168608 Problematic Drinking Among College Students:The Role of Impulsivity and Motivation to Change

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Donna M. Kazemi, PhD , College of Health and Human Services,School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Morton Wagenfeld, PhD , Department of Sociology and Community Health, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
K. Roger Van Horn, PhD , Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Arthur W. Blume, PhD , Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Monica Gordon, PhD , Department of Health and Human Services, Walden University, South Minneapolis, MN
Abstract. Alcohol abuse is a major public health problem facing American colleges with dire outcomes on academic achievement, self-fulfillment, and long-term health. Objective: The authors investigated the relationship of impulsivity and readiness to change as posited by the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model in problem drinking behavior among college students attending a 4-year college institution. Participants: Participants were selected by the researchers visiting classrooms, fraternities, and sororities. The study uses a voluntary sample of 248 undergraduate college students aged 18 to 20 years from a state-supported Southeast University. Method: After providing informed consent, participants completed three instruments to test the hypotheses of the study: the Student Alcohol Questionnaire (SAQ), Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 14.0. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression with Tukey's post hoc comparisons was used for the analysis. Results: The results showed impulsivity was significantly correlated with both level of drinking and readiness to change drinking behavior. Conclusions: The findings support the hypothesis that impulsivity is associated with drinking levels and readiness to change. The results indicate that targeting the impulsiveness of students may be useful for alcohol prevention and intervention programs on college campuses.

Key words: Transtheorectical model, impulsivity; readiness to change

Learning Objectives:
1.List five consequences of alcohol abuse among college students 2.Recognize that the present study provided evidence that impulsivity is related to readiness to change drinking behavior among college students 3.Identify the need to focus on development of strategies to address impulsivity in college-based intervention programs and the value of theoretical formulations for such programs.

Keywords: Alcohol Problems, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the first author on the paper
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: College Alcohol Issues: Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment
See more of: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs