How do the drinking motives and expectancies relate to drinking problems among university students?

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated how the alcohol drinking motives and alcohol drinking expectancies, as the internal factors, would relate to university students' alcohol drinking problems. Methods: The general characteristics, the alcohol drinking problems, the motives to drink, and drinking expectancy were surveyed with 197 university students (106 males, 91 females) who visited the Health Center of Chungnam National University. Results: The alcohol drinking amount per drink (P < 0.001), weekly alcohol drinking frequency (P < 0.001), alcohol drinking problem score (P < 0.001), the score of drinking expectancy (P < 0.001) and motives to drink for each domain (P < 0.05) for male students were significantly higher or larger than those of the female students. The distribution of the number of binge, heavy and at risk drinkers didn't show significant difference between sexes. The drinking problem score, the score of drinking expectancy and motives to drink for each domain showed significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation and male students displayed a higher positive correlation than that of female. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence on drinking problem score. The male students' drinking problem score was associated with the score of coping motive, lower grade, the score of enhancement motive and drinking expectancy (R2, 0.325; P < 0.05) whereas those of female students were related to the score of social and coping motive (R2, 0.477; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The common factor that related to drinking problem for both male and female students was the coping motive to resolve negative feeling. In addition, the enhancement motive and drinking expectancy in male students and the social motive in female students were the associated factors. © 2010 by The Korean Academy of Family Medicine.