Social Norms, Attitudes and Perceptions of Alcohol and Drinking and Their Relationship with Risky Behavior Among Young Adults: A Comparative Study in Neiva, Colombia and Pittsburgh, USA

Background: Drinking patterns, including behavioral beliefs among young adults may vary from one country to another or be heavily influenced by cultural/regional factors. In order to identify opportunities for targeted interventions to reduce alcohol-related injuries and illnesses, improved understanding of drinking patterns, beliefs and perceptions of the target population are necessary. Methods: Survey questionnaires among young adult patients at two academic, tertiary-care emergency departments (ED) were conducted to determine the similarities and differences in patient characteristics, drinking patterns and behavioral beliefs associated with drinking. Two independent samples, one consisting of Colombian (n=132) and the other of American (n=91) young adult patients, were recruited. Participants’ drinking status was determined using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT C). Patient demographics and behavioral beliefs about drinking behaviors were obtained through guided self-administered survey questionnaires. Specifically, beliefs about how many drinks it would take to get drunk, intention to drink, feelings about drinking, including perceived drinking norms, control and situational confidence were examined. Results: Comparison analysis indicates that within the studied sample, young adults from Pittsburgh on average drink more frequently per month (7.47 vs. 3.96 days, p-value < 0.001). However, young adults from Neiva are more likely on average to consume a greater volume of alcohol per drinking session (13.3 vs. 5.59 drinks, p-value < 0.001). Further, results indicate that social norms, attitudes and perceptions differ among the samples and may be indicative of drinking behavior. For instance, high-risk drinkers from the Neiva sample reported having positive attitudes and desires towards drinking. They were also more likely to believe that drinking among young adults was the social norm (55.45% vs. 35.5%, p-value = 0.04). These findings are in line with the Theory of Planned Behavior. Conclusions and public health relevance: This study identified important differences in drinking behavior as well as beliefs and attitudes that may contribute to drinking and alcohol abuse among young adults within two very different cultural settings. These findings have potential to inform the development of targeted intervention programs to reduce injury and illness related to alcohol abuse among young adults presenting at ED in similar settings