Underestimations of Blood Alcohol Concentration Predict Event-Specific Negative Consequences

Abstract

The current study sought to establish in vivo misperception of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as a predictor of event-specific alcohol-consumption-related negative consequences. During spring 2010, 225 (56.4% male) college students, who had consumed at least one alcoholic drink within the 2 hr prior to assessment, completed a questionnaire, gave a breath sample to assess breath alcohol content, and later completed a follow-up questionnaire. Underestimation of BAC was predictive of event-specific, alcohol-consumption-related negative consequences, over and above other factors including total drinks consumed. This study highlights the need for more focused BAC education strategies at American universities.

RÉSUMÉ

Les sous-estimations de taux d'alcoolémie annoncent des événements spécifiques aux conséquences négatives

La présente étude a cherché à établir la perception erronée in vivo du taux d'alcoolémie comme facteur prédictif d’événements spécifiquesaux conséquences négatives liés à l'alcool. Les participants (N = 225; 56.4% d'hommes) étaient des étudiants qui avaient bu au moinsune boisson alcoolisée dans les deux heures avant l’évaluation. Au printemps 2010, les participants ont rempli un questionnaire, ont donné un échantillon d'haleine pour en évaluer la teneur en alcool, et plus tard complété un questionnaire de suivi. La sous-estimation dutaux d'alcoolémie était un facteur prédictif d’événements spécifiques, aux conséquences négatives liés à l'alcool, au-delà d'autres facteurs y compris la quantite de boissons consommées. Cette étude met en évidence la nécessité de strategies educatives plus cibléessur le taux d'alcoolémie dans les universités américaines.

RESUMEN

Subestimaciones acerca de la concentración de alcohol en la sangre predicen consecuencias negativas sobre eventos específicos

El presente estudio buscó establecer percepciones erróneas, in vivo, sobre la tasa de alcoholemia (BAC, por sus siglas en inglés) como predictora de consecuencias negativas relacionadas con el alcohol sobre eventos específicos. Los participantes (N = 225, 56.4% hombres) fueron estudiantes universitarios quienes habían consumido al menos una bebida alcohólica durante las dos horas antes de la evaluación. Durante la primavera de 2010, los participantes completaron un cuestionario, suministraron una muestra de aliento para evaluar el contenido de alcohol, y luego volvieron a completar un cuestionario de seguimiento. La subestimación de la tasa de alcoholemia fue predictora de consecuencias negativas relacionadas con el alcohol sobre eventos específicos, por encima de otros factores, como el número total de bebidas alcohólicas consumidas. Este estudio resalta la necesidad de implementar estrategias de educación sobre la tasa de alcoholemia más enfocadas dentro de universidades estadounidenses.

Keywords :

• alcohol
• blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
• alcohol-related consequences
• college students
• BAC misperception

THE AUTHORS

Sean P. Grant obtained Summa Cum Laude from the Loyola Marymount University in 2010, with Honors Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology and philosophy. As a Research Assistant at the Heads UP research lab, he has examined risk factors for and prevention of undergraduate alcohol abuse. At present, he is an M.Sc. candidate in Evidence-Based Social Intervention at the University of Oxford. He is currently investigating the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials of psychosocial interventions.

Joseph W. LaBrie obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2002 from the University of Southern California, in addition to holding a M.Div. in theology and an M.S. in mathematics. He is currently the Special Assistant to the President, Associate Professor of psychology, and Director of the Heads Up research lab at the Loyola Marymount University. His research interests are focused on prevention and intervention efforts for risky behaviors among young adults and adolescents. Dr. LaBrie has published over 75 research articles in this area as well and has been the recipient of numerous private and federal grants to study young adult health behaviors and approaches to prevention and intervention.

Justin F. Hummer graduated Cum Laude and obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in 2005. He is currently the Assistant Director of the Heads Up research lab at the Loyola Marymount University. His primary research interests consider how social and motivational factors relate to the etiology, prevention, and treatment of health risk behaviors among college students and family systems.

Andrew Lac, M.A., M.P.H., is earning his Ph.D. in psychology at the Claremont Graduate University and serves as a statistical consultant at the Loyola Marymount University and University of Southern California. With interests encompassing social, developmental, and health psychology, his published research applies multivariate methods to examine adolescent delinquency and family dynamics.

Notes

1 The reader is reminded that categories of quantities and patterns of drinking, such as “heavy,” “moderate,” and “light” drinking and/or drinkers, are relativistic, culturally and context determined, pseudo-scientific labels that may or may not be consensually delineated, and which suggest some type of causal outcome. The reader is referred to Hills's criteria (1965), which were developed in order to help assist researchers and clinicians determine whether risk factors were causes of a particular disease or outcomes or merely associated. Editor's note.