A Multi-Attribute Utility Model Approach Towards Binge Drinking among University Students

Binge drinking is a persistent problem among university students despite the fact that the harmful effects of alcohol use are generally well known in this population. The Multi-Attribute Utility (MAU) model was used to examine whether the perceived consequences of alcohol use were associated with binge drinking. The MAU model posits that the decision to engage in binge drinking is the result of a rational process, one in which the binge drinker decides that benefits of heavy drinking outweigh its potential consequences.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether non-drinkers, moderate drinkers, and binge drinkers differ from each other on MAU scores. A total of 441 undergraduate students attending a university in Southern California completed a self-report survey. The number of alcoholic drinks that participants consumed the last time they “partied” or “socialized” and their perceived consequences of alcohol usage were assessed.

The results indicated that non-drinkers, moderate drinkers, and binge drinkers differed from each other on mean standardized MAU scores, with binge drinkers having the highest scores (M = 0.31, SD = .95), moderate drinkers having the intermediate scores (M = -0.08, SD = .87), and non-drinkers having the lowest scores (M = -0.62, SD = 1.18; F(2, 375) = 20.85, p= .000). The association between MAU scores and drinking levels remained significant after adjusting for the effects of demographic covariates. These findings suggest that more positive perceived consequences of alcohol use are associated with heavier amounts of drinking. Implications and future directions are further discussed.