Attitude Toward Heavy Drinking as a Key Longitudinal Predictor of Alcohol Consumption and Problems
Abstract
Background
Little research has considered the importance of a person’s attitude toward heavy alcohol use when evaluated against other well-known predictors of alcohol use and related harm including alcohol use motives and alcohol user identity. The current study aimed to evaluate whether one’s favorable attitude toward heavy alcohol use is a unique predictor of prospectively assessed alcohol use-related outcomes when considered against descriptive and injunctive norms, alcohol use intentions, alcohol use motives, and alcohol user identity.
Methods
Participants in the current study comprised mandated students (n = 374; 54% male) who violated a campus alcohol policy and received a brief intervention (eCHECKUP TO GO). Analyses included the use of negative binomial regression to examine baseline predictors— attitude toward heavy alcohol use, perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, alcohol use intentions, alcohol use motives, and alcohol user identity—of prospective alcohol use outcomes and alcohol-related problems 1 month later.
Results
This study found that one’s attitude toward heavy alcohol use remains a significant predictor of binge frequency, peak alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems when accounting for norms, intentions, motives, and identity.
Conclusions
This study has important theoretical and intervention implications. Indeed, the finding that one’s attitude toward heavy alcohol use remains a significant predictor of alcohol-related outcomes when intentions are included in the model has implications within the theory of planned behavior. Furthermore, attitude toward heavy alcohol use has predictive utility when considered against descriptive and injunctive norms, alcohol use motives, and alcohol user identity. These findings contribute to a growing literature suggesting that attitudes could be an important intervention target when the goal is to change alcohol use behavior.
