Alcohol use in students seeking primary care treatment at university health services

Abstract

Objective: given the high rate of at-risk drinking in college students, the authors examined drinking behaviors and associated factors in students being seen in student health services for primary care visits from October 30, 2004, to February 15, 2007.

Methods: analyses were based on a Health Screening Survey completed by 10,234 college students seeking general medical treatment.

Results: alcohol use was similar to other studies with 57% (n = 5,840) meeting the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism criteria for at-risk drinking. Twenty-six percent of the students reported smoking at least once in the last 3 months. Risk factors for at-risk drinking included young age, white males, drinking at a fraternity/sorority house, and use of tobacco.

Conclusions: these findings support the widespread implementation of alcohol screening and intervention in university health services.

Figure 1

Quantity-Frequency Alcohol Measure