The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM): A multi-site implementation

Abstract

Background: Drinking game participation has been associated with increased frequency and quantity of alcohol use, as well as alcohol-related problems, in college students. To date, the assessment of drinking games typically entails the use of self-developed measures of frequency of participation and amount of alcohol consumed while playing. Objectives: The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM) is the first effort to create a comprehensive yet concise method of assessing drinking game participation. The HDGM assesses drinking during games, the specific types of drinking games played, and negative consequences experienced as a result of playing drinking games. Method: Data from three samples of college students (n = 1002) who completed the HDGM and other self-report questionnaires of drinking behaviors were used for exploratory analyses. Results: Exploratory analyses suggest that the HDGM adequately captures the nuances of drinking game participation in this population and demonstrates initial evidence of good content and criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability. However, the HDGM did not predict risky drinking above and beyond standard measures of drinks per week and alcohol-related problems in any samples. Conclusion: The HDGM may be useful for campus-wide assessment of drinking games and as a source of game-specific feedback when integrated into campus prevention and intervention efforts.

• Alcohol-related problems
• assessment
• college students
• drinking games

Acknowledgements

Brian Borsari’s contribution to this paper was supported by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grants R01 AA017427 and R01 AA015518 and VISN1 CDA2012-18 to B. Borsari. Janine V. Olthuis’ contribution to this paper was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. The authors would like to thank Elise Clerkin for her early efforts on organizing the data. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism or the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.