Is Prepartying a Cause of Heavy Drinking and Consequences Rather Than Just a Correlate? A Longitudinal Look at the Relationship Between Prepartying, Alcohol Approval, and Subsequent Drinking and Consequences

ABSTRACT

Background: Prepartying, or drinking before an event where more alcohol may or may not be consumed, has been positioned in the literature as a behavior engaged in by heavy drinkers. However, recent findings suggest that prepartying may confer distinct risks, potentially causing students to become heavier drinkers over time. Objectives: The goals of this study were to disentangle the longitudinal relationships between prepartying, general and episodic alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences by investigating (1) whether prepartying is associated with future consequences above and beyond current alcohol consumption habits and (2) whether augmentations in approval for alcohol and related increases in drinking mediate this relationship. Methods: One-hundred and ninety-five undergraduates completed online questionnaires at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months later. Results: Prepartying frequency was more strongly related to alcohol-related consequences one year later than was overall or episodic drinking. In addition, a path mediation model confirmed our hypothesis that this relationship is due to gradual increases in drinking which occur as a result of more approving attitudes toward alcohol brought on by exposure to prepartying. Conclusion/Importance: Findings suggest a new model for conceptualizing the relationship between prepartying, drinking, and consequences whereby students who get involved in prepartying may witness slow increases in their approval for alcohol use and, as a result, consumption. Importantly, results suggest that the increases in drinking displayed by prepartiers over the course of a year may account for the strong relationship between prepartying and later consequences. Prevention and intervention initiatives may benefit from directly targeting prepartying as a means of tempering risky alcohol use trajectories during one’s college tenure.

KEYWORDS:

• Prepartying
• pregaming
• alcohol
• alcohol-related attitudes
• alcohol-related consequences

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joseph W. LaBrie

Joseph W. LaBrie is currently the Chief of Staff, Professor of Psychology, and Director of the HeadsUP Research Lab at Loyola Marymount University. He obtained a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2002 from the University of Southern California, in addition to holding a MDiv in Theology and a MS in Mathematics. His research interests are focused on prevention and intervention efforts for risky behaviors among young adults and adolescents. Dr. LaBrie has published over 130 research articles in this area and has been the recipient of numerous private and federal grants to study young adult health behaviors and approaches to prevention and intervention.

Andrew M. Earle

Andrew M. Earle is the research coordinator at the HeadsUP Research Lab where his interests include risk-reduction interventions, the role of parents in emerging adulthood, and the interplay between nutrition, cognitive functioning, and behavior. He recently received his BA in psychology from Loyola Marymount University. An avid outdoorsman and voracious reader, Andrew can often be found backpacking, bicycling, or buying books.

Justin F. Hummer

Justin F. Hummer is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Science program at the University of Southern California. He is dedicated to the integration of psychological science and evidenced-based application within the domains of clinical and health psychology. His research explores how social, cognitive, and familial factors contribute to the etiology, prevention, and treatment of health-risk behaviors among young adults. He is known to be a BBQing enthusiast with a passion for extreme adventures in the wilderness.

Sarah C. Boyle

Sarah C. Boyle is the assistant director of the HeadsUP Lab and is currently finishing her Ph.D in Applied Social Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. Her work investigates normative influence in relation to the psychological experiences and health behaviors of at risk-groups, including both college students and LGBT community members. Currently, Sarah is seeking to better understand the role that social media platforms play in perceptions of group norms, and determine how to best harness the power of social media in health-risk prevention efforts for college students and LGBT community members.