Citation

Martens MP, Pedersen ER, Smith AE, Stewart SH, O'Brien KS. Addict. Behav. 2011; 36(5): 456-464.

Affiliation

Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, 16 Hill Hall; Columbia, MO 65211, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.12.025

PMID

21276663

Abstract

Research has shown that college students participating in athletics drink more than other students, yet relatively few studies have examined variables that are associated with alcohol-related outcomes among this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among trait urgency, general drinking motives and sport-related drinking motives, and both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Data were collected from 198 college students participating in either intercollegiate or recreational athletics at three U.S. universities. Structural equation modeling was used to examine a series of theoretically derived explanatory models. All variables included in the model were directly associated with alcohol use and/or alcohol-related problems. The specific patterns of relationships differed across the motives and trait urgency variables. Sport-related coping motives, sport-related positive reinforcement motives, and general enhancement motives had direct relationships with alcohol use, while trait urgency, general coping motives, and sport-related positive reinforcement motives had direct relationships with alcohol-related problems. Several indirect effects on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were also found. This study suggests that general drinking motives, sport-related drinking motives, and trait urgency all serve as important predictors of alcohol-related outcomes in college athletes.

Language: en