Pregaming, Drinking Duration, and Movement as Unique Predictors of Alcohol Use and Cognitions Among Mandated College Students

ABSTRACT

Background: Pregaming is a common phenomenon among college students and is associated with increased risks such as heavy drinking, alcohol-related consequences, and violating campus alcohol policies. However, the mechanism by which pregaming increases student risk is unclear. Objectives: The current study aimed to delineate the role of personal endorsement of pregaming, duration of an entire drinking episode on the night of an alcohol violation, and movement from one location to another in predicting alcohol use and violation-related cognitions. Methods: Participants (N = 113) were college students who had received an alcohol violation. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to investigate the predictive value of pregaming endorsement, duration of drinking, and movement on drinking behaviors [number of drinks consumed and estimated blood alcohol content (eBAC)] on the night of the alcohol violation as well as violation-related cognitions (responsibility, aversiveness). Results: Pregaming and duration of drinking were significant predictors of alcohol consumption and eBAC on the night of the violation, whereas movement was not. Duration of the drinking episode was significantly related to increased perceived responsibility for the alcohol violation. Conclusions/importance: Self-reported pregaming and the duration of the drinking episode appear to be better targets than movement for prevention and intervention efforts addressing pregaming on college campuses. Interventions should continue focusing on reducing pregaming and its associated consequences, especially for those who report a longer duration of drinking following a pregaming episode.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregaming
• duration of drinking
• movement
• event-related cognitions
• mandated college students
• alcohol

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ali Yurasek

Ali Yurasek, PhD, is a second-year postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Addiction Studies at Brown University. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Memphis in 2014. She is focusing on the development and evaluation of brief motivational interventions for marijuana and alcohol use in a variety of populations including college students, adolescents, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Her particular interest is in examining behavioral economic concepts as mechanisms of change.

Mary Beth Miller

Mary Beth Miller, PhD, is a first-year postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University. Her research aims to enhance understanding of the etiology of substance use disorders in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. She is particularly interested in the interplay of substance use and sleep disorders and the process by which personalized feedback on one’s health and behaviors may facilitate behavior change.

Nadine Mastroleo

Nadine Mastroleo, PhD, assistant professor in the PhD Program in Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University, completed her PhD in counselor education and supervision from The Pennsylvania State University in 2008. Her primary area of research is evaluating brief alcohol interventions with college students and individuals who drink heavily. Specifically, she examines the within-session behaviors of brief motivational interventions to study the mechanisms of behavior change. She is also working on the implementation of multirisk brief, behavioral interventions with emergency department patients, and developing evidence-based intervention approaches to reduce drinking among student athletes.

Vanessa Lazar

Vanessa Lazar, MA, BA, holds a BA in psychology and MA in marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island. During her time as a research assistant at Brown University she assisted with various research projects focusing on college student drinking.

Brian Borsari

Brian Borsari, PhD, received his PhD in clinical psychology from Syracuse University in 2003. Dr. Borsari is currently a Health Behavior Consultant and Clinician Researcher at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His research interests there involve the assessment and treatment of addictive behaviors, training VA staff in motivational interviewing and other client-centered communication to facilitate behavior change, and developing interventions to assist student service members/veterans who are attending college. He is also Professor in Residence in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. His research conducted through the Northern California Institute of Research and Education (NCIRE) include the development and implementation of brief motivational interventions with college student drinkers, the social influences on alcohol (e.g., modeling and norms), high-risk behaviors such as pregaming and drinking games, development and evaluation of interventions using mobile technology, and in-session processes of motivational interviewing that are related to behavior change.