Implicit and explicit drinking identity predict latent classes that differ on the basis of college students' drinking behaviors. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017 Sep 01;178:579-585
Date
07/30/2017Pubmed ID
28755560Pubmed Central ID
PMC5584548DOI
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.010Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85026224062 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 9 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify distinct classes of college students on the basis of recent and past drinking behaviors and evaluate how implicit and explicit measures of drinking identity predict membership in these classes.
METHODS: US undergraduate students (N=456) completed online implicit (Implicit Association Test) and explicit (self-report) measures of drinking identity and assessments of drinking behaviors, including past month drinking, at-risk drinking in the past year, and lifetime history of intoxication. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes of college students based on their drinking behaviors.
RESULTS: LCA identified five classes: (1) Lifetime Nondrinker, (2) Recent Nondrinker/Past Risk, (3) Light Drinker, (4) Moderate Drinker, and (5) Heavy Drinker. Overall, stronger implicit and explicit drinking identities were uniquely associated with greater odds of belonging to classes with greater alcohol consumption and related consequences relative to those classes characterized by lower alcohol consumption and consequences. Notably, explicit drinking identity was positively associated with odds of membership to the Recent Nondrinker/Past Risk class relative to the Lifetime Nondrinker and Light Drinker classes, and implicit and explicit drinking identities were positively associated with odds of membership to the Heavy Drinker class relative to all other classes.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that drinking identity is sensitive to risky drinking experiences in the past, is especially strong among the highest-risk group of college student drinkers, and may be an important cognitive factor to consider as a target for intervention.
Author List
Ramirez JJ, Fairlie AM, Olin CC, Lindgren KPAuthor
Cecilia C. Olin PhD, MS Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Alcohol DrinkingAlcohol Drinking in College
Alcoholic Intoxication
Humans
Universities
Young Adult
