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Business as Usual? Drinking Games Participation before and during an Academic Pandemic (COVID-19) Year among University Students

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Title: Business as Usual? Drinking Games Participation before and during an Academic Pandemic (COVID-19) Year among University Students
Language: English
Authors: Byron L. Zamboanga (ORCID 0000-0001-9763-2407), Banan Ramarushton, Heidemarie Blumenthal, Linda Thompson, Lindsay S. Ham (ORCID 0000-0002-2497-9263), John B. Bartholomew, Seth J. Schwartz, Audrey Harkness (ORCID 0000-0003-2290-9904), Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Patrick McClain, Pamela Regan, Minas Michikyan
Source: Journal of American College Health. 2025 73(4):1524-1531.
Availability: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Drinking, Games, College Students, Alcohol Abuse, Student Behavior, COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Attitudes, Health, Self Efficacy, Health Behavior, At Risk Persons
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2301328
ISSN: 0744-8481
1940-3208
Abstract: Objective: A drinking game (DG) is a risky social drinking activity that is prevalent among university students and promotes rapid alcohol consumption. We examined university students' DG behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students (N = 368; M[subscript age]=21.12; women = 72.6%; Hispanic = 44.7%) from seven universities completed an online survey in 2021 (spring/summer). Results: 57% played DGs in-person before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. These students were less worried about their health/symptoms if they were to contract COVID-19, had lower confidence in wearing a mask properly/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, and endorsed higher enhancement drinking motives than students who played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic (30%). Conclusions: College health practitioners could pay close attention to students who endorse high enhancement motives as they are susceptible to risky DG play.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1472789
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0184444268;acl01apr.25;2025Apr15.05:17;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0184444268-1">Business as usual? Drinking games participation before and during an academic pandemic (COVID-19) year among university students </title> <p>Objective: A drinking game (DG) is a risky social drinking activity that is prevalent among university students and promotes rapid alcohol consumption. We examined university students' DG behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students (N = 368; M<sub>age</sub>=21.12; women = 72.6%; Hispanic = 44.7%) from seven universities completed an online survey in 2021 (spring/summer). Results: 57% played DGs in-person before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. These students were less worried about their health/symptoms if they were to contract COVID-19, had lower confidence in wearing a mask properly/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, and endorsed higher enhancement drinking motives than students who played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic (30%). Conclusions: College health practitioners could pay close attention to students who endorse high enhancement motives as they are susceptible to risky DG play.</p> <p>Keywords: COVID-19; drinking games; drinking motives; university students</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-2">Introduction</hd> <p>The COVID-19 pandemic and associated university policies and campus closures restricting in-person gatherings appears to have had an uneven impact on students' drinking and social behaviors. Some studies comparing university students' drinking behaviors before versus during the pandemic indicated changes in alcohol use and related consequences (both increases and decreases), whereas others found no change.[[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref2">3</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref3">5</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref4">7</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref5">9</reflink>]] Despite the pandemic, some university students continued to drink with other people in dorms or their parents' home,[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref6">11</reflink>] or engage in hazardous alcohol use and binge drinking.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref7">12</reflink>] One risky drinking practice that is designed to promote rapid alcohol consumption and typically involves consuming alcohol with other people is playing a drinking game (DG).[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref8">13</reflink>] In general, the prevalence rates of DGs participation among university students in the United States and abroad ranges roughly between 50% to 70%.[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref9">14</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref10">15</reflink>] Drinking heavily while playing a DG can reduce students' social inhibition, thus increasing their risk for COVID-19 exposure and possibly infection by compromising their ability to adhere to sanitary guidelines (e.g., hand washing/sanitizing) and maintaining physical distance from other players.[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref11">16</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref12">17</reflink>] Despite the prevalence of DGs participation among university students,[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref13">14</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref14">15</reflink>] little is known about their DG behaviors in the context of the recent pandemic. To address this gap in the literature, we utilized a multisite sample of university students in the U.S. to examine how drinking motives and COVID-19 related health concerns were associated with in-person DG participation during an academic pandemic year.</p> <p>According to a motivational model of alcohol use,[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref15">18</reflink>] people imbibe, in part, because they want to (a) have a pleasant experience and/or (b) avoid an unpleasant experience. In accordance with the tenets of this model, Cooper (1994)[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref16">19</reflink>] developed the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised which measures social ("it helps you enjoy a party"), enhancement ("because it's fun"), coping ("to forget your problems"), and conformity ("so you won't feel left out") motives for drinking. Multivariate findings from a meta-analysis indicated that while enhancement and coping motives were robustly (positively) associated with negative drinking consequences, enhancement motives were most strongly correlated (positively) with alcohol use.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref17">20</reflink>] During the pandemic, some notable changes in students' motivations to drink were observed. For example, Spillane et al.[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref18">21</reflink>] found that coping motives increased early in the pandemic, which were also related to increased alcohol use. The increase in coping motives is not surprising as the social isolation and boredom that students felt during the pandemic were likely to be linked to their motivations to drink. For instance, Wardell and colleagues[<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref19">22</reflink>] found a negative association between coping motives and social connectedness during the pandemic. Mixed-method data[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref20">6</reflink>] also indicated that students attributed their increased alcohol consumption to boredom (82.5%) and drinking as means to cope with their distress (45%). As far as DGs participation is concerned, results from two qualitative studies indicated that some students reported playing DGs virtually (e.g., via Zoom) during the pandemic so they could stay connected with their friends, to have fun, and/or to feel less bored.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref21">23</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref22">24</reflink>]</p> <p>Spillane and colleagues[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref23">21</reflink>] also found that social and conformity motives decreased after the onset of the pandemic, but were unrelated to general alcohol use. They suggested that such changes may have reflected the limited opportunities to drink socially during the pandemic. Given prior research showing that students felt socially isolated during the pandemic,[[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref24">25</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref25">27</reflink>]] it is conceivable that those who were motivated to drink for social reasons might be drawn to play DGs, especially if opportunities to drink with peers were limited due to university and/or governmental mandates restricting them from gathering in groups. Finally, although Spillane and colleagues[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref26">21</reflink>] found that enhancement motives did not change before versus after the onset of the pandemic, these motives remained related to alcohol use. Perhaps in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, students who endorse enhancement motives may capitalize on opportunities to participate in a DG so they can drink heavily with their peers while playing.</p> <p>Research indicates that university students' concerns about their health and risk for COVID-19 infection[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref27">25</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref28">28</reflink>] appears to have carried over to their use of alcohol. For instance, students' adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines (e.g., physical distancing[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref29">29</reflink>]) and perceived need to change their behavior to help reduce COVID-19 transmission[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref30">2</reflink>] have been linked to reductions in their alcohol use. However, results from a recent study[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref31">17</reflink>] indicated that over 60% of students drawn from a 12-site study reported playing DGs in-person during an academic pandemic year, whereas few played virtually (e.g., 1.2% played only virtual DGs). Moreover, controlling for general alcohol use and perceived COVID-19 threat, students who endorsed higher levels of social, and lower levels of coping, motives to drink (but not enhancement or conformity motives) were at increased risk for playing DG in-person.[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref32">17</reflink>] The need to further researchers' understanding of in-person DG participation in the context of a pandemic is highlighted by studies suggesting that (a) university students' perceived COVID-19 threat was unrelated (in multivariate analysis) to overall consumption levels and number of drinking days,[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref33">30</reflink>] and (b) ∼39% of students did not wear or hardly wore a mask at social events/parties and only 12% of students who attended parties were very concerned about COVID-19.[<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref34">31</reflink>]</p> <p>The present study builds on prior work[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref35">17</reflink>] by examining differences in COVID-19-related concerns and related health behaviors, drinking motives, and general alcohol use between students who played or did not play DGs in-person before the pandemic, and then continued or discontinued playing DGs during an academic pandemic year. Understanding these group differences in COVID-19-related concerns and health behaviors over and above the effects of demographics (e.g., age, gender) that have been shown to be associated with DGs participation[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref36">14</reflink>] can help to inform intervention and prevention programming should another pandemic occur, which according to researchers,[<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref37">32</reflink>] is a real possibility. Discovering differences in drinking motives and alcohol consumption levels between these groups can also help to inform intervention and prevention programming efforts beyond the context of a pandemic given the link between (a) drinking motives and certain drinking behavior patterns,[[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref38">18</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref39">20</reflink>]] and (b) DGs participation and increased alcohol consumption.[<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref40">33</reflink>] Based on prior research,[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref41">17</reflink>] we expected that compared to students who did not play DGs during the pandemic, those who played DGs in-person during the pandemic, regardless of whether they played or did not play before the pandemic, would (a) endorse higher levels of social motives and (b) report lower COVID-19 health concerns, and more alcohol consumption during the pandemic. Given prior factor analytic work showing that coping motives did not emerge as a motive to play DGs,[<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref42">34</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref43">35</reflink>] the limited research on coping motives and DG behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and research showing that conformity and enhancement motives were not significantly associated with DG behaviors during the pandemic,[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref44">17</reflink>] we did not advance specific hypotheses regarding group differences in these motives. The limited research also precluded us from advancing specific hypotheses regarding the group differences in DG behaviors as a function of other COVID-19 cognitions (e.g., confidence masking/social distancing while intoxicated). As such, we explored group differences in DGs participation (i.e., played before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic; played before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic; did not play before the pandemic but began playing during the pandemic) as a function of students' endorsement of the aforementioned motives and other COVID-19 cognitions.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-3">Materials and methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184444268-4">Participants and procedures</hd> <p>The data analytic sample was derived from the COVID-19 University Research on Education and Sustainability (CURES[<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref45">36</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref46">37</reflink>]) study which consisted of 1,992 students from 7 public universities across several states. Participants completed a one-hour online survey (Qualtrics) during an academic pandemic year (Spring/Summer-2021) and were recruited online (e.g., emailed flyers/social media), through psychology subject pools, undergraduate courses, and word of mouth. Although students were not compensated for their research participation, students who were recruited from psychology subject pools received course credit for participating. The Institutional Review Boards at all of the university sites approved the study protocols.</p> <p>Of the 1,992 recorded responses, 37 participants indicated that they were postgraduate students and were therefore removed from the dataset. Furthermore, 428 participants had a missing response on either one of the DGs participation items and could not be included in our DGs grouping variable; as such, we omitted them from our study sample. Additionally, 700 participants indicated that they did not participate in DGs before <emph>or</emph> during the pandemic. Thus, in light of our specific study aims, and given that these students do not appear to be at increased risk for DGs participation, we elected to focus our analysis on those who participated in DGs before and/or during the pandemic.[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref47">1</reflink>] Next, 459 participants had missing responses on at least one of the primary independent variables. Listwise deletion, one of the most common techniques to handle missing data in regression analyses,[<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref48">38</reflink>] assumes that the data are Missing Completely at Random (MCAR). Indeed, a non-significant Little's (1988)[<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref49">39</reflink>] MCAR test value provided such support (χ<emph><sups>2</sups></emph>=346.31, <emph>p</emph> =.440). Thus, our final sample included 368 participants.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-5">Measures</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184444268-6">Demographics</hd> <p>Participants reported age, biological sex (female/male/other), class year (freshman/sophomore/junior/senior), and race/ethnicity (Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin American, Native American, White, Other).</p> <p> <emph>COVID-19 related concerns, behaviors, and drinking behaviors.</emph>[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref50">2</reflink>] Participants reported their level of worry about the COVID-19 pandemic overall (1 = <emph>Not at all</emph>-5 = <emph>Extremely</emph>), perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19 (1 = <emph>Not Likely</emph>-4 = <emph>Very likely</emph>), worry about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted (1 = <emph>Not at all</emph>-5 = <emph>Very worried</emph>), confidence in their ability to wear a mask properly when they are under the influence of alcohol (0 = <emph>Not at all confident</emph>-10 = <emph>Extremely confident</emph>), and confidence in their ability to socially distance (i.e., staying at least six feet away from others) while under the influence of alcohol (0 = <emph>Not at all confident</emph>-10 = <emph>Extremely confident</emph>). The two confidence items (Pearson's <emph>r =</emph>.71) were combined in the current study. Lastly, participants reported their frequency of feeling isolated from others since the COVID-19 pandemic began (1 = <emph>Hardly ever</emph>, 2 = <emph>Some of the time,</emph> 3 = <emph>Often</emph>) and changes in their alcohol intake during the COVID-19 pandemic (1 = <emph>Decreased a little</emph>, 2 = <emph>Decreased a lot</emph>, 3 = <emph>Stayed the same</emph>, 4 = <emph>Increased a little</emph>, 5 = <emph>Increased a lot</emph>).</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-7">Drinking motives</hd> <p>Participants completed the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised-Short Form (DMQ-R-SF[<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref51">42</reflink>]), a 12-item measure comprised of four subscales: social (e.g., "because it helps you enjoy a party"), enhancement (e.g., "because you like the feeling"), coping (e.g., "to forget your worries"), and conformity (e.g., "so you won't feel left out") drinking motives. Participants responded using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = <emph>Almost never/never</emph>-5 = <emph>Almost always/always</emph>). The DMQ-R-SF has demonstrated good psychometric properties.[<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref52">41</reflink>] See Table 1 for Cronbach's alphas and example items.</p> <p>Table 1. Descriptives of full analytic sample and by drinking games participation category.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td>Full Sample (<italic>N</italic> = 368)<italic>M</italic> (<italic>SD</italic>) or %</td><td>Group 1 (G1) (<italic>n</italic> = 110; 30%)<italic>M</italic> (<italic>SD</italic>) or %</td><td>Group 2 (G2) (<italic>n</italic> = 210; 57%)<italic>M</italic> (<italic>SD</italic>) or %</td><td>Group 3 (G3) (<italic>n</italic> = 48; 13%)<italic>M</italic> (<italic>SD</italic>) or %</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Age<sup>a</sup></td><td char=".">21.12 (3.05)</td><td char=".">22.32 (4.01)<sup>>G2, G3</sup></td><td char=".">20.72 (2.30)</td><td char=".">20.15 (2.58)</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Sex</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Female</td><td char=".">72.6</td><td char=".">73.6</td><td char=".">71.0</td><td char=".">77.1</td></tr><tr><td> Male</td><td char=".">26.9</td><td char=".">25.5</td><td char=".">28.6</td><td char=".">22.9</td></tr><tr><td> Other</td><td char=".">.5</td><td char=".">.9</td><td char=".">.5</td><td>---</td></tr><tr><td>Class Year</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Freshman</td><td char=".">23.1</td><td char=".">10.9</td><td char=".">24.3</td><td char=".">45.8</td></tr><tr><td> Sophomore</td><td char=".">20.4</td><td char=".">18.2</td><td char=".">20.5</td><td char=".">25.0</td></tr><tr><td> Junior</td><td char=".">27.4</td><td char=".">37.3</td><td char=".">25.2</td><td char=".">14.6</td></tr><tr><td> Senior</td><td char=".">29.1</td><td char=".">33.6</td><td char=".">30.0</td><td char=".">14.6</td></tr><tr><td>Race/Ethnicity</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> White</td><td char=".">38.4</td><td char=".">25.5</td><td char=".">48.8</td><td char=".">22.9</td></tr><tr><td> Black/African American</td><td char=".">8.2</td><td char=".">10.0</td><td char=".">8.1</td><td char=".">4.2</td></tr><tr><td> Hispanic/Latin American</td><td char=".">44.7</td><td char=".">51.8</td><td char=".">37.3</td><td char=".">60.4</td></tr><tr><td> Asian/Pacific Islander</td><td char=".">6.3</td><td char=".">9.1</td><td char=".">4.8</td><td char=".">6.3</td></tr><tr><td> Native American</td><td char=".">.3</td><td>---</td><td char=".">.5</td><td>---</td></tr><tr><td> Other</td><td char=".">2.2</td><td char=".">3.6</td><td char=".">.5</td><td char=".">6.3</td></tr><tr><td>COVID-19 Related Cognitions and Drinking Behavior</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Worry about the COVID-19 pandemic overall</td><td char=".">2.99 (1.24)</td><td char=".">3.25 (1.25)<sup>>G2</sup></td><td char=".">2.86 (1.34)</td><td char=".">2.96 (1.09)</td></tr><tr><td> Perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19</td><td char=".">2.02 (.88)</td><td char=".">1.97 (.85)</td><td char=".">2.00 (.89)</td><td char=".">2.25 (.86)</td></tr><tr><td> Worry about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted</td><td char=".">3.08 (1.34)</td><td char=".">3.40 (1.27)<sup>>G2</sup></td><td char=".">2.86 (1.34)</td><td char=".">3.31 (1.29)</td></tr><tr><td> Confidence in wearing a mask/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol</td><td char=".">7.51 (2.91)</td><td char=".">8.42 (2.55)<sup>>G2</sup></td><td char=".">7.05 (2.98)</td><td char=".">7.47 (2.95)</td></tr><tr><td> Frequency of feeling isolated from others since the COVID-19 pandemic began</td><td char=".">1.94 (.70)</td><td char=".">1.96 (.74)</td><td char=".">1.90 (.68)</td><td char=".">2.08 (.65)</td></tr><tr><td> Changes in alcohol intake during the COVID-19 pandemic</td><td char=".">4.02 (1.22)</td><td char=".">3.31 (1.07)<sup><G2,G3</sup></td><td char=".">4.27 (1.14)</td><td char=".">4.56 (1.18)</td></tr><tr><td>Drinking Motives</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Social (α=.94)</td><td char=".">2.85 (1.28)</td><td char=".">2.33 (1.31)<sup><G2</sup></td><td char=".">3.14 (1.16)</td><td char=".">2.76 (1.31)</td></tr><tr><td> Enhancement (α=.85)</td><td char=".">2.53 (1.11)</td><td char=".">2.00 (1.00)<sup><G2,G3</sup></td><td char=".">2.80 (1.06)</td><td char=".">2.58 (1.10)</td></tr><tr><td> Coping (α=.91)</td><td char=".">1.95 (1.09)</td><td char=".">1.72 (1.08)<sup><G2</sup></td><td char=".">2.06 (1.08)</td><td char=".">2.00 (1.14)</td></tr><tr><td> Conformity (α=.90)</td><td char=".">1.69 (.99)</td><td char=".">1.47 (.91)<sup><G2</sup></td><td char=".">1.77 (1.01)</td><td char=".">1.86 (1.01)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 <emph>Note.</emph> Group 1: played drinking games before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic; Group 2: played drinking games before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic; Group 3: did not play drinking games before the pandemic but began playing during the pandemic. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine univariate differences across groups on primary study variables; superscripts indicate statistical differences across groups. <sups>a</sups>Age range = 18-44 years; 97.8% of students were young adults between 18-30 years of age.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-8">Drinking game participation</hd> <p>Two items were used to assess whether participants engaged in DGs before and/or during the pandemic: "Before the pandemic (i.e., before March 2020), did you play drinking games?" and "During the pandemic (i.e., after March 2020), have you played drinking games?" Participants reported "Yes" or "No" to both questions.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-9">Analytic plan</hd> <p>To test whether COVID related concerns, behaviors, and drinking behaviors, and drinking motives can increase the likelihood of playing in-person DGs during the pandemic while accounting for demographics, we conducted a multinomial logistic regression in SPSS. Since university site and biological sex were unrelated to our outcome variable, we omitted these variables from our model. DGs participation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was stratified into three groups: played DGs before the COVID-19 pandemic but stopped playing DGs during the COVID-19 pandemic (Group 1), played DGs before the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to play DGs during the COVID-19 pandemic (Group 2), and did not play DGs before the COVID-19 pandemic but began playing DGs during the COVID-19 pandemic (Group 3). All variables were included in a single model, with Groups 2 and 3 parameterized as dummy-coded variables.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-10">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184444268-11">Descriptives</hd> <p>Based on the data analytic sample, 30% played DGs before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic. Conversely, 57% played DGs before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. Finally, 13% did not play DGs before the pandemic but then played DGs during the COVID-19 pandemic (see Table 1 for descriptives of the analytic sample and by DGs participation group).</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-12">Multinomial logistic regression model</hd> <p>The model fit was significant, χ<emph><sups>2</sups></emph>(<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref53">22</reflink>, _I_N_i_ = 368)=127.17, <emph>p</emph> <.001, indicating significant improvement over the null model. Higher levels of worry about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted, higher confidence in wearing a mask and socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, decreases in alcohol intake during the pandemic, and lower levels of enhancement motives were associated with a higher likelihood that students played DGs before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic (Group 1) compared to the likelihood that students played DGs before the pandemic and continued to play DGs during the pandemic (Group 2). Furthermore, older age and decreases in alcohol intake during the pandemic were associated with a higher likelihood that students played DGs before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic (Group 1) compared to the likelihood that students did not play DGs before the pandemic but began playing during the pandemic (Group 3). Lastly, lower levels of worry about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted, decreases in alcohol intake during the pandemic, and higher levels of social motives were associated with a higher likelihood that students played DGs before the pandemic and continued to play DGs during the pandemic (Group 2) compared to the likelihood that students did not play DGs before the pandemic but began playing during the pandemic (Group 3; see Table 2).</p> <p>Table 2. Parameter estimates of the multinomial regression.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td>Group 1 vs. <italic>Group 2</italic></td><td>Group 1 vs. <italic>Group 3</italic></td><td>Group 2 vs. <italic>Group 3</italic></td></tr><tr><td /><td><italic>B</italic></td><td><italic>SE</italic></td><td><italic>p</italic>-value</td><td>Exp(<italic>B</italic>)</td><td>95% CI</td><td><italic>B</italic></td><td><italic>SE</italic></td><td><italic>p</italic>-value</td><td>Exp(<italic>B</italic>)</td><td>95% CI</td><td><italic>B</italic></td><td><italic>SE</italic></td><td><italic>p</italic>-value</td><td>Exp(<italic>B</italic>)</td><td>95% CI</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Age</td><td char=".">−0.08</td><td char=".">.05</td><td char=".">.085</td><td char=".">.92</td><td char=".">.84-1.01</td><td char="."><bold>−0.21</bold></td><td char=".">.09</td><td char="."><bold>.022</bold></td><td char=".">.81</td><td char=".">.68-.97</td><td char=".">−0.13</td><td char=".">.09</td><td char=".">.151</td><td char=".">1.14</td><td char=".">.95-1.35</td></tr><tr><td>COVID-19 Related Cognitions and Drinking Behavior</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Worry about the COVID-19 pandemic overall</td><td char=".">.00</td><td char=".">.14</td><td char=".">.983</td><td char=".">1.00</td><td char=".">.76-1.33</td><td char=".">−0.31</td><td char=".">.21</td><td char=".">.138</td><td char=".">.73</td><td char=".">.49-1.11</td><td char=".">−0.31</td><td char=".">.19</td><td char=".">.098</td><td char=".">1.37</td><td char=".">.94-1.98</td></tr><tr><td> Perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19</td><td char=".">.08</td><td char=".">.17</td><td char=".">.625</td><td char=".">1.09</td><td char=".">.78-1.51</td><td char=".">.32</td><td char=".">.23</td><td char=".">.159</td><td char=".">1.38</td><td char=".">.88-2.15</td><td char=".">.24</td><td char=".">.19</td><td char=".">.217</td><td char=".">.79</td><td char=".">.54-1.15</td></tr><tr><td> Worry about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted</td><td char="."><bold>−0.35</bold></td><td char=".">.14</td><td char="."><bold>.011</bold></td><td char=".">.70</td><td char=".">.53-.92</td><td char=".">.06</td><td char=".">.20</td><td char=".">.748</td><td char=".">1.07</td><td char=".">.72-1.57</td><td char="."><bold>.42</bold></td><td char=".">.18</td><td char="."><bold>.018</bold></td><td char=".">.66</td><td char=".">.47-.93</td></tr><tr><td> Confidence in wearing a mask/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol</td><td char="."><bold>−0.12</bold></td><td char=".">.05</td><td char="."><bold>.027</bold></td><td char=".">.89</td><td char=".">.80-.99</td><td char=".">−0.05</td><td char=".">.07</td><td char=".">.458</td><td char=".">.95</td><td char=".">.82-1.09</td><td char=".">.06</td><td char=".">.06</td><td char=".">.296</td><td char=".">.94</td><td char=".">.83-1.06</td></tr><tr><td> Frequency of feeling isolated from others since the COVID-19 pandemic began</td><td char=".">−0.10</td><td char=".">.21</td><td char=".">.628</td><td char=".">.90</td><td char=".">.59-1.37</td><td char=".">.28</td><td char=".">.30</td><td char=".">.354</td><td char=".">1.32</td><td char=".">.73-2.38</td><td char=".">.38</td><td char=".">.26</td><td char=".">.147</td><td char=".">.68</td><td char=".">.41-1.14</td></tr><tr><td> Changes in alcohol intake during the COVID-19 pandemic</td><td char="."><bold>.57</bold></td><td char=".">.14</td><td char="."><bold><.001</bold></td><td char=".">1.76</td><td char=".">1.35-2.29</td><td char="."><bold>.93</bold></td><td char=".">.20</td><td char="."><bold><.001</bold></td><td char=".">2.54</td><td char=".">1.73-3.75</td><td char="."><bold>.37</bold></td><td char=".">.18</td><td char="."><bold>.038</bold></td><td char=".">.69</td><td char=".">.49-.98</td></tr><tr><td>Drinking Motives</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Social</td><td char=".">.10</td><td char=".">.16</td><td char=".">.521</td><td char=".">1.11</td><td char=".">.81-1.51</td><td char=".">−0.32</td><td char=".">.24</td><td char=".">.184</td><td char=".">.73</td><td char=".">.46-1.16</td><td char="."><bold>−0.42</bold></td><td char=".">.21</td><td char="."><bold>.046</bold></td><td char=".">1.52</td><td char=".">1.01-2.29</td></tr><tr><td> Enhancement</td><td char="."><bold>.65</bold></td><td char=".">.21</td><td char="."><bold>.002</bold></td><td char=".">1.91</td><td char=".">1.26-2.89</td><td char=".">.48</td><td char=".">.30</td><td char=".">.104</td><td char=".">1.62</td><td char=".">.91-2.90</td><td char=".">−0.16</td><td char=".">.25</td><td char=".">.517</td><td char=".">1.18</td><td char=".">.72-1.93</td></tr><tr><td> Coping</td><td char=".">−0.34</td><td char=".">.19</td><td char=".">.076</td><td char=".">.72</td><td char=".">.49-1.04</td><td char=".">−0.43</td><td char=".">.27</td><td char=".">.106</td><td char=".">.65</td><td char=".">.39-1.10</td><td char=".">−0.10</td><td char=".">.23</td><td char=".">.671</td><td char=".">1.10</td><td char=".">.71-1.71</td></tr><tr><td> Conformity</td><td char=".">.06</td><td char=".">.19</td><td char=".">.764</td><td char=".">1.06</td><td char=".">.73-1.53</td><td char=".">.37</td><td char=".">.25</td><td char=".">.144</td><td char=".">1.45</td><td char=".">.88-2.37</td><td char=".">.31</td><td char=".">.20</td><td char=".">.127</td><td char=".">.73</td><td char=".">.49-1.09</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>2 <emph>Note. N</emph> = 368. Group 1: played drinking games before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic; Group 2: played drinking games before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic; Group 3: did not play drinking games before the pandemic but began playing during the pandemic. Beta weights and associated statistics correspond to the italicized group. <emph>B</emph>=standardized regression coefficient; <emph>SE</emph>=standard error of the standardized regression coefficient; Exp(<emph>B</emph>)=odds ratio; 95% CI = confidence interval for the odds ratio; <bold>Bold</bold> point=<emph>p</emph> <.05.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-13">Discussion</hd> <p>Playing DGs in-person during an academic pandemic year was an important public health concern given the increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and possible infection. Thus, using a multisite sample of university students in the United States, and building on prior work,[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref54">17</reflink>] we examined the ways in which students who played or did not play DGs before the pandemic and continued or discontinued playing DGs during the pandemic differed on several variables. Four noteworthy findings emerged. First, among students who reported any lifetime DGs participation, 57% played DGs before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. This percentage rate aligns with findings from a recent study[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref55">17</reflink>] which indicated that 65% of the students in their study played DGs during the academic pandemic year. Interestingly, our findings also indicated that 30% played DGs before the pandemic but stopped playing after the pandemic whereas 13% did not play before the pandemic but did so during the pandemic.</p> <p>Second, we found that students who played DGs before, and continued playing during the pandemic reported: (a) fewer worries about their health or symptoms if they contracted COVID-19, (b) lower confidence in wearing a mask properly and socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, (c) increases in alcohol use during the pandemic, and (d) higher enhancement motives to drink than students who played DGs before the pandemic but stopped playing during the pandemic. The finding that students played DGs before and during the pandemic is consistent with our hypothesis and align with previous work which indicated that students continued to drink with others in dorms or at their parents' home despite the pandemic.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref56">11</reflink>] During the academic pandemic year, increased worries about one's health or about the symptoms of COVID-19 infection appear to have deterred students who played DGs before the pandemic from playing them again during the pandemic. We found that higher endorsement of enhancement motives—but not endorsement of social (higher) or coping (lower) motives—served as a risk factor for continued DGs participation. Though not hypothesized, this finding aligns with prior work[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref57">21</reflink>] which indicated a positive association between enhancement motives and alcohol use during the pandemic. Finally, as expected, and given the positive link between DGs participation and alcohol use,[<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref58">33</reflink>] students who played before and continued to play during the pandemic were more likely to report an increase in alcohol use compared to those who stopped playing DGs during the pandemic and to those who started playing DGs during the pandemic. Overall, this pattern is consistent with findings reported in a recent study[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref59">17</reflink>] which indicated a positive association between alcohol use and an increased likelihood of playing DGs in-person during an academic pandemic year.</p> <p>Third, compared to students who played DGs both before and during the pandemic, those who did not play before the pandemic but began playing DGs during the pandemic were more concerned about their health/symptoms if they contracted COVID-19, endorsed less social motives to drink, and reported increased alcohol use during the pandemic. Although it is not clear why these students began playing DGs despite their COVID-19 health/symptom concerns and lower social drinking motives, their decision to play DGs in-person during the pandemic may have been due to boredom and/or limits on where they could go due to restrictions. As a result, these students may have gathered in small groups at home. Consistent with this possibility, prior findings indicated that students attributed their elevated alcohol intake during the pandemic to boredom,[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref60">6</reflink>] and other qualitative work found that students played DGs virtually in order to feel less bored.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref61">23</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref62">24</reflink>] Moreover, perhaps due to their inexperience with playing DGs, these students may have underestimated the risk they were taking with regard to their COVID-19 health/symptom concerns. Though likely, it is unclear whether the increase in alcohol use was directly related to the increase in DG participation.</p> <p>Fourth, our results indicated that compared to students who began playing DGs during the pandemic, those who played before but stopped during the pandemic were more likely to be older and to report decreases in alcohol use during the pandemic. In general, university students who are younger tend to be at greater risk for playing DGs than older students,[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref63">14</reflink>] and in the context of a pandemic, this demographic risk factor may extend to students who do not regularly play DGs. Furthermore, these younger students may have started attending college during the pandemic, thereby increasing their drinking consumption and likelihood of playing DGs more broadly. Indeed, we conducted a post-hoc chi-square test with a Bonferroni correction to examine this possibility.[<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref64">42</reflink>] Results indicated that there was a smaller proportion of first-year students in Group 1 (played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic) compared to Group 3 (did not play DGs pre-pandemic but began playing during the pandemic), χ[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref65">2</reflink>](<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref66">1</reflink>, _I_N_i_ = 368)=16.08, <emph>p</emph> <.001. Perhaps these differences could reflect the tendency for many college students to "mature out" of problem drinking behaviors as they age and take on more adult responsibilities.[<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref67">43</reflink>]<sups>,</sups>[<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref68">44</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-14">Limitations</hd> <p>Despite the strength of the study sample (i.e., multisite), there are important study limitations. We did not use a longitudinal study design to examine DGs participation before and after the pandemic. Instead, we used a cross-sectional, retrospective self-report study design. Because the majority of the study participants were female students, and in light of prior DGs research indicating sex differences in DG participation,[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref69">14</reflink>] the present findings may not generalize to males or to young adults who do not attend a university. Due to space constraints on the survey, we were not able to include a measure that assesses motives specific to playing DGs, which includes boredom.[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref70">35</reflink>] Additionally, our analyses did not capture drinking consumption during DG participation, frequency of DG participation, or negative consequences that resulted from playing DG. Though DG participation typically involves heavy drinking which can increase players' risk for experiencing adverse social and health consequences from playing, we cannot assume that students were directly involved in heavy drinking and/or experienced these outcomes simply by participating in DGs.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-15">Conclusion</hd> <p>Many students who played DGs before the pandemic continued to play DGs in-person during an academic pandemic year. These university students were also more likely to report increases in their alcohol use during the pandemic, endorse higher levels of enhancement motives, and feel less concerned about the health ramifications associated with COVID-19 relative to those who stopped playing DGs during the pandemic. Those who started playing DG during the pandemic were more likely to report increased alcohol intake during the pandemic, despite more worry about effects of COVID-19 if contracted and lower social motives for drinking, than those who played DGs before the pandemic and continued to play them. Should another pandemic occur, university health personnel could consider psychoeducational outreach initiatives that (a) remind students of the importance of practicing safe health measures (e.g., washing/sanitizing hands) and using alcohol protective behavioral strategies in the context of a DG,[<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref71">45</reflink>] and (b) provide students with ample opportunities that would allow them to interact with their peers (e.g., university-sanctioned virtual social hours and entertainment activities; outdoor recreational events) to help reduce the need for students to cope with social isolation. Researchers and university health professionals should also pay close attention to who is likely to be most at risk for playing DGs so they can take appropriate measures to help reduce students' risk for harms. We hope that the present study will inspire more work in this direction.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-16">Authors' note</hd> <p>Questions regarding the statistical analyses of this paper should be addressed to Banan Ramarushton (mailto:bananramarushton@my.unt.edu) and Dr. Heidemarie Blumenthal (mailto:heidemarie.blumenthal@unt.edu). All other correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to Prof. Byron L. Zamboanga, Ph.D., Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701; email: mailto:byronz@uark.edu, Tel: 479-575-4256; Fax: 479-575-3219.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-17">Conflict of interest disclosure</hd> <p>The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas at Austin.</p> <hd id="AN0184444268-18">Data availability statement</hd> <p>The data used for the analyses in this study can be made available upon a reasonable request to the corresponding author, and will require approval from the principal investigator's and site collaborator's Institutional Review Boards.</p> <ref id="AN0184444268-19"> <title> Notes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> As recommended by one of the reviewers, we conducted follow-up exploratory analyses comparing students who did not play DGs before or during the pandemic (Group 4) with those who (a) played before but stopped playing during the pandemic (Group 1), (b) played DGs before and continued to play during the pandemic (Group 2), and (c) did not play DGs before but began playing during the pandemic (Group 3). Results indicated that those in Group 4 reported decreases in alcohol intake during the pandemic and endorsed lower levels of social motives relative to students in Group 1. Compared to students in Group 2, those in Group 4 were older, more worried about symptoms or health if COVID-19 was contracted, felt more confident wearing a mask and socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, reported feeling socially isolated more often, indicated a decrease in alcohol intake during the pandemic, and endorsed lower levels of social, enhancement, and coping motives. Finally, students in Group 4 were also older, reported decreases in alcohol intake during the pandemic, and endorsed lower levels of enhancement and coping motives than those in Group 3. 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Effects of an injunctive norms intervention on intentions to use protective behavioral strategies during drinking games. Addict Res Theory. 2021; 30 (2): 149 – 154. doi: 10.1080/16066359.2021.1970748.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Byron L. Zamboanga; Banan Ramarushton; Heidemarie Blumenthal; Linda Thompson; Lindsay S. Ham; John B. Bartholomew; Seth J. Schwartz; Audrey Harkness; Kaveri Subrahmanyam; Patrick McClain; Pamela Regan and Minas Michikyan</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>This study was completed by the COVID-19 University Research on Education and Sustainability (CURES) research team which includes the following project and/or site collaborators (listed alphabetically): John Bartholomew, University of Texas at Austin; Melissa Bessaha, State University of New York-Stony Brook; Miguel Ángel Cano, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Linda Castillo, Texas A&M University; Lindsay S. Ham, University of Arkansas; Marissa Hanson, University of Miami; Audrey Harkness, University of Miami; Charles Martinez, University of Texas at Austin; Alan Meca, University of Texas-San Antonio; Minas Michikyan, California State University-Los Angeles; Brandy Piña-Watson, Texas Tech University; Pamela Regan, California State University-Los Angeles; Seth J. Schwartz, University of Texas at Austin; Kaveri Subrahmanyam, University of North Florida; Byron L. Zamboanga, University of Arkansas.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref42"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref52"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref68"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref71"></nolink>
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Business as Usual? Drinking Games Participation before and during an Academic Pandemic (COVID-19) Year among University Students
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Byron+L%2E+Zamboanga%22">Byron L. Zamboanga</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9763-2407">0000-0001-9763-2407</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Banan+Ramarushton%22">Banan Ramarushton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heidemarie+Blumenthal%22">Heidemarie Blumenthal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Linda+Thompson%22">Linda Thompson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lindsay+S%2E+Ham%22">Lindsay S. Ham</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2497-9263">0000-0002-2497-9263</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22John+B%2E+Bartholomew%22">John B. Bartholomew</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Seth+J%2E+Schwartz%22">Seth J. Schwartz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Audrey+Harkness%22">Audrey Harkness</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2290-9904">0000-0003-2290-9904</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaveri+Subrahmanyam%22">Kaveri Subrahmanyam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Patrick+McClain%22">Patrick McClain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pamela+Regan%22">Pamela Regan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Minas+Michikyan%22">Minas Michikyan</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+American+College+Health%22"><i>Journal of American College Health</i></searchLink>. 2025 73(4):1524-1531.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 8
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drinking%22">Drinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Games%22">Games</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alcohol+Abuse%22">Alcohol Abuse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Behavior%22">Student Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health%22">Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Efficacy%22">Self Efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Behavior%22">Health Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22At+Risk+Persons%22">At Risk Persons</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2301328
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0744-8481<br />1940-3208
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: A drinking game (DG) is a risky social drinking activity that is prevalent among university students and promotes rapid alcohol consumption. We examined university students' DG behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students (N = 368; M[subscript age]=21.12; women = 72.6%; Hispanic = 44.7%) from seven universities completed an online survey in 2021 (spring/summer). Results: 57% played DGs in-person before the pandemic and continued to play during the pandemic. These students were less worried about their health/symptoms if they were to contract COVID-19, had lower confidence in wearing a mask properly/socially distancing while under the influence of alcohol, consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, and endorsed higher enhancement drinking motives than students who played DGs before but stopped playing during the pandemic (30%). Conclusions: College health practitioners could pay close attention to students who endorse high enhancement motives as they are susceptible to risky DG play.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1472789
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1472789
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2301328
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 1524
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Drinking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Games
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Alcohol Abuse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At Risk Persons
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Business as Usual? Drinking Games Participation before and during an Academic Pandemic (COVID-19) Year among University Students
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