High-risk drinking characteristics in collegiate athletes.

OBJECTIVE

The authors aimed to further describe the relationship of alcohol use by college athletes to variables, such as sport participation, time of year, and level of competition.

PARTICIPANTS

There were 720 participants from Divisions I, II, and III who participated in either a team sport or an individual sport.

METHODS

The authors measured characteristics of alcohol use by college athletes at 9 colleges and universities.

RESULTS

Participants reported a high rate of consuming 5 or more drinks per occasion in the past 2 weeks. There were greater percentages of team sport athletes reporting this behavior than athletes of individual sports, and there were significant differences according to level of competition.

CONCLUSIONS

The college athletes in this study reported high-risk alcohol use at percentages much higher than previously reported. The findings and practical application of the results are discussed.