Citation

Sugarman DE, Carey KB. Psychol. Addict. Behav. 2007; 21(3): 338-345.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Syracuse University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/0893-164X.21.3.338

PMID

17874884

PMCID

PMC2430514

Abstract

Interventions designed to reduce heavy drinking among college students often contain suggestions for drinking control strategies. However, little is known about the relationship between the use of these strategies and alcohol consumption. The authors developed a measure of drinking control strategies and investigated its psychometric properties in a sample of 250 college drinkers. Strategies clustered into three factors: selective avoidance of heavy drinking activities and situations, strategies used while drinking, and alternatives to drinking. These three types of strategies were independently associated with alcohol use; however, the first and last types were negatively associated with alcohol consumption, whereas the second type was positively associated with alcohol use. The findings from this study suggest that the type of strategy recommended may be important when the goal is alcohol reduction.

Language: en