Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Problems in Young Adults

Abstract

The relationships among alcohol problems and alcohol consumption variables including quantity-frequency (Q-F) classifications, frequency of alcohol use, quantity of alcohol use, and beverage types, were examined in a young adult population. Total alcohol-related problems, drinking and driving problems, and school problems increased significantly when young adults drank moderately. Certain types of problems, however, appear to be more or less associated with alcohol consumption. For example, physical illness problems increased during light drinking, while interpersonal and legal problems increased during moderate-heavy and heavy alcohol use, respectively. Virtually no differences were found on alcohol problems for drinking classifications between sexes. Both the frequency and quantity of beer and liquor use were found to be positively associated with alcohol problems. The relationship between the frequency and quantity of wine use and alcohol problems, however, was less strong and more dissonant. In general, alcohol problems were found to be related to relatively low levels of frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption. Specific suggestions regarding substance abuse prevention program content and models were also discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Cahalan

, Problem Drinkers, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1970.

Cahalan

Room

, Problem Drinking Among American Men, Monograph No. 7, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1974.

Clark

W. B.

Midanik

, Alcohol Use and Alcohol Problems Among U.S. Adults: Results of the 1979 National Survey, in Alcohol and Health Monograph No. 1: Alcohol Consumption and Related Problems, Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. (ADM) 82-1190, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1982.

Johnson

Armor

Polich

Stambol

, Adult Drinking Practices: Time Trends, Social Correlations and Sex Roles, draft report prepared for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Under Contract No. (ADM) 281-76-0200, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, California, 1977.

Room

Beck

, Survey Data on Trends in Consumption, Drinking and Drug Practices Surveyor, 9, pp. 3–6, 1974.

Banks

Smith

M. R.

, Attitudes and Background Factors Related to Alcohol Use Among College Students, Psychological Reports, 46, pp. 571–577, 1980.

Engs

R. C.

, Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems of College Students, Journal of Studies of Alcohol, 38, pp. 2144–2156, 1977.

Heubner

R. B.

Slaughter

R. E.

Goldman

R. D.

Caddy

G. R.

, Attitudes Toward Alcohol as Predictors of Self-estimated Alcohol Consumption in College Students, International Journal of the Addictions, 11, pp. 377–388, 1976.

Ingra

Moos

R. H.

, Alcohol Use Among College Students: Some Competing Hypotheses, Youth and Adolescence, 8, pp. 393–404, 1979.

10.

Kaplan

M.S.

, Patterns of Alcoholic Beverages Use Among College Students, Alcohol and Drug Education, 24, pp. 26–40, 1979.

11.

Looney

M. A.

, Alcohol Use Survey on Campus: Implications for Health Education, Journal of American College Health, 25, pp. 109–112, 1976.

12.

Walfish

Wentz

Benzing

Brennan

Champ

, Alcohol Abuse on a College Campus: A Needs Assessment, Evaluation and Program Planning, 4, pp. 163–168, 1981.

13.

Waring

M. L.

Petraglia

Gohen

Busby

, Alcohol Use Patterns of Graduate Students in Social Work and in Business, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 45, pp. 268–271, 1984.

14.

Wechsler

McFadden

, Drinking Among College Students in New England: Extent, Social Correlations and Consequences of Alcohol Use, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 40, pp. 969–996, 1979.

15.

Vaughn

S. M.

, The Normative Structures of College Studnts and Patterns of Drinking Behavior, Sociological Focus, 16, pp. 181–193, 1983.

16.

Engs

R. C.

Hanson

D. J.

, The Drinking Patterns and Problems of College Students: 1983, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, in press.

17.

Sanchez-Craig

Israel

, Pattern of Alcohol Use Associated with Self-identified Problem Drinking, Public Health, 75, pp. 178–180, 1985.

18.

Werch

C. E.

Gorman

D. R.

, Relationship Between External and Internal Self-control and the Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Problems of College Students: 1987, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, in press.