Factors related to beer drinking among university students

Abstract

This survey research aims to study the factors associated with beer drinking behavior among university students. Participants were 440 university students recruited through a 3-stage random sampling. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire during September – October 2015 and were analyzed by frequency distribution, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Study results revealed that more than 6 out of 10 students (65.7%) were male; their mean age = 20.37 years old; 34.3% were first-year students; more than 2 out of 10 studied in Faculty of Political Science (24.8%); mean GPA = 2.91; averaged monthly income = 6,959.32 THB; four out of ten (40.2%) rent and shared a room with friends in a dormitory; and 45.9% played sports as extracurricular activity. Personal factors (age, class, GPA, income, faculty, and living place), social factors (family relationship, peer pressure, and influence of advertising), and environmental factors (attitude, perception and value about beer drinking behavior) significantly had a high level of positive correlation with beer drinking behavior among university students (p=0.01). Four factors that could work together to significantly predict beer drinking behavior among university students (p=0.001) included attitude toward beer drinking behavior, peer pressure, value about drinking beer and influence of advertising; and they could predict as correctly as 99.1%. The study suggests that educational institutions should use these findings as a guide for organizing attitude-adjustment activities; incorporating the contents on impacts of beer consumption, promoting knowledge on alcoholic beverage control laws; putting the billboards campaigning for students to keep a distance from alcohol; and promoting good social value among students.