After 'Unit 1421': an exploratory study into female students' attitudes and behaviours towards binge drinking at Leeds University

Abstract

Background: Binge drinking has been highlighted as a growing problem in the UK, particularly amongst females aged 18-25 years. University of Leeds is situated within a population that has one of the highest reported statistics of binge drinking in the UK. In September 2006, the 'Unit 1421' campaign was launched at University of Leeds with the aim to promoted sensible drinking amongst students. The aim of this study is to explore female perspectives on binge drinking and on 'Unit 1421' campaign in the University of Leeds.

Methods: Using a purposive sample, two focus groups were conducted with 12 female students aged 18-23 years within university grounds. Participants were recruited via email and poster advertisements on campus.

Results: Four main themes emerged from the data: (i) lay perception of binge drinking; (ii) pressures of matching the drinking patterns of male peers; (iii) student rite of passage; (iv) evaluation of the 'Unit 1421' campaign.

Conclusion: The social context of student life impacts greatly upon students' choices to binge drink. The norms, beliefs and morals governing student culture and the use of alcohol to assert identity should be considered when tailoring health promotion efforts to this target audience. Larger qualitative and ultimately quantitative studies are warranted to extrapolate and test the social pressures on drinking in this age group.