Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116144

Heather Champion, PhD¹, Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, MPH, CHES², Kimberly G. Wagoner, MPH², Thomas McCoy, MS³, Mary Claire O'Brien, MD⁴, Morrow Reeves Omli, MAEd, CSAC¹, and Robert DuRant, PhD⁵. (1) Public Health Sciences/Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2000 West First Street, Piedmont Plaza II, 2nd Floor, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, 336/716.1499, hchampio@wfubmc.edu, (2) Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Section on Social Sciences and Health Policy, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, (3) Biostatistics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, MRI, 3rd Floor, Room 318, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, (4) Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, (5) Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157

Background: Problem Behavior Theory suggests that risk behaviors co-occur among adolescents. Studies examining alcohol and other substance use and forced sex among adolescent females support the coexistence of health risk behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine alcohol use and other risk behaviors associated with sexual victimization among female college students. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to a stratified random sample of 3920 college students from ten universities in North Carolina in the fall of 2003 to collect baseline data to evaluate a group randomized trial of an intervention to prevent high risk drinking behaviors among college students. The survey measured alcohol and other health risk behaviors and sexual victimization. Data were analyzed using correlated logistic regression adjusting for the within college correlation of risk behaviors to determine which factors best predicted being sexually victimized. Results: Of 2395 female students, 103 (4.3%) reported having ever been sexually victimized. Sexual victimization was associated with having multiple sexual partners in the previous 30 days (OR:1.34, CI=1.05-1.71), using cigarettes during the previous 30 days (OR:1.65, CI=1.05-2.60), getting drunk at least once in a typical week (OR:1.42, CI=1.02-1.98), having been a date fight victim (OR:5.54, CI=3.43-8.94) and having an off-campus student residence (OR:1.56, CI=1.02-2.37). Having a mother who had attended college was protective against sexual victimization (OR:.56, CI=.36-.87). Conclusion: Female college students who have been sexually victimized are at a higher risk of dating violence, and engaging in other health risk behaviors, including risky sexual behavior, smoking, and getting drunk.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• articulate the role of alcohol use and other risk behaviors in sexual victimization among female college students.
• identify 6 risk factors associated with sexual victimization among female college students.
• discuss future directions for research on alcohol use and sexual victimization.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Sexual Assault

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.