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The Protective Effects of Pre-collegiate Civic Engagement on College Alcohol Use and Well-being

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Abstract

The transition from high school to college as well as the time during college is a risk period for problematic alcohol use among adolescents and young adults. The protective effect of civic activity on alcohol use and other aspects of well-being have been documented in both adolescence and young adulthood. However, the trajectory of this relationship between these two stages of the life course has not been well examined. This prospective survey study (N = 220) examined the influence of civic activity on alcohol use, flourishing, and college self-efficacy across the transition into college. Logistic regression models showed that higher participation in civic acts during high school was associated with lower likelihood of college alcohol problems among the sample as they began their college careers. However, collegiate civic activity showed no added protective effect on alcohol use during the first year of college. The only significant predictor of alcohol problems at the end of the first year of college was alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Participants who reported any alcohol problems upon entering college had 6.4 times the odds of reporting drinking problems at the end of the first year than their peers who did not report any alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Both pre-collegiate and collegiate civic activity predicted increased flourishing and college self-efficacy. Findings suggest that high school civic activity may have protective effects during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

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Acknowledgements

The research for this paper was supported by a grant from Bringing Theory to Practice, American Association of Colleges and Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ACCORDS, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Sarah E. Brewer

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Sarah E. Brewer

  3. Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Nicole Nicotera

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  1. Sarah E. Brewer
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  2. Nicole Nicotera
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Correspondence to Sarah E. Brewer.

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Brewer, S.E., Nicotera, N. The Protective Effects of Pre-collegiate Civic Engagement on College Alcohol Use and Well-being. Int J Ment Health Addiction 21, 111–124 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00583-2

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