The Prevalence of Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Consequences and their Relationship among Japanese College Students

Abstract

Binge drinking is a common and risky behavior among college students. In Japan, however, research on the prevalence of binge drinking and alcohol-related consequences, and the relationship between them, is currently scant. The aim of this study is to examine the status of binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, and the relationship between them, among Japanese college students. We conducted a crosssectional survey of college students who participated in a health seminar or lecture including alcoholrelated contents from December 2018 to January 2019. Drinking patterns and alcohol-related consequences were assessed using the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) and demographic data. A total of 382 students participated in the seminar, of whom 280 agreed to cooperate in this study and 249 had drinking experience. A total of 88 men (67.7%) and 42 women (32.2%) were classified as binge drinkers. Binge drinkers more significantly experienced various consequences, such as hangover, feeling remorse and embarrassing behavior and some of them were suspected of physical dependence. Furthermore, logistic analysis revealed that among men, the B-YAACQ scores of binge drinkers were 2.01-fold higher those of non-binge drinkers. The findings of this study indicated that binge drinking may cause not only physical consequences but also mental and social problems, especially among men. It is important to tell college students these risks properly not to engage in binge drinking.

Alcohol Use Disorders among Slovak and Czech University Students: A Closer Look at Tobacco Use, Cannabis Use and Socio-Demographic Characteristics

“…Universities and other educational institutions can be the perfect environment for raising students’ awareness of the problems of using not only alcohol, but also other addictive substances that are associated with alcohol use disorders (tobacco and cannabis). In respect to the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that public health leaders, researchers, health professionals and parents understand the importance of improving health literacy with an emphasis on substance use, as they can have lasting effects on the health and social position of university students [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. In addition to providing information on current research, risks, guidance on early identification and other interventions for alcohol consumers, university education should not be left without motivating students to lead a healthy lifestyle without drinking alcohol, but also without smoking tobacco and cannabis.…”

“…According to Nasui et al [ 8 ], both male and female university drinkers engaged in other risky behaviours correlated with drinking. These patterns of behaviour have many consequences, whether it is a threat to health and life [ 9 ], reduced academic performance, missed classes and lower grades, memory blackouts, changes in brain function, lingering cognitive deficits, sexual assaults [ 10 ], but also poor mental health [ 11 ] or social problems [ 12 ]. Regarding determinants, it is well known that the male gender characteristic is a significant factor associated with increased alcohol use [ 13 , 14 ] and is therefore considered a predictor of alcohol use disorders [ 15 , 16 ].…”

Binge drinking in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence, correlates and association with preventive behaviors

“…There has been comparatively little research on BD in Japan and previous studies have produced different estimates depending on the specific population being studied and how BD has been defined. A recent study among Japanese college students that used the same definition of BD as in this study showed that the prevalence of BD was high among both men (55.7%) and women drinkers (46.2%) ( Kawaida et al, 2021 ). In contrast, a study that used nationwide data from three cross-sectional surveys undertaken in Japan in 2003, 2008 and 2013 found that the age-adjusted prevalence for the total population ranged between 4.5-6.4% when BD was defined as consuming 60 g or more of alcohol on one drinking occasion, one or more times a week.…”

“…Given that the minumum legal drinking age is 20 in Japan this may have affected our results although it has been reported that underage drinking is common and a significant social problem in the country ( Higuchi et al, 2007 ) Finally, we used an adapted question from the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to assess BD. As what constitues a standard drink differs between the US and Japan ( Kawaida et al, 2021 ) it is uncertain how appropriate this measure was to accurately assess BD in Japan.…”

“…The use of five or more drinks for males and four or more drinks for females has a long history in BD research ( Wechsler et al, 1995 ). This measure has also been used recently in studies assessing BD in college students in Japan ( Kawaida et al, 2018b , Kawaida et al, 2021 ). In Japan, as a standard drink has been considered to contain 10 g of pure alcohol in recent years ( International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, 2019 ), in this study BD referred to consuming ≥ 50 g of alcohol for men and ≥ 40 g of alcohol for women in a two hour period ( Kawaida et al, 2021 ).…”