A variety of social factors are expected to contribute to health behaviors among college students. The goal of this paper is to describe the relationships of two different aspects of the campus social environment, namely the campus resources for gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) students and the campus-wide behavioral norms of substance use, to the individual substance-use behaviors of college students with same-sex experiences. Individual-level data come from 630 college students reporting same-sex experience, who were part of a national random sample returning questionnaires. Current cigarette smoking and binge drinking were examined. College-level data regarding the campus resources designed for GLB students were collected and used with campus-wide substance-use norms to predict individual substance use in logistic regression analyses. One-third to one-half of students reported current smoking and binge drinking, by sex and sex-partner category. The presence of GLB resources was inversely associated with women's smoking and directly associated with men's binge drinking behaviors. The proportion of students reporting same-sex behavior on campus was directly associated with these same outcomes, and behavioral norms were not associated with either outcome. Findings provide a glimpse into the influence of the social environment on the use of two of the most widely used substances at American colleges, and suggest that contextual approaches to explaining and controlling substance use may be important.
Recent research on substance-use behaviors among college students has suggested that cigarette smoking and alcohol use are widespread on American college campuses (Sax, 1997; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997; Wechsler, Dowdall, Maenner, Gledhill-Hoyt, & Lee, 1998a; Wechsler, Rigotti, Gledhill-Hoyt, & Lee, 1998b; Wechsler, Lee, Kuo, & Lee, 2000; Rigotti, Lee, & Wechsler, 2000). While the overall smoking rate among adults has decreased steadily over the past several decades, the prevalence of current (i.e. past 30 day) smoking among college students has risen recently (Sax, 1997; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997; Wechsler et al., 1998b; Rigotti et al., 2000; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000). This is true despite the fact that smoking is much less common among college educated adults than among those with less education (Pamuk, Makuc, Heck, Reuben, & Lochner, 1998). Excessive alcohol use is also problematic among college students. One study found 44% of students reported binge drinking, and 23% engaged in this behavior frequently (Wechsler et al., 2000). Alcohol use was associated with a variety of academic, personal and social problems, including missing classes, having unprotected sex, driving while intoxicated, and generally “doing something you regret” (Wechsler et al., 1998a).
This research provides an important first glimpse into the influence of the social environment on the use of two of the most widely used substances at American colleges and universities. The two measures of the institutional and social environment towards gay and lesbian students may in fact serve as a proxy for another social factor, such as a more general socio-political norm of openness or acceptance of “personal choice” activities such as same-sex behavior and substance use. While this type of tolerance might serve students well as they evaluate the meanings and implications of their same-sex experiences, it might simultaneously be permissive of high-risk health behaviors which could pose a threat to the well-being of all students on campus. Additional research is warranted to further characterize this type of socio-political norm and determine its influence on college students’ health behaviors.
Although not definitive in the details of their associations, these findings illustrate an important message for college administrators, college health professionals, and others concerned with student life: context matters. This point suggests a world of different approaches to combating student health issues on campus. Future research will advance our understanding on the precise nature of these relationships and mechanisms through which they operate.
