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Oliver Oxby
An Investigation into the
Reasons behind Students
Binge Drinking.
To gauge awareness of health,
mental health, and social effects
April 2015
STUDENT ID NUMBER: 10477611
LECTURERS: SUE LEVINSON AND PAUL GIBSON
Abstract
The research aimed to find out the reasons students go out binge drinking and see if
students are aware of the mental effects, health effects and social effects. Research
was undertaken at a local college and university. 53 questionnaires were handed out
and 35 people responded. Key findings of this research showed that student are
becoming aware of the effects of binge drinking, that most students are aware that
binge drinking damages their health, most are more aware of the risks to their mental
health than physical health. It also showed that student binge drink mainly at social
events.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Aims and Objectives ...................................................................................................1
1.2 Rationale .....................................................................................................................1
2. Literature review .................................................................................................................1
2.1 Previous research.......................................................................................................1
2.2 Media coverage...........................................................................................................2
2.3 Awareness of health effects........................................................................................2
2.4 Literature review summary..........................................................................................2
3. Methodology .......................................................................................................................2
3.1 Participants..................................................................................................................2
3.2 Primary research.........................................................................................................3
3.3 Sample size.................................................................................................................3
3.4 Considering reliability and validity of the method .......................................................3
3.5 Ethical issues relevant to the topic addressed. ..........................................................3
4. Results...............................................................................................................................4
4.1 Question 1...................................................................................................................4
4.2 Question 2...................................................................................................................4
4.3 Question 3...................................................................................................................5
4.4 Question 4...................................................................................................................5
4.5 Question 5...................................................................................................................6
4.6 Question 6...................................................................................................................6
4.7 Discussion of the results .............................................................................................7
5. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................8
6. Recommendations..............................................................................................................8
7. References..........................................................................................................................9
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Responses to: "Do you find that a drinking culture is part of your University life?" ..4
Figure 2: Responses to the question "Do you believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage
into adulthood in University Life?” .............................................................................................4
Figure 3: Responses to the Question “Do you think that binge drinking helps with University
Stress?”......................................................................................................................................5
Figure 4: Responses to the Question "How aware do you think students in the UK are of
binge drinking effects on their health" .......................................................................................5
Figure 5: Response to the Question: List of dangers that students are aware result from
binge drinking?...........................................................................................................................6
Figure 6: Responses to the Question "The main reasons for students drinking in clubs or
pubs on a night out?" .................................................................................................................6
Page 1 of 11
1. Introduction
Binge drinking is a large problem with students at Universities and Colleges in the
UK. A report from the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield (Norman et al. 2012) states
that “Young people in the United Kingdom have one of the highest rates of binge drinking in
Europe”. Additionally they noted that in England “alcohol-related harm costs the NHS
£2.7 billion per annum”.
1.1 Aims and Objectives
The aim of this research project was to find out why students binge drink and to
gauge awareness of possible physical, health, mental and social consequences
binge drinking may have.
This study will contain the following components:
a) A literary review to identify other research carried out and to obtain
background information on the issue
b) A questionnaire devised and distributed to students to gather primary data
about binge drinking.
c) Ethical considerations.
d) Results analysis with comparisons to current literature.
e) Valid conclusions.
f) Suggestions to improve the study based on the findings.
1.2 Rationale
The reason I undertook this research project was to understand why students go out
binge drinking. I am very interested in health issues and wanted to see if students
are aware possible associated problems.
This research project could help in binge drinking interventions. By gauging
knowledge of the impacts, and creating awareness of negative effects we can
provide information to government and industry in order to assist in reducing binge
drinking and monitor anti binge drinking campaigns.
2. Literature review
2.1 Previous research
The definition of binge drinking by the NHS (2012) is “Binge drinking usually refers to
drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk’’. In previous years
students were considered to have a highest binge drinking rates, of groups of
people, in the UK (Donnell and Gallagher, 2014). However there have been several
research articles in journals suggesting this isn’t correct. For example Guise and Gill,
(2007) proposes there are different reasons for binge drinking which may be
influenced by different cultures within the student community.
A study by Connor and Stride (2012) agreed that a student’s attitude to drinking may
be influenced by their culture. In their study students were asked, in questionnaires,
for the reasons they binge drink, their responses suggested it to be sociable, to have
fun and to engage in binge drinking orientated events that are part of University life.
Jones and Penny (2010) suggest that students go out binge drinking because it
Page 2 of 11
provides physical pleasure and, when asked, students said it makes them more
open and more confident when socialising with others.
A newspaper article from Varsity (2014) suggested students go out to binge drink as
a release from the pressure of University life. Other research on this topic from
Thomas and Macaskill, (2011) suggests students may binge drink because they are
feeling lonely, depressed, isolated, homesick or stressed, alongside trying to fit in.
Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (2012) also suggests
students believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood.
2.2 Media coverage
It seems binge drinking in the student population is quite a popular topic in the
media. Particularly the media distributes articles aimed at raising awareness of the
problem. Newspapers, like the Guardian, and websites, such as Aware Awake, radio
such as Radio 4 and BBC news all provide articles on the topic.
A recent report from BBC News (2015) advised “Binge drinking continues to fall in
young adults”. The article reported that “binge drinking amongst all UK adults fell
from 18% in 2005 to 15% in 2013, but it was in the age groups 16-24 and 25-44 that
the most noticeable falls were seen”. It also reported that “increasing numbers of
young adults aged 16-24 are now teetotal”. However, the report also claimed that
binge drinking related health effects still costs the NHS in England about £3.5 billion
every year.
2.3 Awareness of health effects
The Guardian reported in 2014 that “students enjoy going out drinking but are aware
of the health effects of drinking”. A report from Aware Awake (2014) proposes that
students have indicated an awareness of the dangers of binge drinking,
understanding it can lead to car crashes, violence, getting sexual transmitted
diseases, short term illness and death from alcohol problems, as well as leading to
mental health problems. Varsity (2014) suggests students participate in this
dangerous activity regardless of health and social problems that may be associated
with it.
2.4 Literature review summary
Conducting this literature review has proven that more research on binge drinking is
undertaken with this age group, i.e. students who are over 18, than any other group.
It has demonstrated that more young people in the UK are becoming aware of the
effects binge drinking. The literature review assisted in selecting questions for the
questionnaire.
3. Methodology
3.1 Participants
Participants in the study were both male and female aged between 18 and 25 years
old, studying at higher educational establishments. This age range was considered
appropriate as Norman, Connor and Stride (2012) did a similar study with this age
Page 3 of 11
group. They handed out 265 questionnaires asking students for their reasons behind
binge drinking, as well as probing health and social issues.
3.2 Primary research
A questionnaire was used to carry out the primary research. This method was
considered effective as the students in full-time education have limited time
available, because the academic year is very short and the lecture schedule is
intense. Students were asked to respond to the questions over a 24 hour period.
However, as Gratton and Jones (2004) note, this may lead to questionnaires not
being returned, potentially limiting the studies success.
3.3 Sample size
In total 50 questionnaires were handed out and 35 responses were received. Gratton
and Jones (2004) declared that for a research survey of 50 questionnaires, a
response rate of between 30 and 40 is consider to acceptable.
3.4 Considering reliability and validity of the method
Gratton and Jones (2004, p87) state “Reliability generally refers to the consistency of
the results obtained”. Questionnaires were used in this research project as it’s
considered to be a reliable tool to get answers to multiple questions from a large
group of people (Atkinson, 2012).
A pilot questionnaire was designed to check users understanding of the format and
wording and account to prove the quality of the questionnaire (University of Surrey,
2011). The questionnaire’s wording and formatting was amended following the pilot
as some people did not respond to certain questions, particularly the one asking for
their definition of binge drinking.
Gratton and Jones (2004, p87) state “A second important research issue is ‘how do
I know that the method I am using is really measuring what I want it to measure , and
are my conclusions drawn from these measurements therefore valid conclusion?”.
My research was valid as the questions asked were drawn from themes suggested
by the literature review. Please see Appendix 1 for the pilot study questionnaire and
Appendix 2 for final questionnaire.
3.5 Ethical issues relevant to the topic addressed.
Importance of ethical research was highlighted by Gratton and Jones in 2004. In
order to integrate ethical considerations into this research project I used the following
techniques
a) All research participants were volunteers
b) Participants were selected at random from the grounds of the University and
College Campus.
c) There were no names on the questionnaires and no means of identifying
individual’s responses. This was so the information could kept confidential
and the answers anonymous.
d) The participants were informed that they could drop out of the study at any
time.
Page 4 of 11
e) All participants signed informal consent forms, see Appendix 3.
4. Results
4.1 Question 1
This question asked participants their opinion on whether drinking culture is part of
University life, results are in Figure 1, and whether they believe that binge drinking is
a rite of passage into adulthood in university culture, results are in Figure 2. Just
over half of the students thought that binge drinking was a part of their student life
but only 30% thought that it was a rite of passage.
Figure 1: Responses to: "Do you find that a drinking culture is part of your University life?"
Figure 2: Responses to the question "Do you believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage
into adulthood in University Life?”
4.2 Question 2
This question focussed on perceptions as to whether students thought alcohol helps
with University stress. The results are in Figure 3, 29% of respondents felt that binge
drinking helped with the stress of university life, suggesting it helps them relax and to
sleep. However the majority of people left no comments to this question after their
response.
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Yes No No Response
NUMBEROFRESPONSES
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
0
5
10
15
20
25
Yes No No Response
NUMBEROFRESPONSES
Page 5 of 11
Figure 3: Responses to the Question “Do you think that binge drinking helps with University
Stress?”
4.3 Question 3
Students were asked how aware they thought students in the UK are of binge
drinking effects on their health. Results are in Figure 4, 57% of the respondents were
very aware of the impact of binge drinking on mental health but 71% had little
awareness of the physical effects.
Figure 4: Responses to the Question "How aware do you think students in the UK are of
binge drinking effects on their health"
4.4 Question 4
Question 4 asked students to list of dangers and effects of binge drinking they were
aware of, the responses are in Figure 5. The greatest dangers that the respondents
believed were the result of binge drinking were, car accidents, falls, injuries and
sexually transmitted deceases. They were less aware of the dangers of cancer,
increased potential to catch viruses and heart disease.
Page 6 of 11
Figure 5: Response to the Question: List of dangers that students are aware result from
binge drinking?
4.5 Question 5
This question probed students for the main reasons they drink in clubs or pubs on a
night out, results are in Figure 6. The main reasons given was attending social
events (88%), 5.7% of the respondents say they do not drink alcohol.
Figure 6: Responses to the Question "The main reasons for students drinking in clubs or
pubs on a night out?"
4.6 Question 6
This was an open question asking participants for their definition of binge drinking. I
identified 2 main definitions from the responses received.
a) Drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short spare of time (7 responses).
b) Intake of an excess amount alcohol (4 responses).
c) Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol too frequently (3 responses).
d) Drinking large amounts in a duration of 1 night (3 responses)
97.1%
94.3%
91.4%
85.7%
80.0%
65.7%
65.7%
62.9%
60.0%
54.9%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Car accident
Falls
Injuries
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexual assault
Mental health problems
Suicide
Heart disease
Increased likelihood of getting…
Cancers
88.6 %
31.4 %
20.0 % 20.0 %
5.7 %
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Social event University
club
To relax Relive
pressure from
studies
Don’t drink
Page 7 of 11
Other responses received included
a) Consistently drinking over the recommended daily allowance (2 responses).
b) Drinking more than 5 units more than once a week (1 response).
c) Drinking alcohol in excess and for the sole reason of getting drunk (1
response).
d) Feeling unpleasant physical effects of drinking (1 response).
e) Consuming a large amount of alcohol at any one time; leading to a negative
aspect – socially or in terms it wellbeing (1 response).
f) Drinking excessively i.e. to an extent that your health is severely at risk (1
response).
g) Drinking to point of potential physical or mental harm (1 response).
h) Drinking large amounts over a few days (1 response).
4.7 Discussion of the results
The students questioned in this study thought other students had a lot of awareness
about the mental health effects of binge drinking. However, when asked about
physical health effects, there was a high percentages of students who thought others
had little awareness of these. The results only partially compare to the Guardian’s
findings in 2014 that proposes students enjoy going out drinking but are fully aware
of the health effects of drinking.
Recently there has been a report on BBC News with the headline “Binge Drinking
Falls among Young Adults” (2015). This research shows that more students are
becoming aware of binge drinking effects and cutting down on alcohol consumption
after media reports about the effects of binge drinking on mental and physical health.
Connor et al. (2012) found that drinking is part of University culture. Slightly more
than half of the students I questioned agreed that drinking culture is part of University
life. This question was aimed at the social aspect of drinking and 60% of students
thought binge drinking was not a rite passage into adulthood. This differs from The
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (2012) results which found the majority of
students did believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood. It may be
that this change is due to more awareness of the mental health effects of binge
drinking in the last couple of years.
Students were asked in the questionnaire if they thought drinking helps with
University and College stress. Just over two third said it does not. Those who said it
does help implied drinking allowed them to relax. Those who said it doesn’t help with
stress were aware alcohol is a depressant, so would make them feel worse. They
articulated that the effects of alcohol are only short term, and stress is usually long
term, so alcohol can make the situation seem worse once it’s worn off. Macaskill’s
(2011) research suggested students may binge drink because they are feeling
lonely, depressed, isolated, homesick or stressed, as well as in an attempt to fit in.
Aware Awake, 2014 reported that students have indicated the dangers of binge
drinking leading to car crashes, violence, getting sexual transmitted diseases, getting
sick and dying of alcohol problems or leading to further mental health problems. The
students questioned in this study reported that they were aware of most of these
dangers, as well as falls and sexual assault. A fewer students also mentioned
Page 8 of 11
suicide, mental health problems, heart disease and an increased likelihood of getting
viruses and cancers as possible consequences of binge drinking.
Connor et al. (2012) believes that the different cultures that make up the student
community have different patterns of binge drinking. When students were asked in
the questionnaires the reasons why they binge drinking, a high percentage said it is
to be sociable, have fun and to engage in binge drinking events. A much lower
percentages of students said they drink in pubs or clubs to relieve pressure and to
relax, although roughly 6% of the respondents did not drink.
Students were asked to give a definition of binge drinking so as to compare it to the
NHS (2014) definition, “binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a
short space of time or drinking to get drunk”. The research found 43% of the
student’s defined binge drinking in a similar way to the NHS.
5. Conclusions
This research shows that students sampled are mostly aware of the definition and
effects of binge drinking. Most students were aware that binge drinking damages
their health, although more were aware of the risks to their mental health than to
their physical health. The results also show that students binge drink mainly at social
events.
Students were most concerned about the danger of being in a car accident after
drinking. They were also very aware of the risk off fall, injuries, sexually transmitted
disease and sexual assault.
High percent of student said that drinking does not help with university stress
because it’s a depressant so makes you feel worse, some also indicated that
drinking alcohol can make stress worse in the long term.
Students reported they mainly drink at social events. Most understood that drinking
is not a rite of passage into adulthood, although over a third thought it was. Over a
quarter of responses though drinking was part of University culture.
6. Recommendations
It would be interesting to survey an older target group as in recent years there has
been a high level of binge drinking reported in 30 to 50 year old age group (JRF,
2009). I’d be interested to compare the awareness of the effects of binge drinking
between the different age groups in England.
To improve the study more students could be reached through remote monitoring
techniques such as survey monkey and social networks. This would rapidly increase
the sample size and response rate.
Out of the 35 responses received 6% of people did not drink. It would be useful to
filter these people out of future studies surveying binge drinkers. Although an
interesting study would be to compare the responses from those that do and don’t
drink at University.
Page 9 of 11
7. References
Atkinson,M (2012) Key concepts in sport and exercise research methods.London:SAGE
Aware Awake (2014) danger of binge drinking. Available at: http:// awareawake.org/blog/
the-dangers - of -binge -drinking (Accessed on 21 February 2015)
Gratton and jones (2004) research methods for sport studies.london: routlege.
Guardian (2014) student let’s quit the binge drinking. Available at:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2014/feb/28/students-binge-drinking-
neknomination-stop.( Accessed on 21 February 2015)
Guise j, gill. Binge drinking? It’s good. It’s harmless fun: a discourse analysis of accounts of
female undergraduate drinking in Scotland .health education research. December
2007:22(6):895-906.
JRF (2015) drinking in the uk: an exploration of trends. Available at:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/drinking-in-the-uk. (Accessed 25th march 2015)
Mail online (2015) heavy cost of binge drinking. Available at:
Ttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-196793/Heavy-co.uk. (Accessed on 21 February
2015)
National institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism (2012) college drinking. Available at:
http://pubs.niaa.nih.gov/publication/collegefactsheet/collegefact.htm (Accessed on 21
February 2015)
NHS (2014) Binge drinking. Available at:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/bingedrinking.aspx (Accessed on 21 February
2015)
Norman, P, Connor, M, T & stride, C.B (2012) Reasons for binge drinking among
undergraduate students: an application of behavioural reason theory .British journal of health
psychology. 17(4), 682-698
Thomas, M, and Macaskill Ann (2011) Motivation to drink alcohol in first year university
students: having a good time or simply coping? December 2011: 20(2)1-23
University of surrey (2001) The importance of pilot studies. Available
at:sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU35.html.(Accessed on 3 April 2015)
Varsity (2015) binge drinking endemic in student culture. Available at:
http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/13 (Accessed on 21 February 2015)

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research methods report ( done )

  • 1. Oliver Oxby An Investigation into the Reasons behind Students Binge Drinking. To gauge awareness of health, mental health, and social effects April 2015 STUDENT ID NUMBER: 10477611 LECTURERS: SUE LEVINSON AND PAUL GIBSON
  • 2. Abstract The research aimed to find out the reasons students go out binge drinking and see if students are aware of the mental effects, health effects and social effects. Research was undertaken at a local college and university. 53 questionnaires were handed out and 35 people responded. Key findings of this research showed that student are becoming aware of the effects of binge drinking, that most students are aware that binge drinking damages their health, most are more aware of the risks to their mental health than physical health. It also showed that student binge drink mainly at social events.
  • 3. Table of Contents 1. Introduction .........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Aims and Objectives ...................................................................................................1 1.2 Rationale .....................................................................................................................1 2. Literature review .................................................................................................................1 2.1 Previous research.......................................................................................................1 2.2 Media coverage...........................................................................................................2 2.3 Awareness of health effects........................................................................................2 2.4 Literature review summary..........................................................................................2 3. Methodology .......................................................................................................................2 3.1 Participants..................................................................................................................2 3.2 Primary research.........................................................................................................3 3.3 Sample size.................................................................................................................3 3.4 Considering reliability and validity of the method .......................................................3 3.5 Ethical issues relevant to the topic addressed. ..........................................................3 4. Results...............................................................................................................................4 4.1 Question 1...................................................................................................................4 4.2 Question 2...................................................................................................................4 4.3 Question 3...................................................................................................................5 4.4 Question 4...................................................................................................................5 4.5 Question 5...................................................................................................................6 4.6 Question 6...................................................................................................................6 4.7 Discussion of the results .............................................................................................7 5. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................8 6. Recommendations..............................................................................................................8 7. References..........................................................................................................................9 Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Table of Figures Figure 1: Responses to: "Do you find that a drinking culture is part of your University life?" ..4 Figure 2: Responses to the question "Do you believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood in University Life?” .............................................................................................4 Figure 3: Responses to the Question “Do you think that binge drinking helps with University Stress?”......................................................................................................................................5 Figure 4: Responses to the Question "How aware do you think students in the UK are of binge drinking effects on their health" .......................................................................................5 Figure 5: Response to the Question: List of dangers that students are aware result from binge drinking?...........................................................................................................................6 Figure 6: Responses to the Question "The main reasons for students drinking in clubs or pubs on a night out?" .................................................................................................................6
  • 4. Page 1 of 11 1. Introduction Binge drinking is a large problem with students at Universities and Colleges in the UK. A report from the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield (Norman et al. 2012) states that “Young people in the United Kingdom have one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe”. Additionally they noted that in England “alcohol-related harm costs the NHS £2.7 billion per annum”. 1.1 Aims and Objectives The aim of this research project was to find out why students binge drink and to gauge awareness of possible physical, health, mental and social consequences binge drinking may have. This study will contain the following components: a) A literary review to identify other research carried out and to obtain background information on the issue b) A questionnaire devised and distributed to students to gather primary data about binge drinking. c) Ethical considerations. d) Results analysis with comparisons to current literature. e) Valid conclusions. f) Suggestions to improve the study based on the findings. 1.2 Rationale The reason I undertook this research project was to understand why students go out binge drinking. I am very interested in health issues and wanted to see if students are aware possible associated problems. This research project could help in binge drinking interventions. By gauging knowledge of the impacts, and creating awareness of negative effects we can provide information to government and industry in order to assist in reducing binge drinking and monitor anti binge drinking campaigns. 2. Literature review 2.1 Previous research The definition of binge drinking by the NHS (2012) is “Binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk’’. In previous years students were considered to have a highest binge drinking rates, of groups of people, in the UK (Donnell and Gallagher, 2014). However there have been several research articles in journals suggesting this isn’t correct. For example Guise and Gill, (2007) proposes there are different reasons for binge drinking which may be influenced by different cultures within the student community. A study by Connor and Stride (2012) agreed that a student’s attitude to drinking may be influenced by their culture. In their study students were asked, in questionnaires, for the reasons they binge drink, their responses suggested it to be sociable, to have fun and to engage in binge drinking orientated events that are part of University life. Jones and Penny (2010) suggest that students go out binge drinking because it
  • 5. Page 2 of 11 provides physical pleasure and, when asked, students said it makes them more open and more confident when socialising with others. A newspaper article from Varsity (2014) suggested students go out to binge drink as a release from the pressure of University life. Other research on this topic from Thomas and Macaskill, (2011) suggests students may binge drink because they are feeling lonely, depressed, isolated, homesick or stressed, alongside trying to fit in. Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (2012) also suggests students believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood. 2.2 Media coverage It seems binge drinking in the student population is quite a popular topic in the media. Particularly the media distributes articles aimed at raising awareness of the problem. Newspapers, like the Guardian, and websites, such as Aware Awake, radio such as Radio 4 and BBC news all provide articles on the topic. A recent report from BBC News (2015) advised “Binge drinking continues to fall in young adults”. The article reported that “binge drinking amongst all UK adults fell from 18% in 2005 to 15% in 2013, but it was in the age groups 16-24 and 25-44 that the most noticeable falls were seen”. It also reported that “increasing numbers of young adults aged 16-24 are now teetotal”. However, the report also claimed that binge drinking related health effects still costs the NHS in England about £3.5 billion every year. 2.3 Awareness of health effects The Guardian reported in 2014 that “students enjoy going out drinking but are aware of the health effects of drinking”. A report from Aware Awake (2014) proposes that students have indicated an awareness of the dangers of binge drinking, understanding it can lead to car crashes, violence, getting sexual transmitted diseases, short term illness and death from alcohol problems, as well as leading to mental health problems. Varsity (2014) suggests students participate in this dangerous activity regardless of health and social problems that may be associated with it. 2.4 Literature review summary Conducting this literature review has proven that more research on binge drinking is undertaken with this age group, i.e. students who are over 18, than any other group. It has demonstrated that more young people in the UK are becoming aware of the effects binge drinking. The literature review assisted in selecting questions for the questionnaire. 3. Methodology 3.1 Participants Participants in the study were both male and female aged between 18 and 25 years old, studying at higher educational establishments. This age range was considered appropriate as Norman, Connor and Stride (2012) did a similar study with this age
  • 6. Page 3 of 11 group. They handed out 265 questionnaires asking students for their reasons behind binge drinking, as well as probing health and social issues. 3.2 Primary research A questionnaire was used to carry out the primary research. This method was considered effective as the students in full-time education have limited time available, because the academic year is very short and the lecture schedule is intense. Students were asked to respond to the questions over a 24 hour period. However, as Gratton and Jones (2004) note, this may lead to questionnaires not being returned, potentially limiting the studies success. 3.3 Sample size In total 50 questionnaires were handed out and 35 responses were received. Gratton and Jones (2004) declared that for a research survey of 50 questionnaires, a response rate of between 30 and 40 is consider to acceptable. 3.4 Considering reliability and validity of the method Gratton and Jones (2004, p87) state “Reliability generally refers to the consistency of the results obtained”. Questionnaires were used in this research project as it’s considered to be a reliable tool to get answers to multiple questions from a large group of people (Atkinson, 2012). A pilot questionnaire was designed to check users understanding of the format and wording and account to prove the quality of the questionnaire (University of Surrey, 2011). The questionnaire’s wording and formatting was amended following the pilot as some people did not respond to certain questions, particularly the one asking for their definition of binge drinking. Gratton and Jones (2004, p87) state “A second important research issue is ‘how do I know that the method I am using is really measuring what I want it to measure , and are my conclusions drawn from these measurements therefore valid conclusion?”. My research was valid as the questions asked were drawn from themes suggested by the literature review. Please see Appendix 1 for the pilot study questionnaire and Appendix 2 for final questionnaire. 3.5 Ethical issues relevant to the topic addressed. Importance of ethical research was highlighted by Gratton and Jones in 2004. In order to integrate ethical considerations into this research project I used the following techniques a) All research participants were volunteers b) Participants were selected at random from the grounds of the University and College Campus. c) There were no names on the questionnaires and no means of identifying individual’s responses. This was so the information could kept confidential and the answers anonymous. d) The participants were informed that they could drop out of the study at any time.
  • 7. Page 4 of 11 e) All participants signed informal consent forms, see Appendix 3. 4. Results 4.1 Question 1 This question asked participants their opinion on whether drinking culture is part of University life, results are in Figure 1, and whether they believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood in university culture, results are in Figure 2. Just over half of the students thought that binge drinking was a part of their student life but only 30% thought that it was a rite of passage. Figure 1: Responses to: "Do you find that a drinking culture is part of your University life?" Figure 2: Responses to the question "Do you believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood in University Life?” 4.2 Question 2 This question focussed on perceptions as to whether students thought alcohol helps with University stress. The results are in Figure 3, 29% of respondents felt that binge drinking helped with the stress of university life, suggesting it helps them relax and to sleep. However the majority of people left no comments to this question after their response. [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Yes No No Response NUMBEROFRESPONSES [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] 0 5 10 15 20 25 Yes No No Response NUMBEROFRESPONSES
  • 8. Page 5 of 11 Figure 3: Responses to the Question “Do you think that binge drinking helps with University Stress?” 4.3 Question 3 Students were asked how aware they thought students in the UK are of binge drinking effects on their health. Results are in Figure 4, 57% of the respondents were very aware of the impact of binge drinking on mental health but 71% had little awareness of the physical effects. Figure 4: Responses to the Question "How aware do you think students in the UK are of binge drinking effects on their health" 4.4 Question 4 Question 4 asked students to list of dangers and effects of binge drinking they were aware of, the responses are in Figure 5. The greatest dangers that the respondents believed were the result of binge drinking were, car accidents, falls, injuries and sexually transmitted deceases. They were less aware of the dangers of cancer, increased potential to catch viruses and heart disease.
  • 9. Page 6 of 11 Figure 5: Response to the Question: List of dangers that students are aware result from binge drinking? 4.5 Question 5 This question probed students for the main reasons they drink in clubs or pubs on a night out, results are in Figure 6. The main reasons given was attending social events (88%), 5.7% of the respondents say they do not drink alcohol. Figure 6: Responses to the Question "The main reasons for students drinking in clubs or pubs on a night out?" 4.6 Question 6 This was an open question asking participants for their definition of binge drinking. I identified 2 main definitions from the responses received. a) Drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short spare of time (7 responses). b) Intake of an excess amount alcohol (4 responses). c) Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol too frequently (3 responses). d) Drinking large amounts in a duration of 1 night (3 responses) 97.1% 94.3% 91.4% 85.7% 80.0% 65.7% 65.7% 62.9% 60.0% 54.9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Car accident Falls Injuries Sexually transmitted disease Sexual assault Mental health problems Suicide Heart disease Increased likelihood of getting… Cancers 88.6 % 31.4 % 20.0 % 20.0 % 5.7 % 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Social event University club To relax Relive pressure from studies Don’t drink
  • 10. Page 7 of 11 Other responses received included a) Consistently drinking over the recommended daily allowance (2 responses). b) Drinking more than 5 units more than once a week (1 response). c) Drinking alcohol in excess and for the sole reason of getting drunk (1 response). d) Feeling unpleasant physical effects of drinking (1 response). e) Consuming a large amount of alcohol at any one time; leading to a negative aspect – socially or in terms it wellbeing (1 response). f) Drinking excessively i.e. to an extent that your health is severely at risk (1 response). g) Drinking to point of potential physical or mental harm (1 response). h) Drinking large amounts over a few days (1 response). 4.7 Discussion of the results The students questioned in this study thought other students had a lot of awareness about the mental health effects of binge drinking. However, when asked about physical health effects, there was a high percentages of students who thought others had little awareness of these. The results only partially compare to the Guardian’s findings in 2014 that proposes students enjoy going out drinking but are fully aware of the health effects of drinking. Recently there has been a report on BBC News with the headline “Binge Drinking Falls among Young Adults” (2015). This research shows that more students are becoming aware of binge drinking effects and cutting down on alcohol consumption after media reports about the effects of binge drinking on mental and physical health. Connor et al. (2012) found that drinking is part of University culture. Slightly more than half of the students I questioned agreed that drinking culture is part of University life. This question was aimed at the social aspect of drinking and 60% of students thought binge drinking was not a rite passage into adulthood. This differs from The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (2012) results which found the majority of students did believe that binge drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood. It may be that this change is due to more awareness of the mental health effects of binge drinking in the last couple of years. Students were asked in the questionnaire if they thought drinking helps with University and College stress. Just over two third said it does not. Those who said it does help implied drinking allowed them to relax. Those who said it doesn’t help with stress were aware alcohol is a depressant, so would make them feel worse. They articulated that the effects of alcohol are only short term, and stress is usually long term, so alcohol can make the situation seem worse once it’s worn off. Macaskill’s (2011) research suggested students may binge drink because they are feeling lonely, depressed, isolated, homesick or stressed, as well as in an attempt to fit in. Aware Awake, 2014 reported that students have indicated the dangers of binge drinking leading to car crashes, violence, getting sexual transmitted diseases, getting sick and dying of alcohol problems or leading to further mental health problems. The students questioned in this study reported that they were aware of most of these dangers, as well as falls and sexual assault. A fewer students also mentioned
  • 11. Page 8 of 11 suicide, mental health problems, heart disease and an increased likelihood of getting viruses and cancers as possible consequences of binge drinking. Connor et al. (2012) believes that the different cultures that make up the student community have different patterns of binge drinking. When students were asked in the questionnaires the reasons why they binge drinking, a high percentage said it is to be sociable, have fun and to engage in binge drinking events. A much lower percentages of students said they drink in pubs or clubs to relieve pressure and to relax, although roughly 6% of the respondents did not drink. Students were asked to give a definition of binge drinking so as to compare it to the NHS (2014) definition, “binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk”. The research found 43% of the student’s defined binge drinking in a similar way to the NHS. 5. Conclusions This research shows that students sampled are mostly aware of the definition and effects of binge drinking. Most students were aware that binge drinking damages their health, although more were aware of the risks to their mental health than to their physical health. The results also show that students binge drink mainly at social events. Students were most concerned about the danger of being in a car accident after drinking. They were also very aware of the risk off fall, injuries, sexually transmitted disease and sexual assault. High percent of student said that drinking does not help with university stress because it’s a depressant so makes you feel worse, some also indicated that drinking alcohol can make stress worse in the long term. Students reported they mainly drink at social events. Most understood that drinking is not a rite of passage into adulthood, although over a third thought it was. Over a quarter of responses though drinking was part of University culture. 6. Recommendations It would be interesting to survey an older target group as in recent years there has been a high level of binge drinking reported in 30 to 50 year old age group (JRF, 2009). I’d be interested to compare the awareness of the effects of binge drinking between the different age groups in England. To improve the study more students could be reached through remote monitoring techniques such as survey monkey and social networks. This would rapidly increase the sample size and response rate. Out of the 35 responses received 6% of people did not drink. It would be useful to filter these people out of future studies surveying binge drinkers. Although an interesting study would be to compare the responses from those that do and don’t drink at University.
  • 12. Page 9 of 11 7. References Atkinson,M (2012) Key concepts in sport and exercise research methods.London:SAGE Aware Awake (2014) danger of binge drinking. Available at: http:// awareawake.org/blog/ the-dangers - of -binge -drinking (Accessed on 21 February 2015) Gratton and jones (2004) research methods for sport studies.london: routlege. Guardian (2014) student let’s quit the binge drinking. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2014/feb/28/students-binge-drinking- neknomination-stop.( Accessed on 21 February 2015) Guise j, gill. Binge drinking? It’s good. It’s harmless fun: a discourse analysis of accounts of female undergraduate drinking in Scotland .health education research. December 2007:22(6):895-906. JRF (2015) drinking in the uk: an exploration of trends. Available at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/drinking-in-the-uk. (Accessed 25th march 2015) Mail online (2015) heavy cost of binge drinking. Available at: Ttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-196793/Heavy-co.uk. (Accessed on 21 February 2015) National institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism (2012) college drinking. Available at: http://pubs.niaa.nih.gov/publication/collegefactsheet/collegefact.htm (Accessed on 21 February 2015) NHS (2014) Binge drinking. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/bingedrinking.aspx (Accessed on 21 February 2015) Norman, P, Connor, M, T & stride, C.B (2012) Reasons for binge drinking among undergraduate students: an application of behavioural reason theory .British journal of health psychology. 17(4), 682-698 Thomas, M, and Macaskill Ann (2011) Motivation to drink alcohol in first year university students: having a good time or simply coping? December 2011: 20(2)1-23 University of surrey (2001) The importance of pilot studies. Available at:sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU35.html.(Accessed on 3 April 2015) Varsity (2015) binge drinking endemic in student culture. Available at: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/13 (Accessed on 21 February 2015)