Predictors of At-Risk Intoxication in a University Field Setting: Social Anxiety, Demographics, and Intentions

Abstract

Objective: The determinants of alcohol consumption among university students were investigated in a downtown field setting with blood alcohol content (BAC) as the dependent variable. Participants: In total, 521 participants completed a brief survey and had their BAC assessed during April 2013. Methods: Between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am, teams of researchers recruited passersby at 3 heavy-drinking locations near a university campus. Before the BAC assessment, participants completed a questionnaire regarding their drinking intentions, drinking group, and social anxiety. Results: The average BAC of drinking students was 0.107 g/dL, which was 0.033 g/dL higher than their intended BAC. Males and members of a Greek-life organization consumed significantly more alcohol than their demographic counterparts. A significant positive curvilinear relationship was observed between social anxiety and BAC. Conclusions: University students achieve high levels of intoxication, often exceeding their intended BAC. Social anxiety may be an informative predictor of alcohol consumption in this setting.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• blood alcohol content
• drinking
• field methodologies
• intended intoxication
• social anxiety

FUNDING

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board.

NOTE

For comments and further information, address correspondence to Ryan C. Smith, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 3500 Transportation Research Plaza, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA (e-mail: [email protected]).