What really matters in binge drinking: A dominance analysis of binge drinking psychological determinants among University students.

Introduction: Binge drinking (BD) is a public health concern, especially in young people. Multiple individual factors referring to different level of analyses - positional, inter-individual and intra-individual - are associated to BD. As they have mainly been explored separately, little is known about the psychological variables most associated with BD. This study, based on an integrative model considering a large number of variables, aims to estimate these associations and possible dominance of some variables in BD.

Methods: A sample of university students ( = 2851) participated in an internet survey-based study. They provided information on alcohol related variables (AUDIT, BD score), positional factors (sex, age), inter-individual factors (subjective norm, social identity, external motivations), and intra-individual factors (internal motivations, -cognitions, impulsivity and personality traits). The data were processed via a backward regression analysis including all variables and completed with a dominance analysis on variables that are significantly associated with BD intensity.

Results: The strongest variables associated with BD intensity were enhancement motives and drinking identity (average Δ  = 21.81%), followed by alcohol subjective norm and social motives (average Δ  = 13.99%). Other associated variables (average Δ  = 2,84%) were negative metacognition on uncontrollability, sex, coping motives, lack of premeditation, positive metacognition on cognitive self-regulation, positive urgency, lack of perseverance, age, conformity motives and loneliness.

Conclusion: Results offer new avenues at the empirical level, by spotting particularly inter-individual psychological variables that should be more thoroughly explored, but also at the clinical level, to elaborate new prevention strategies focusing on these specific factors.