Protective alcohol-use behavior utilization among a sample of college students

Protective alcohol-use behaviors can protect an individual from the harmful consequences associated with alcohol use. Eleven protective alcohol-use behaviors from the 2009 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment were assessed. Frequency distributions for each of the behaviors were examined. The degree of association between each behavior and age and year in school variables was determined. Gender differences were also assessed. Compared to younger college students, older college students were more likely to engage in protective alcohol-use behaviors. Students were also more likely to engage in these behaviors as they progressed through college. Compared to males, females were more likely to engage in protective alcohol-use behaviors. Recommendations for future study include the design of program intervention components to increase the utilization of protective alcohol-use behaviors in college populations.