CORRELATES OF BINGE DRINKING IN A SAMPLE OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

There is a lack of recent research exploring the differences between binge and non-binge drinkers among Canadian university students. The current study aims to address this gap in the literature through an exploratory statistical analysis. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were employed to identify the prevalence of binge drinking, as well as its various sociodemographic, behavioural, and mental health correlates. A large majority (83.1%) of the 507 respondents reported consuming alcohol in the previous 12 months; of these, 69.7% (67.0% of males, 70.9% of females) reported engaging in binge drinking (5 drinks in one session for males, 4 for females) at least once in the previous 30 days. Although there was no significant gender difference in the prevalence of binge drinking, there were several gender differences among the correlates. Compared to non-binge drinkers, male binge drinkers reported greater life satisfaction, and greater probability of smoking cigarettes and engaging in risky sex, while females reported greater impulsivity and lower religiosity. As expected, binge drinkers experienced more adverse consequences from alcohol consumption than did non-binge drinkers, but unexpectedly did not differ significantly in mental health and wellbeing. Limitations of the present study and future research directions are discussed with a view to improving our understanding of risk and protective factors related to unhealthy alcohol consumption among university students in Canada and abroad.