EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE ROLE ASSUMPTIONS ON THE ALCOHOL USE OF FEMALES IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD
Open Access
- Author:
- Johnson, Carolyn Hickey
- Graduate Program:
- Counselor Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Education
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 18, 2003
- Committee Members:
- John D Swisher, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Judith R Vicary, Committee Member
Andrea M Piccinin, Committee Member
Constance R Matthews, Committee Member - Keywords:
- young adult
alcohol use
females
social roles
binge
drinking - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of drinking and binge drinking was related to engagement in multiple adult roles for a sample of women in young adulthood. In addition, the relative importance of various combinations of roles, (marriage or engagement, parenthood, fulltime employment, current enrollment in postsecondary education, and living independently) was analyzed in order to provide more detailed information regarding implications for counseling and prevention applications. The sample included 249 young adult females, all originally from a rural Appalachian school district. Data were obtained from a self-report survey administered during the fall of 1995. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated significant main effects for the roles of marriage or engagement, parenthood, both marriage or engagement plus parenthood, fulltime employment, and both marriage plus fulltime employment on prevalence of drinking and/or binge drinking over 30 days when controlling for age. Of those women in dual roles, those who were married or engaged plus parenting were about half as likely to drink over 30 days (OR=.46) and those who were married or engaged plus employed were approximately twice as likely to drink (OR=2.04) as those who were married or engaged but without a dual role. A trend toward less drinking, especially binge drinking, was noted as the women in this sample increased the number of roles they assumed from one to three. The study demonstrated the importance of young adult role assumptions in lowering the prevalence of drinking. Implications of this research for the school counseling profession include implementing prevention strategies that have been demonstrated to increase involvement in a variety of conventional activities and attachment to conventional persons for school-aged children is discussed. Prevention strategies aimed at young adults using community and workplace approaches were also discussed, including an integrated approach and consistent messages transmitted through the mass media as well as the importance of a focus made on risk factors in young adulthood for prevention to be effective.