Drinking games, tailgating, and pregaming: precollege predictors of risky college drinking

Abstract

Background: The transition from high school to college is a critical period for developing college drinking habits. Hazardous alcohol consumption increases during this period, as well as participation in drinking games, pregaming, and tailgating. All of these risky drinking practices are associated with higher levels of intoxication as well as an increased risk of alcohol-related problems.

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate pre-college predictors (personality, social norms, and beliefs reflecting the internalization of the college drinking culture [ICDC]) of estimated peak BAC (pBAC) reached during drinking games, pregaming, and tailgating, as well as pBAC and alcohol-related problems during the first 30 days of college.

Methods: Participants (n = 936) were incoming freshmen at a large university who completed a baseline assessment prior to college matriculation and a follow-up assessment after they had been on campus for 30 days.

Results: Using path analysis, ICDC was significantly associated with pBAC reached during the three risky drinking practices. ICDC had an indirect effect on both pBAC and alcohol-related problems via pBAC from drinking games, pregaming, and tailgating. Hopelessness and sensation seeking were significantly related to alcohol use outcomes.

Conclusion: Precollege perceptions of the college drinking culture are a stronger predictor of subsequent alcohol use than social norms. Interventions that target these beliefs may reduce peak intoxication and associated harms experienced during the first 30 days of college.

Keywords: Alcohol beliefs; alcohol use; college student; drinking games; personality; pregaming; social norms; tailgating.

Figure 1

The research hypotheses. ICDC, internalization of the college drinking culture measured by the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS); H, hypothesis. Solid lines indicate hypothesized direct effects. Dotted lines represent hypothesized indirect effects.

Figure 2

Observed relationships between precollege variables and alcohol-related outcomes in the first 30 days of college. ICDC, internalization of the college drinking culture measured by the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS); BAC, estimated blood alcohol concentration. Gender and condition were modeled as predictors of all variables, but are not shown for reasons of clarity. Descriptive norms, injunctive norms, impulsivity, and anxiety sensitivity are not shown in the figure as they did not have any significant direct effects on any of the other variables in the model, but their effects on outcomes were estimated and controlled for in all analyses. All estimated BACs are multiplied by 100 to increase interpretability.