The prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among women has been growing in recent years, especially among college-aged women. Risk factors for high-risk drinking among college women include positive expectancies for alcohol use, exposure to trauma, and higher levels of negative affect. Females from historically marginalized or minoritized racial or ethnic backgrounds may be at a higher risk of alcohol misuse due to exposure to race-based stressors. Racial discrimination has been positively associated with binge-drinking behaviors and negative alcohol-related consequences. This study examines the impact of race-based traumatic stress on risky alcohol consumption, while controlling for general trauma symptoms and negative affectivity, among female racial/ethnic minority college students.
The study’s sample consisted of 206 female college students from historically marginalized/minoritized racial and/or ethnic backgrounds. Students completed an online survey that assessed demographic information including age, self-identified gender, race and ethnicity, years of educational attainment, and socioeconomic status. The Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (RBTS) was used to assess traumatic stress reactions from race-based experiences. Scales were also used to assess for negative affect and general trauma symptoms. Lastly, participants were asked to report risky drinking behaviors. Data was analyzed using hierarchical linear regressions.
Results of the data analysis showed Black female college students reported higher RBTS scores than Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latinx female students. RBTS symptoms immediately after a racial incident were positively related to negative affect and risky alcohol consumption. General trauma symptom score was not a significant predictor of drinking behaviors. RBTS was discovered to be a predictor of risky drinking over and above general trauma symptoms and negative affectivity. However, race/ethnicity did not moderate the relationship between RBTS and risky alcohol consumption.
Takeaway: Race-based traumatic stress may be a unique predictor of risky drinking among female college students from historically marginalized or minoritized racial/ethnic groups.