Perceptions of Alcohol Attitudes on Campus Among College Athletes

Purpose - College athletes consistently report higher alcohol use than non-athletes. Influencing factors include attitudes of teammates, other student athletes, and other non-athlete students. The purpose of this study was to determine how college athletes perceive attitudes toward alcohol on campus.

Methods - Permission to survey student athletes was granted from the university's Institutional Review Board and the athletic department. A non-random convenience sample of 230 participants was surveyed to assess their perceptions of alcohol attitudes on campus. Students were surveyed while in athletic assemblies and classrooms. Chi-square analyses were completed using SPSS 14.0.

Analysis/Results - Participants were categorized by drinking level using the NIAAA guidelines for safe drinking. Levels included abstainer (n=50), moderate drinker (n=84), and heavy drinker (n=96). When asked if alcohol use was a problem for students on campus, 54.0% of abstainers felt it was a large or very large problem compared to only 22.7% of moderate drinkers and 17.7% of heavy drinkers (p<.001). A statistically significant difference was also found between drinking level of athletes and their perception of whether alcohol was a problem among athletes of a different sport. Of abstainers, 24.0% felt that alcohol was a large or very large problem for athletes who were not on their team. Only 14.4% of moderate drinkers and 5.3% of heavy drinkers agreed (p=.001). Despite this perception of alcohol use among other athletes, no significant differences were found when participants were asked if alcohol use was a problem among teammates. Participants were also asked about their perceptions of the general attitudes towards alcohol among students, teammates, and other athletes. Twenty-two percent of abstainers, 3.6% of moderate drinkers, and 8.3% of heavy drinkers reported that most students believe that drinking is never a good thing (p=.001). When asked about teammates, 22.0% of abstainers, 4.8% of moderate drinkers, and 8.5% of heavy drinkers reported that most teammates believe that drinking is never a good thing (p=.047). When asked about other athletes, no significant differences were reported.

Conclusions - The results of this study suggest that the alcohol consumption patterns of college athletes correlate with their perceptions of how others on campus view alcohol. Those athletes that perceive alcohol use as more common and more accepted by others on campus are more likely to report higher levels of alcohol consumption. Alcohol awareness campaigns aimed at college athletes should focus on correcting misperceptions of college alcohol use among teammates, other athletes, and the general student population.