Date fighting experiences among college students: are they associated with other health-risk behaviors?

OBJECTIVE

The authors examined the clustering of health-risk behaviors among college students who reported date fight involvement.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

The authors administered a Web-based survey to a stratified random sample of 3,920 college students from 10 universities in North Carolina.

RESULTS

Among men, 5.6% reported date fight victimization, and 1% reported date fight perpetration. Victimization among men was associated with (1) first drink at age 15 years or younger, (2) a recent threat of violence by someone who had been drinking, (3) smoking, (4) amphetamine use, and (5) older age. Among women, 6.7% reported date fight victimization, which was associated with (1) older age, (2) assault from a student who had been drinking, (3) sex with 2 or more persons, (4) consumption of alcohol in high school, (5) illegal drug use, (6) nonsexual assault requiring medical treatment, and (7) living off campus. Of the women, 4.2% reported date fight perpetration, which was associated with (1) minority race/ethnicity, (2) older age, (3) frequency of sexual intercourse, and (4) alcohol and marijuana use.

CONCLUSIONS

Date fight experiences were associated with multiple health-risk behaviors among this sample of college students.