July 2, 2024
Not drinking today? Study reveals why young adult drinkers choose alcohol-free days
Contact: Fernanda Pires, University of Michigan News
Understanding the reasons why young adults choose not to drink on certain days may inform prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing the harms associated with alcohol consequences.
Although alcohol use is declining among young adults, rates of hazardous drinking and its harmful consequences remain high.
Current research has examined motivations to drink, but a new University of Michigan study suggests that focusing on the reasons young adults choose not to drink could enhance strategies to prevent negative consequences associated with alcohol use.
Brooke Arterberry, a researcher at the Survey Research Center in the Institute for Social Research, and colleagues conducted a study published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research that explored young adults’ day-to-day reasons for not using alcohol and whether those differed by demographic factors, weekend vs. weekday, typical drinking motivations and participants’ recent alcohol consumption.
Data were from 614 young adults who, in the last month, had consumed alcohol but had skipped drinking for at least one day. They filled out an online survey about their alcohol use. Recent alcohol use was categorized as moderate drinking (50%; less than 5 drinks in a row), binge drinking (31%; 5+ drinks in a row) or high-intensity drinking (19%; 10+ drinks in a row).
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Original research:
Brooke J. Arterberry, Sarah J. Peterson, Ty S. Schepis, Megan E. Patrick (2024). Prevalence and correlates of daily-level reasons not to drink among young adults who use alcohol. Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.