University students and alchol use: a positive deviance perspective

Abstract

Dangerous alcohol consumption among university students continues to be a major issue in Canada. Numerous studies, focusing on high-risk alcohol consumers, have explored potential variables to explain this behaviour. Positive deviance (PD) offers an alternative framework, one that looks to members of the at-risk group whom manage to demonstrate behaviours that are more functional and healthy as compared to the more typical 'deviant' behaviour. This study examines whether variables identified in the sexual health and delinquency PD literature (e.g., perceived self-efficacy) would predict responsible alcohol consumption among university students. Three categories of students were surveyed: current alcohol abstainers (n=89), responsible drinkers (n=115), and binge drinkers (n=217) using a convenience sampling strategy at an Atlantic Canadian university. Results from our multinomial logistic regression were supported (X²=246.78, df=18, p<.001), with several of our predictor variables significantly predicting group membership. While the model classification accuracy rate (i.e., 66.0%) exceeded the proportional by chance accuracy rate (i.e., 38.4%), providing further support for the model, the model itself best predicted binge drinker membership over the other two groups. Practice and future research implications are discussed.