Alcohol Use Among U.S. Muslim College Students: Risk and Protective Factors

Abstract

Drinking behavior among Muslim college students in the United States is unknown. To obtain estimates and examine risk factors, the authors conducted secondary data analysis of the public access database from the 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. Two variables were associated with drinking—religious activities, which were protective against drinking, and parental approval of drinking, which was a risk factor for drinking. Although American Muslim students had a low rate of drinking in the past year (46.6%) compared to their U.S. college counterparts, they had a higher rate of alcohol consumption compared to their counterparts in predominately Muslim countries.

KEYWORDS:

• alcohol
• college students
• Muslim
• protective factors
• religion
• risk factors

Notes

^a Missing data for four Muslim students.