Participants’ sports characteristics related to heavy episodic drinking among French students

BackgroundThe relationships between involvement in sports and alcohol consumption appear to be complex in the alcohol literature. In this study we aimed to examine this link among French students, taking into account their sports characteristics. We also examined variations in alcohol use among sport sciences students between 2002 and 2006, and the difference in alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking among sport sciences, law and pharmacy students.MethodDesign: repeated survey; cross-sectional study; Setting: self-questionnaire survey; Participants: French (south-east France) sport sciences (n = 693), law (n = 325) and pharmacy (n = 338) students (females = 58%).ResultsIn 2002, 38% of the male sport sciences students reported repeated heavy episodic drinking, and this proportion has risen to 48% in 2006 (p < 0.05). When compared to law and pharmacy students, female and male sport sciences students were less likely to report repeated heavy episodic drinking (p < 0.05). Engaging in physical activity (whether or not it takes place within an institution) and practising martial art were negatively related to heavy episodic drinking (p < 0.05). Other factors related to heavy episodic drinking were gender-specific: among males, practising sport in a formal context, team sports, and competitive participation at a departmental or regional level represented risk factors (p < 0.05), while practising an individual sport was a protective factor among females (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study corroborated the importance to take into account the context of practice and the type of sport practised to examine the link between sport participation and alcohol consumption. The normative context of peer socialization among competitive and team sports participants seemed to play a role in alcohol use. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of this putative factor.