Abstract
Alcohol use and its associated problems among university students have attracted empirical investigation by researchers and
scholars. While many of these studies have reported a very high level of alcohol consumption and highlighted the various problems
this portends, alcohol-related perceptions of this vulnerable population, which could be germane to intervention aimed at
curtailing the problem, have remained largely under-researched. This cross-sectional survey examined the use and perceptions
of alcohol by student-patrons (n = 1,705) of beer parlours or ‘joints’ in three university communities in Southwest Nigeria. Respondents were interviewed
using AUDIT, a socio-demographic prototype and an open-ended section on alcohol-related perceptions of the students. Findings
indicated that overall, 72% of the respondents perceived that alcohol is good for socializing, 68% perceived that alcohol
is good in the aspect of stress reduction, 58% believed that alcohol consumption is indicative of maturity, 36% perceived
that alcohol enhances their sexual performance while 39% perceived that alcohol serves to enhance alertness/concentration.
Results also showed that gender (β = −. 23; p < .05), paternal alcohol use (β = .36; p < .01), parental socio-economic status (β = .33; p < .01), and residential status of university of respondents (β = .21; p < .05) significantly predicted alcohol use. The study concluded that perceptions about alcohol are very germane to understanding
students’ alcohol use and should be reckoned with in designing intervention programmes. The need to adopt a ‘client-centered’
approach to the problem of student drinking behaviour was emphasized.
scholars. While many of these studies have reported a very high level of alcohol consumption and highlighted the various problems
this portends, alcohol-related perceptions of this vulnerable population, which could be germane to intervention aimed at
curtailing the problem, have remained largely under-researched. This cross-sectional survey examined the use and perceptions
of alcohol by student-patrons (n = 1,705) of beer parlours or ‘joints’ in three university communities in Southwest Nigeria. Respondents were interviewed
using AUDIT, a socio-demographic prototype and an open-ended section on alcohol-related perceptions of the students. Findings
indicated that overall, 72% of the respondents perceived that alcohol is good for socializing, 68% perceived that alcohol
is good in the aspect of stress reduction, 58% believed that alcohol consumption is indicative of maturity, 36% perceived
that alcohol enhances their sexual performance while 39% perceived that alcohol serves to enhance alertness/concentration.
Results also showed that gender (β = −. 23; p < .05), paternal alcohol use (β = .36; p < .01), parental socio-economic status (β = .33; p < .01), and residential status of university of respondents (β = .21; p < .05) significantly predicted alcohol use. The study concluded that perceptions about alcohol are very germane to understanding
students’ alcohol use and should be reckoned with in designing intervention programmes. The need to adopt a ‘client-centered’
approach to the problem of student drinking behaviour was emphasized.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s12646-011-0087-9
- Authors
- Gboyega Emmanuel Abikoye, Department of Behavioural Studies, Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Nigeria
- Helen O. Osinowo, Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Journal Psychological Studies
- Online ISSN 0974-9861
- Print ISSN 0033-2968