Gender and age differences in college students' alcohol consumption.

Respondents (86 men and 141 women) enrolled in classes at a large university in the Midwest participated in this study, designed to examine the role gender and age play in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The hypotheses that age and gender would produce significant effects were supported. Men reported significantly greater alcohol consumption than did women. In addition, there was a significant interaction between gender and age. Women under legal drinking age had higher rates of consumption than women of legal drinking age or older, while the opposite pattern was found for men. The long-term pattern of alcohol consumption may be different for men than for women. During the college years, women seem to moderate their consumption. Finally, these results indicate that illegal, underage drinking by men and women occurs at a high rate. Research should be designed to evaluate the extent of the problem.