. Harmful drinking has been shown to elicit negative effects on nearly every aspects of an individual’s life including their physiological functioning, mental health, work performance, and social well-being. While some forms of drinking, like binge drinking, are known to cause a unique set of problems in individuals who participate in the behavior, other forms of drinking are not studied as extensively. This study aims to identify the impacts of drinking as it relates to the speed and quantity of alcohol consumption in a young adult, underage population of college students.
The study’s sample was comprised of 95 undergraduate students from a large northeastern university who met the following eligibility criteria: age 18-20, smartphone possession, current enrollment, weekly heavy drinking, and experience of at least one negative alcohol consequence in the prior two weeks. Students completed ecological momentary assessments daily for 28 days using a smartphone platform which recorded responses to the following measures: estimated blood alcohol content (using an integrated calculator based upon participant characteristics), alcohol consequences (via the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire and the Positive Drinking Consequences Questionnaire), and positive/negative affect. The data was analyzed using two series of multilevel modeling equations.
Results of the study found decreases in negative affect if alcohol was consumed at an accelerated pace, while increases in positive affect were observed if alcohol was consumed at increased pace and increased quantity. Elevated consumption rates and quantities were also found to be associated with elevated likelihood of experiencing negative alcohol consequences the following morning.
Takeaway: the pace and quantity of alcohol consumed by college students may affect their experiences of consequences, both positive and negative. Interventions designed to treat alcohol use should target both quantity and rate of consumption when addressing drinking practices.