Sex differences in the association between drinking motives, protective behavioral strategies, and alcohol outcomes in a college sample

Background: Drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies have been shown to impact the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption in young adults, including among college students who are at high risk for problem drinking. However, how male and female heavy drinkers employ different protective behavioral strategies with respect to their drinking motives, and whether these impact drinking patterns differentially, are currently understudied. Methods: We analyzed data from 109 college student participants (ages 18–21; 51.4% female) with problem drinking to examine associations between drinking motives, protective behavioral strategies, and their interaction on drinking outcomes. We also assessed moderation by sex in our analyses. Results: Across all measures, men reported significantly higher values for total drinks, drinking days, drinks per drinking day, some types of protective behavioral strategies (i.e., limiting/stopping alcohol use, harm reduction), and enhancement-related drinking motives. Key findings from linear regression models indicated that drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies were differentially associated with various drinking outcomes and sex as main effects and in interactions. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of examining sex differences in alcohol-related behaviors, cognitions, and outcomes among college students. This work demonstrates the nuance and complexity of such alcohol-related factors, and for whom they are most relevant (i.e., males or females). As such, findings from the current study may inform the development of more targeted alcohol use prevention and interventions efforts on college campuses.