Alcohol consumption among university students in the night-time economy in the UK: A three-wave longitudinal study

Abstract

Background. Excessive alcohol consumption is commonly reported in university/college students, and contributes to emerging peer-group relations. Purpose. This study aimed to provide up-to-date longitudinal data on students’ alcohol consumption patterns, and predictors of this, across a single academic year. Methods. A 3-wave study was conducted at a university in the UK. Participants reported their alcohol consumption patterns, along with perceptions of the social norms and behavioral expectations associated with attending licensed venues where alcohol is sold (the “night time economy”). Participants also reported their social identification with this environment. Results. Around half of participants overall fell into the three higher alcohol-risk categories (moderate, high or hazardous drinking). A modest reduction in consumption was observed across the study. At each assessment point, males reported greater alcohol consumption in the preceding two months than females, while Year 4 students and those on graduate-entry programs reported the lowest consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption was regarded as largely normative within the night time economy, both descriptively (“what others do”) and injunctively (“what others approve of”). Social identification and norm perceptions, along with gender, year group, and intoxication and socialising expectations, were significantly associated with higher alcohol consumption at baseline. However, baseline consumption was the only variable significantly associated with alcohol use at the end of the academic year. Conclusions. Many students drink alcohol at potentially harmful levels, and norms and expectations supporting this consumption are prominent and stable. The findings support a targeted approach to intervention that accounts for heterogeneity in the student population.