Drinking Habits of Freshmen College Students and the Health Belief Model
Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Michael Dunn, Health Sciences
Major
Public Health
Presentation Abstract
It is well known that first-year college freshmen engage in underage drinking. Ninety-six percent of students have consumed an alcoholic beverage such as beer, wine, wine coolers and liquor such as rum, gin, vodka or whiskey. This study assesses the health beliefs and behavior of alcohol use among college freshmen. Freshman students (n=50) within Coastal Carolina University’s Public Health 121 course were provided an electronic survey via a QR code. Roughly 64% of students surveyed reported binge drinking (consuming 4-5 drinks on a single occasion) within the past 30 days. Of those who reported binge drinking, 85.7% did not see binge drinking as any more harmful than consuming 1 drink in a sitting, compared to 41.9% who did perceive it as harmful. Additionally, 62.9% of those who reported consuming an average 6+ drinks in a short amount of time indicated that a vast majority of their finances were spent on their binge drinking habits, compared to 22.9% of students who did not consume alcohol within the past month. Our study focused on freshman binge drinking habits based on the constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Our survey found that 96% of freshmen have consumed an alcoholic beverage, and 88% of students have witnessed alcohol being consumed in an unhealthy way. Even after witnessing the dangers of overconsumption, 60% will continue to drink, despite the health risk.
Start Date
11-4-2023 8:00 AM
End Date
11-4-2023 8:20 AM
Disciplines
Public Health
Recommended Citation
Surface, Hannah, "Drinking Habits of Freshmen College Students and the Health Belief Model" (2023). Undergraduate Research Competition. 3.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2023/fullconference/3
Drinking Habits of Freshmen College Students and the Health Belief Model
It is well known that first-year college freshmen engage in underage drinking. Ninety-six percent of students have consumed an alcoholic beverage such as beer, wine, wine coolers and liquor such as rum, gin, vodka or whiskey. This study assesses the health beliefs and behavior of alcohol use among college freshmen. Freshman students (n=50) within Coastal Carolina University’s Public Health 121 course were provided an electronic survey via a QR code. Roughly 64% of students surveyed reported binge drinking (consuming 4-5 drinks on a single occasion) within the past 30 days. Of those who reported binge drinking, 85.7% did not see binge drinking as any more harmful than consuming 1 drink in a sitting, compared to 41.9% who did perceive it as harmful. Additionally, 62.9% of those who reported consuming an average 6+ drinks in a short amount of time indicated that a vast majority of their finances were spent on their binge drinking habits, compared to 22.9% of students who did not consume alcohol within the past month. Our study focused on freshman binge drinking habits based on the constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Our survey found that 96% of freshmen have consumed an alcoholic beverage, and 88% of students have witnessed alcohol being consumed in an unhealthy way. Even after witnessing the dangers of overconsumption, 60% will continue to drink, despite the health risk.