What We Have Learned From the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: Focusing Attention on College Student Alcohol Consumption and the Environmental Conditions That Promote It.

Source: Wechsler, Henry, and Toben F. Nelson. "What We Have Learned From the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: Focusing Attention on College Student Alcohol Consumption and the Environmental Conditions That Promote It." Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 69.4 (2008): 481-90. Harvard School of Public Health. Web.

Summary: This paper by Henry Wechsler, PH.D. and Toben F. Nelson, SC.D. summarizes years of alcohol research done by the Harvard School of Public Health College on binge drinking and what influences it. This study addresses the relationship between student drinking and campus policy, what has been done to reduce the alcohol problem, and what should be done to reduce the alcohol problem.

Quality: This study was done by Harvard University, which is a very reputable college and uses references backed by reputable sources such as The American Psychological Association and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Furthermore, this study covers four years of research and 120 schools across the United States.

Issues: The last study done on this was back in 2001, so this is a bit dated. The method used for this study was also a survey, which not all students that were selected for the survey responded to. In this paper, the authors include the issues of this survey. They said, "The sample was limited in at least three important ways. First, not all students who were selected to participate in the study responded to the survey... Second, we sampled a relatively small number of students within each college, thus limiting the precision of estimates for a single college. Third, we relied on self-reported responses to a questionnaire. No attempt was made to obtain measures of consumption other than self-reports." (White et al., 2005).

Key Words:

Binge Drinking

A Matter of Degree

College-level Variation

College Alcohol Study (CAS)

College alcohol-control policies and students' alcohol consumption: A matter of exposure?

Source: DEMERS, ANDRÉE, NANCY BEAUREGARD, and LOUIS GLIKSMAN. "College Alcohol-Control Policies And Students' Alcohol Consumption: A Matter Of Exposure?." Contemporary Drug Problems 40.2 (2013): 191-214. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.

Summary: This Canadian scientific study examines college students’ drinking patterns and how their environment motivates them to binge drink. It also covers the concept of how the student’s area of residency and the college’s alcohol policy influence their behaviors. The article also talks of a difference between on-campus and off-campus residents and how their drinking patterns differ. “...significant differences were observed among campus and noncampus residents, with the former displaying increased levels of usual alcohol quantity drank and tending to consume alcohol on campus in greater proportions.” This shows that living on a campus puts the student at a higher risk of drinking than those living off-campus.

Quality: This article is backed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This institute is a federal agency funded by the Canadian government. This leads us to believe that it's a reputable source. Additionally, the results of this survey resemble a survey done by the Harvard School of Public Health which relates these results to American Universities. Thus, showing it's relevance to our post. Also this study covers a broad range of schools, and has specific requirements (for example: (a) presence of a Registrar; b) membership exceeding 1000 full-time degree undergraduates; c) physical attendance of classes; d) non-military or religious mission; e) public-based funding) (198) for each university in order to prevent an outlier.

Issues: This study deals with Canadian students, which have lower minimum drinking age in most areas. The methods of acquiring data from students could have some areas for inaccuracy due to the survey being self-responding. Due to this method there is room for dishonesty in the subjects’ answers. While there are sources from 2012 backing this study’s data up, the original study is 11 years old as of the year of 2015. Due to changes of behavior and culture throughout the years this study may now be irrelevant.

Key Words:

Alcohol consumption

Place of residence

Alcohol-control policies

Canada

Drinking

College Drinking