Table 2 Summary of research studies investigating drinking patterns of Irish and UK undergraduate students
Study | Year | Design | Graduate course | Period of course | Sample size/Response rate | Age | Sex | Screening tool | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black & Monrouxe, 2014 [39] | - | Method was dependent on each institution (e-mail, online notice board, and social media). Students informed others of the questionnaire (i.e. snowball sampling). | Medicine | All medical years included | 216 individuals responded/- | 17-25 | Men and Women | Weekly alcohol consumption. 15 units or more/week | 21.6 %/weekly |
El Ansari et al, 2014 [29] | 2007–2008 | Self-administered questionnaire were provided to students during the last 10 minutes of class time. | All degree programmes | First-third year | 3,220/80 % | Mean range: 22.2–31.6 | Men and Women | Frequency of HEDa/past week CAGE | 59.2 % - HEDa 22.4 % - problem drinking 8.8 % - alcohol dependence. |
John & Alwyn, 2014 [41] | - | Questionnaires were distributed and returned at formal teaching sessions | - | Undergraduate, first year student | 374 First year students | 18–22 | Men and Women | FAST/typical week | 85 % - Binge drinking occasions (8 units or more in one sitting)/typical week |
O’Brien et al, 2014 [24] | September 2010–February 2012 | Individuals were sampled at venues leased or owned by the university at events noted from webpage listings or competition schedules. | - | - | 2,048/83 % | Mean = 19.97 | Men and women | AUDIT | 84 % - hazardous drinkers |
El ansari et al, 2013 [28] | 2007–2008 | A self-completed questionnaire was distributed during the last 10 minute of lectures. | All degree programmes | First-third year | 3,706 students/80 % | 24.9 years | Men and women | CAGE | 67.2 % - HED 22.4 % - Problem drinking 8.8 % - alcohol dependence. |
Partington et al, 2013 [25] | March 08-March 09 | Cross-sectional study – questionnaire booklet distributed either at the start or end of lectures | Science or arts based programmes | First-third year | 770/- | Median – 22 | Men and women | AUDIT | 60.6 % - hazardous pattern of drinking: Hazardous – 40.1 % Harmful – 10.9 % Probable dependence – 9.6 % |
De Visser & McDonnell, 2012 [40] | - | An online questionnaire investigating various lifestyle and health-related beliefs and behaviours was sent to students inviting them to complete | Not specified | Not specified | 731/- | 18-25 years | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed/past week | 47.5 % of women and 51.3 % of men noted exceeding their weekly unit guidelines/past week. |
Gardner et al, 2012 [35] | - | The questionnaire was posted online and sent to students for completion. Students were advised to forward the e-mail to other students. | Undergraduate students | All undergraduate years | 167/- | 18-35 years. Mean – 21.95 | Men and women | Binge drinking/past week | 56.2 % reported at least one binge drinking session/past week |
Gunby et al, 2012 [22] | 2008 –2009 | Students received an e-mail inviting them to participate in the research. In addition, posters inviting students to participate were also displayed on campus. | Undergraduate and postgraduate students | All years | 1,110/- | 18-24 years | Men and women | AUDIT | 71.2 % - hazardous alcohol consumption. |
Sebena et al, 2012 [31] | 2007 | Students received the questionnaire to complete during class time. | All first year courses | First year | 2,529/74 % | Not specified | Men and women | CAGE | Problem drinking: 22.1 % (CAGE score of 2 or more) |
Craigs et al, 2011 [45] | 2007/08 | Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire electronically | Undergraduate | All academic years included | 119/73 % | Mean age – 22.87 years | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed/week | 32 % - hazardous drinkers/week |
El Ansari et al, 2011 [30] | 2007–2008 | A self-completed questionnaire was distributed during the last 10 minute of lectures. | Modules included: Social sciences, sport, sport development and exercise, health science | First-third year | 3,706/80 % | 24.9 years | Men and women | CAGE | 23.1 % - problem drinking |
Heather et al, 2011 [23] | 2008–2009 | Cross-sectional study – questionnaire booklet distributed either at the start or end of lectures. | Students registered to science based or arts based programmes. The five most popular subject areas were targeted. | First, second and third year | 770/- | Mean – 22.3 | Men and women | AUDIT | Positive AUDIT – 60.6 % Hazardous – 40.1 % Harmful – 10.9 % Probable dependence – 9.6 % |
Beenstock et al, 2010 [20] | 2008 | Questionnaires were distributed at select lecture theatres. Following this, questionnaires were posted on the students online learning system, BlackBoard. | Deans of undergraduate studies in the faculties of Humanities, Social Science and Agriculture & Engineering were asked to participate. | Questionnaires were distributed across all years of study. | 458/67 % | 20 years - median | Men and women | AUDIT | 82 % positive AUDIT. 39 % hazardous drinkers, 22 % harmful drinkers and 21 % may be alcohol dependent. |
Cahill & Byrne, 2010 [32] | 2008 | Students who attended the Student Health Department over two days in November 2008 were asked to complete an anonymous survey on alcohol and drug use. | Students from any faculty | Students from any year | 181/91.4 % | Over half <21 | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed/week | 83.4 % - binge drinking in the previous 12 months. 44.8 % binge drink once weekly. |
Dodd et al, 2010 [33] | - | Convenience sampling was utilised with the selection recruited where time for data collection was given. | - | First -fourth year students from one UK university | 410/16 % | 22.8 years – mean age | Men and women | Binge drinking/past week | Binge drinking was reported by 65.4 % of men (5 or more units) and 52.6 % of women (4 or more units)/past week |
El Ansari & Stock, 2010 [34] | 2008–2009 | Two cross-sectional surveys were undertaken simultaneously using a universal sampling strategy (all students invited). Data was collected at selected modules at the end of teaching sessions. | Undergraduate students | All academic years included | 380 students: 195 male and 185 female | 22.86 years – Mean | Men and women | Binge drinking frequency/past month | 11.5 % - binge drinking 10 times or more in the last month; 15.8 % - binge drinking (5 or more drinks in a row) 6-9 times in past month. 26.5 % reported binge drinking 3-5 times in the past month. 12.9 % reported it 1 and 2 times. 20.4 % reported not binge drinking/previous month. |
Woolfson & Maguire, 2010 | 2007 | The university portal was used for student to opt-in and complete the questionnaire online over a 4 week period. | - | - | 62/96.9 % | 21 years – Mean age | Men and women | Binge Drinking (units)/monthly | 82.3 % reported partaking in binge drinking sessions (b)in the four week period of follow up. |
Underwood et al, 2009 [47] | 2008 | 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students completed the questionnaire before scheduled lectures. Absentees from class, 1st and 5th year students were contacted via internal mail. | Dental undergraduate students | First to fifth year dental students | 384/- | - | Men and women | Hazardous from units consumed (50 or more for men, 36 or more for women)/week. | In 2008, 1.7 % of males and 2.6 % of females reported hazardous alcohol consumption last week. 0 % of men and 2.7 % of women report hazardous alcohol consumption on an average week. |
O’Connor et al, 2008 [48] | 2003 | Questionnaires were distributed around the library and collected approximately 30 minutes later. The method was designed to capture a representative sample of the UCC student population. | Undergraduate and postgraduate students | All years included. | 115/100 % response rate | Undergraduates – 20.2 years Graduates – 44.2 years | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed c/week | One third (32.1 %) of the UCC undergraduates were in the risky drinking category/week. |
Gill et al, 2007 [36] | - | Second year students were at informed about the study at the beginning of class and were asked to complete the questionnaire a week later in an adjacent classroom. | Undergraduate students | Second year undergraduate students registered to one university | 95 | 20.1 years (18.1–25.3) – mean age | Female only | Units of alcohol consumedc/past week | 70 % of individuals reported binge drinkingc one day within the previous 7 days |
Norman et al, 2007 [37] | Questionnaires were completed by a sample of undergraduate students at two time-points. Theory of planned behaviour and binge drinking questions were included. | Undergraduate students | Not specified | 94/84 % | 20.1 – Mean age | Men and women | Binge drinkingb/past week | 73.4 % - binge drinking/past week (T1) 62.0 % - binge drinking/past week (T2) | |
Barber & Fairclough, 2006 [60] | 2001 | Questionnaires were distributed to all dental students and selected law students during lectures and returned via an enclosed response box placed in the lobby area of each faculty. | Dental and Law undergraduate students | Each year | All dental students were selected. 180 law students/-Dental:83 %, Law: 71 % | Mean age: Dental students – 21.4 years, Law students – 20.4 years | Men and women | Alcohol use categorised to sensiblec | 30 % of dental students and 40 % of Law students reported exceeding sensible levels of alcohol consumptionc/week |
Boland et al, 2006 [27] | 2002 | A researcher distributed the surveys to students in class, outlined the aims and objectives of the research and collected the completed surveys before departing. | Medical students | All undergraduate years of medicine | 537/63 % | 19–22 | Men and women | CAGE | 2002 – 52.5 % of medical students reported a positive CAGE score |
Faulkner et al, 2006 [21] | - | Students living in halls of residence in a campus university in South Wales were eligible for inclusion. Questionnaires were distributed to as many halls as could be accessed and collected two days later. | - | - | 282/47 % | Mean age – 20.2 years | Men and women | AUDIT | AUDIT scores in excess of 8 were reported by 85 % of males and 73 % of females. |
Watson et al, 2006 [43] | - | Questionnaires were distributed at the end of lectures. | Undergraduate nursing students | First year (pre-registration) nursing and midwifery students | 186/93 % | The majority of students were aged 17-30 | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed de/week | 86.5 % reported having drunk alcohol on at least one occasion in the previous week. 74 % of students report drinking at levels above low risk drinking + ./week 54.7 % of students reported binge drinkinge/week |
McMillan & Conner, 2003 [42] | - | Respondents were recruited at lectures. | Undergraduate students | All years were eligible for inclusion in this study | A response rate of 62 % was noted. | 17-54 years | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed c/week | 65.2 % of men and 40.7 % of women report exceeding ‘sensible’ levels/week 19.6 % of men and 1.2 % of women reported hazardous drinking/week |
Snow et al, 2003 [26] | - | Questionnaires were completed by a convenience sample of individuals who expressed interest in participating in focus groups. | Psychology, Law and Business | Undergraduate first year students | 300 questionnaires distributed 187 students - 62 % response rate | Mean age – 20.2 years | Men and women | AUDIT | 69.2 % of males and 62.8 % of females had a hazardous AUDIT score. |
Newbury-Birch et al, 2002 [46] | 1995 and 1998 | Second year students followed up in final year. Questionnaires were distributed in class or group meetings for completion. Attendance was monitored and absent students received the questionnaire in the post. | Undergraduate medical and dental students | Second and final year | 427/71-80 % | - | Men and women | Units of alcohol consumed c/week | 37.5 % of men and 9.7 % of women as second years were hazardous drinkers/week. As final years it was reported by 7.4 % of men and no women/week. |