APHA
Back to Annual Meeting
APHA 2006 APHA
Back to Annual Meeting
APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Cross-national comparison of alcohol use, abuse and problems among Korean and U.S. college students

Sungsoo Chun1, Elissa R. Weitzman2, Toben F. Nelson2, Aeree Sohn1, and Henry Wechsler2. (1) School of Health Science & Welfare, Korean Sahmyook University, Cheongnyangni P.O. Box 118, Seoul, 139742, South Korea, 82233993900, chss97@syu.ac.kr, (2) Department of Society, Human Development & Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Landmark Center, 401 Park Drive, P.O. Box 15678, Boston, MA 02215

Aims: To understand patterns of alcohol use, drinking styles, perceptions of drunkenness and safe drinks, and alcohol problems and secondhand effects. Design and Samples: Sixty colleges were selected randomly, which are located in 9 provinces and Seoul in 2003. In conducting the data analyses, 2,385 cases were used. For comparison between two Countries, We used The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Data and Tools. Results: The probabilities of binge drinking among Korean students are 3.22 times for male and 1.88 times for female higher than among US students when statistics are controlled by age. Korean students are much likely to perceive large amount as a safe drinks than US students. Korean male students perceiving that five or more drinks are safe for male are 78.4%, while US male students are 50.0% (OR = 4.06). Korean male students were 17.21 times more likely to require medical treatment for overdose, 2.00 times more likely to forget where they were or what they did, 2.23 times more likely to get hurt or injured, 2.77 times more likely to get behind in school work, and 2.13 times more likely to miss a class than were US male students, while Korean male students were 0.50 times less likely to engage in unplanned sexual activities than were US male students. Korean students were less likely to experience the secondhand effect than US students, except for being a victim of sexual assault or date rape and having to take care of drunken student.

Learning Objectives: “At the conclusion of the session, the participants (learner) in this session will be able to

Keywords: Alcohol, Alcohol Problems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

From Campus to Around the Globe - a Look at Alcohol Poster Session

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA