2-year institution vs. 4-year institution: A comparison of drinking patterns

Purpose: Alcohol use and drinking patterns among college students have been well documented in the literature. However, the majority of this research describes such patterns among students at traditional 4-year institutions. The purpose of this study is to asses the drinking behaviors of students at a community college. Methods: The Core Survey was administered to students at both a two-year (n=581) and a four-year institution (n=928) in randomly selected classes located in the same geographic location. The Core Survey is a 39-item instrument that provides valid and reliable scores for items measuring the nature, scope and consequences of high risk drinking behaviors in college students. Results: Approximately 68% of students at the two-year institution reported current alcohol use and 50% of students reported engaging in binge drinking. Prevalence of current alcohol use and binge drinking were higher at the four-year institution (80% and 60%, respectively). In addition, the students at the two-year institution reported less mean number of drinks per week (µ=5.69) compared to students at the four-year institution (µ=7.75). Conclusions: Findings indicate that high-risk drinking behaviors of community college students, while not to the same degree a those reported at a four-year institution, are still dangerous. Because this population is largely understudied, this study suggests and support exploration of collaborative efforts between 2-year and 4-year institutions to address high-risk alcohol consumption among college students.