Alcohol Intoxication Level Differences by Gender in a Field-Based Study

Background: The literature is replete with evidence that advances college male's drink more frequently and at greater amounts than college females. However, these data are largely self-report and not field-based. The purpose of this study was to test gender differences of alcohol intoxication levels using objective breath alcohol measures in a field-based study.

Methods: Trained field workers collected multiple data on public grounds across from the bar district in a Midwestern college town on Thursday and Friday evenings from 10pm thru 2am when the bars closed. Data collected included an interview on alcohol use that evening, survey questions about drinking, driving and perceived intoxication, followed by breath testing using a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) certified breathalyzer. Differences were examined between male and female college student intoxication levels using the t-test to measure mean differences of breath alcohol levels.

Results: A total of 85 college students were breath tested over the two nights of data collection. The t-test results showed there was no statistical difference between the mean breath alcohol concentration levels between males (.0822, sd = .0531) and females (.0806, sd = .0501) in this field-based study.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that contrary to the standard belief that college males should be the target of alcohol prevention programming, college females are self-titrating to the same level of intoxications as college males. The programming implications of these findings are clear; both sexes are equally intoxicated and require prevention programming targeting both males and females.