Prevalence and Correlates of Binge Drinking among Young Adults Using Alcohol: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Open Access
- 1 January 2014
- journal article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in BioMed Research International
- Vol. 2014, 1-7
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/930795
Abstract
Background. Although binge drinking prevalence and correlates among young people have been extensively studied in the USA and Northern Europe, less is known for Southern Europe countries with relatively healthier drinking cultures.Objective. We aimed at analyzing prevalence and correlates of binge drinking in a representative sample of young adults in Italy.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among alcohol-consuming young adults. We carried out univariate and multivariate analyses to assess associations between recent binge drinking and candidate variables.Results. We selected 654 subjects, with 590 (mean age: 20.65 ± 1.90) meeting inclusion criteria. Prevalence for recent binge drinking was 38.0%, significantly higher for females than males. Multivariate analysis showed that high alcohol expectancies, large amount of money available during the weekend, interest for parties and discos, female gender, cannabis use, influence by peers, and electronic cigarettes smoking all were significantly associated with recent binge drinking, whereas living with parents appeared a significant protective factor.Conclusions. More than a third of young adults using alcohol are binge drinkers, and, in contrast with findings from Anglo-Saxon countries, females show higher risk as compared with males. These data suggest the increasing importance of primary and secondary prevention programmes for binge drinking.Keywords
Funding Information
- CARIPLO foundation (D-ARIANNA)
This publication has 62 references indexed in Scilit:
- Alcohol Consumption in Movies and Adolescent Binge Drinking in 6 European CountriesPediatrics, 2012
- Underage drinking on saturday nights, sociodemographic and environmental risk factors: a cross-sectional studySubstance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2011
- Social factors associated to binge drinking: a cross-sectional survey among Brazilian students in private high schoolsBMC Public Health, 2011
- Religious participation and risky health behaviors among adolescentsHealth Economics, 2010
- Binge drinking in undergraduates: relationships with sex, drinking behaviors, impulsivity, and the perceived effects of alcoholBehavioural Pharmacology, 2009
- Binge drinking in young adults: Data, definitions, and determinants.Psychological Bulletin, 2009
- Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studiesBMJ, 2007
- Adult outcomes of binge drinking in adolescence: findings from a UK national birth cohortJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2007
- Validity and Reliability of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-Adolescent, BriefJournal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 2007
- A New Measure of Binge Drinking: Prevalence and Correlates in a Probability Sample of UndergraduatesAlcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2006