1. Alcohol and marijuana use, consequences, and perceived descriptive norms: Differences between two- and four-year college students.
- Author
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Duckworth, Jennifer C., Abdallah, Devon A., Gilson, Michael S., and Lee, Christine M.
- Subjects
RISK assessment ,CROSS-sectional method ,COMPULSIVE behavior ,RISK-taking behavior ,RESEARCH funding ,SOCIAL norms ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,BINGE drinking ,LONGITUDINAL method ,ALCOHOL drinking in college ,CANNABIS (Genus) ,PSYCHOLOGY of college students ,COMPARATIVE studies - Abstract
Objective: Among two-year college students, alcohol and marijuana use, related consequences, and risk factors for use are not well understood. We examined differences between two- and four-year students in alcohol and marijuana use, consequences, and perceived descriptive norms, and explored whether two-year status moderated associations between norms and use. Participants: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional subsample of two- and four-year students aged 18–23 (n = 517) participating in a longitudinal study on alcohol use. Results: Four-year students reported greater alcohol use and consequences than two-year students; two-year students reported greater marijuana use than four-year students. Perceived alcohol and marijuana norms were positively related with use; two-year status did not moderate these associations. Conclusions: Perceived alcohol and marijuana norms function similarly for two- and four-year students in terms of associations to actual use. Adapting normative interventions for two-year students may be an effective strategy for reducing high-risk use among this underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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