Does Ethnicity Moderate the Link between Drinking Norms and Binge Drinking in College Students?

Introduction: Drinking is a serious public health problem in college. Adults 18-22 years old have the most binge drinking and drunk driving, and college students in this age range binge drink more than non-college, same-age peers. Alcohol use disorders during this life stage are about double other stages. Social norms predict college student drinking, i.e., believing that a typical student drinks more heavily leads to heavier drinking. However, ethnic minority college students may not possess the same sense of belonging in college as White counterparts, and may not view themselves as “typical” students. So, they may be less likely to match their drinking behavior to perceived behavior of White peers. Thus, ethnic minority status could moderate the link between norms and drinking.

Methods: Data was from 18,748 U.S. students in the Fall 2014 National College Health Assessment. Self-reported ethnic identity had 6 groups: White, not Hispanic (63%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12%), Hispanic/Latino (11%), Black/African American (8%), Native American/Alaska Native (3%), or Biracial/Other (4%). Drinking norms were assessed with the number of drinks consumed by a typical student. Students self-reported binge drinking (5+ standard drinks) in last 2 weeks. Estimated peak %BAC was calculated with an algorithm from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Results: Age, gender, Greek status, and drinking norms were related to binge drinking and estimated %BAC. Ethnic minority students were less likely to binge drink, and had lower estimated %BAC, than White, non-Hispanic students. The relationship between drinking norms and binge drinking was weaker for Hispanic/Latino, b = -0.07, SE = 0.02, p = .001, and Black/African American students, b = -0.06, SE = 0.03, p = .015, than for White, non-Hispanics. The link between norms and estimated %BAC was also weaker for Hispanic/Latino, b = -0.45, SE = 0.13, p < .001, and Black/African American students, b = -0.58, SE = 0.14, p < .001, than for White students. Relationships were weaker than White, non-Hispanics, but not significantly so, for Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Biracial students.

Conclusions: Controlling for age, gender, and Greek membership, ethnicity moderated the influence of drinking norms on binge drinking and estimated %BAC for Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American students, but not for members of other ethnic groups. Results support the notion that prevention and intervention efforts that use drinking norms should be modified for students from ethnic minority groups. Specifically, norms from students with greater perceived similarity—not “typical” students—should be used in prevention interventions.