SUBSTANCE USE AND OTHER HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES

Objectives: To (a) determine the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use, and health risk behaviors among a general university population; and (b) compare health risk-taking behaviors between genders, and vars ity athletes and their non-athlete peers. Design: Descriptive survey o f multiple health risk behaviors, including physical, mental health, a lcohol and other drug, and sexual risk taking. Setting: Two large midw estern universities. Participants: A convenience sample of 86% of 1,21 0 eligible students (271 athletes and 775 nonathlete peers) completed a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire during team meetings or c lass sessions. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measures: Differences between gender and athlete status were assessed using Cochran-Mantel-H aenszel statistics for the following variables, deter mined by questio nnaire responses: physical risk, mental health, alcohol and other drug use, and sexual behaviors. Results: Common risk behaviors in the enti re collegiate sample included riding in a car with a driver who was un der the influence of alcohol, driving and swimming under the influence of alcohol, binge drinking, and low rate of condom use for all types of sexual intercourse. Risk-taking behaviors varied by gender, with me n showing more risk behaviors than women, except for suicide and sexua l behaviors. Male athletes had a higher prevalence of risk behaviors t han their male nonathlete counterparts, in contrast to female athletes , who had fewer risk behaviors than their female nonathlete counterpar ts. Conclusion: In contrast to previous studies, results of the presen t study show, when results are stratified by gender, that not all athl etes engage more frequently than nonathletes in high risk behaviors. R esults suggest that educational and early intervention strategies to d ecrease risk may need to be tailored according to gender and athletic status.