John McAlaney1,2, Stefanie M Helmer3, Christiane Stock4, Bart Vriesacker5,6, Guido Van Hal5, Robert C Dempsey2, Yildiz Akvardar7, Ferdinand Salonna8,9, Ondrej Kalina8,9, Francisco Guillen-Grima10,11, Bridgette M Bewick12, Rafael Mikolajczyk13. 1. Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom. 2. Division of Psychology, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom. 3. Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS), Bremen, Germany. 4. Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark. 5. Medical Sociology and Health Policy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. 6. Research & Development, Occupational Health Services Mensura, Antwerp, Belgium. 7. Department of Psychiatry, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. 8. Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacky University of Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic. 9. Department of Educational Psychology & Psychology of Health, PJ Safarik University in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic. 10. Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain. 11. IDISNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain. 12. School of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom. 13. Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of peer substance use and related attitudes among European students. Challenging perceptions about peer substance use has become the basis of a form of prevention and intervention known as the social norms approach, which can be delivered using personalized online feedback. This article reports baseline alcohol use and attitudes data for university students across Europe collected as part of the Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE project (Project SNIPE). METHOD: Students from universities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were recruited to take part in an online survey by the use of email invitations, social media, classroom announcements, flyers, and stalls in social areas, such as in cafeterias and bars on campus. A total of 4,482 students agreed to participate. RESULTS: Overall, respondents reported both perceived alcohol use and perceived acceptance of alcohol use among their peers that were higher than their own use or acceptance. Perceived peers' behaviors and attitudes were found to be predictive of personal behaviors and attitudes, with some variation across countries and by sex. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that students at the participating institutions across selected European countries exhibit overall similar patterns of perceptions as have been found on American college campuses. In conjunction with the finding that the perceived norm is predictive of personal behavior and attitudes, this research provides support to the view that the social norms approach may be a viable method to reduce alcohol consumption among students at European universities.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of peer substance use and related attitudes among European students. Challenging perceptions about peer substance use has become the basis of a form of prevention and intervention known as the social norms approach, which can be delivered using personalized online feedback. This article reports baseline alcohol use and attitudes data for university students across Europe collected as part of the Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE project (Project SNIPE). METHOD: Students from universities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were recruited to take part in an online survey by the use of email invitations, social media, classroom announcements, flyers, and stalls in social areas, such as in cafeterias and bars on campus. A total of 4,482 students agreed to participate. RESULTS: Overall, respondents reported both perceived alcohol use and perceived acceptance of alcohol use among their peers that were higher than their own use or acceptance. Perceived peers' behaviors and attitudes were found to be predictive of personal behaviors and attitudes, with some variation across countries and by sex. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that students at the participating institutions across selected European countries exhibit overall similar patterns of perceptions as have been found on American college campuses. In conjunction with the finding that the perceived norm is predictive of personal behavior and attitudes, this research provides support to the view that the social norms approach may be a viable method to reduce alcohol consumption among students at European universities.
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