Predictive utility of Protective Behavioral Strategies for Alcohol-related Outcomes in a Community Sample of Young Adults

Abstract

Objective: Whilst previous studies have shown that Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) predict alcohol use and its related consequences in college students, it is not known whether a broader population of young adults also benefit from PBS use. We longitudinally examined the relationship between PBS use and alcohol-related outcomes in a community sample of young adults composed of college students and non-college individuals. Method: Targeted sampling was used to access 339 young adults in the community (mean age=21.1 [SD=2.21], female=50.7%; college students=59.0%) who completed baseline and 2-month follow-up measures. Three types of PBS were examined: Manner of Drinking (MOD), Stopping/Limiting Drinking (SLD) and Serious Harm Reduction (SHR). Regression analyses were conducted to test the predictive utility of PBS use on alcohol-related consequences, frequency and quantity of alcohol used, and binge drinking. Results: MOD strategies were the strongest predictors of decreased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences. Baseline MOD scores were negatively associated with quantity of alcohol used, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences at follow-up. SHR was longitudinally related to a lower frequency of alcohol consumption, SLD was not associated with any outcome, whilst total PBS score was associated with all study outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings could benefit health promotion by informing the design of preventive interventions for reducing alcohol use in the young adult community, along with the attendant health-related negative consequences. These results may also be of value in extending the applicability of PBS findings to a broader alcohol-using population of young adults beyond those exclusively composed of college students.