Campus Involvement, Perceived Campus Connection, and Alcohol Use in College Athletes

Abstract

This research study examined the relationship of college athletes' levels of campus involvement and campus connection to their alcohol use. A survey measuring alcohol use, campus involvement and campus connection was administered to 720 athletes at nine institutions. Participants who reported having 5 or more drinks on one occasion in the past two weeks had higher levels of campus connection than those who did not report that level of alcohol consumption; but, conversely these college athletes also reported lower levels of campus involvement. It is suggested that increasing campus involvement of college athletes could be an effective strategy to reduce high-risk alcohol use by college athletes and possibly even college students as a whole.