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Elevated Alcohol Demand Is Associated with Driving After Drinking Among College Student Binge Drinkers
Author(s) -
Teeters Jenni B.,
Pickover Alison M.,
Dennhardt Ashley A.,
Martens Matthew P.,
Murphy James G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.12448
Subject(s) - binge drinking , sensation seeking , logistic regression , heavy drinking , environmental health , alcohol abuse , psychology , poison control , injury prevention , ethnic group , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , alcohol , young adult , alcohol consumption , medicine , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , developmental psychology , personality , biochemistry , chemistry , sociology , anthropology
Background Alcohol‐impaired driving among college students represents a significant public health concern, yet little is known about specific theoretical and individual difference risk factors for driving after drinking among heavy drinking college students. This study evaluated the hypothesis that heavy drinkers with elevated alcohol demand would be more likely to report drinking and driving. Method Participants were 207 college students who reported at least 1 heavy drinking episode (4/5 or more drinks in 1 occasion for a woman/man) in the past month. Participants completed an alcohol purchase task that assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 17 drink prices and an item from the Y oung A dult A lcohol C onsequences Questionnaire that assessed driving after drinking. Results In binary logistic regression models that controlled for drinking level, gender, ethnicity, age, and sensation seeking, participants who reported higher demand were more likely to report driving after drinking. Conclusions These results provide support for behavioral economics models of substance abuse that view elevated/inelastic demand as a key etiological feature of substance misuse.