A study from UT Arlington uncovers the impact of peer pressure on college students’ drinking habits and highlights protective strategies to prevent alcohol misuse and its negative consequences.
A recent study led by Joshua Awua, a postdoctoral research associate in The University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social Work, delves into how peer pressure affects young adults’ alcohol consumption, a significant issue among college students.
Raised in a close-knit community in Ghana, Awua was all too familiar with the pressures to conform, particularly when it came to drinking.
“Social connection was everything, and sometimes that came with pressure to conform, including drinking,” Awua said in a news release. “I remember how hanging out with peers and even my older siblings often centered on drinking.”
To gather data, the research team conducted a confidential online survey involving 524 students from a large public university.
The findings, published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, showed how college students often misjudge their peers’ alcohol intake due to various social events like parties, tailgating and pre-gaming, which can lead to risky behaviors.
“We might think our peers are having five or six drinks in a day, so we can also drink that amount,” Awua added. “But it has been established that this is mostly inaccurate. That misperception can lead to heavy episodic drinking and negative consequences.”
To counter these misperceptions, the study emphasized the importance of Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), such as drinking slowly and avoiding drinking games. These strategies can help students maintain control over their alcohol consumption, even when they perceive that their peers are drinking heavily.
“If we utilize some of these simple but effective strategies, we’re more likely to reduce the stress or the negative consequences associated with alcohol use,” added Awua.
The 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) supports the relevance of this study. According to NSDUH, nearly half of full-time college students aged 18 to 25 have reported drinking alcohol in the past month, with 29.3% admitting to binge drinking.
The consequences of such behavior are severe, including an estimated 1,519 annual deaths from alcohol-related unintentional injuries among college students, along with higher incidents of assault, academic issues and alcohol use disorders.
Awua stressed that employing PBS could significantly curb these risks.
“What the evidence shows, and what our study confirmed, is that once students begin to use these strategies, they reduce the risk of experiencing negative consequences like drunk driving,” he concluded. “Ultimately, they’re supporting their own health by reducing risks. Over time, the consistent use of these strategies can help lower the overall rates of substance-related harm.”