An Examination of the Relationship Between Consequence‐Specific Normative Belief Patterns and Alcohol‐Related Consequences Among College Students

Abstract

Background Research has previously identified a high-risk subgroup of college students who experience high levels of multiple and repeated alcohol-related consequences (MRC group). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between consequence-specific normative influences and experiencing multiple and repeated drinking-related consequences using a person-centered approach. Normative subgroups were identified using latent profile analysis (LPA), which were then used to predict MRC group status at 6-month follow-up. Methods First-year college student drinkers (N=2024) at a large northeastern university completed online surveys during the fall and spring semesters of their freshman year. Retention was high with 92% of invited participants completing T2, of which the MRC group accounted for 27%. Results Three student profiles were identified from LPA on T1 data: Non Permissive Parents (77%), Positive Peer and Parent Norms (20%), and Permissive Parents (3%). Logistic regression revealed that both the Positive Peer and Parent Norms and Permissive Parents profiles had significantly higher odds of MRC group membership at follow-up (1.81 and 2.78 times greater, respectively). Conclusions The results suggest value in prevention efforts that include normative beliefs about alcohol-related consequences. Further, parental norms in particular have the potential to enhance interventions, especially through direct communication of disapproval for experiencing consequences.

An examination of heavy drinking, depressed mood, drinking related constructs, and consequences among high-risk college students using a person-centered approach

“…These profiles also offer insight into key variables that influence behaviors of interest (i.e., risky drinking, experiencing harmful consequences, etc.) and may identify high-risk groups and/or constructs as ideal targets for intervention efforts (e.g., Mallett, Marzell, Scaglione, Hultgren, & Turrisi, 2014; Reavy et al, 2016). Previous studies using a LPA framework have not accounted for depressed mood symptoms in their examination of risky drinking and alcohol-related problems, though some (Lau-Barraco, C., Linden-Carmichael, Braitman, & Stamates, 2016) did investigate differences between profile memberships on mental health symptoms finding that people who endorsed a lot of situations for drinking reported significantly more mental health symptoms.…”