Self-regulation, normative beliefs, alcohol use and consequences among university students from Eastern Europe

Abstract

This study aims to explore the associations between descriptive normative beliefs (DNB), alcohol use and negative consequences and test whether self-regulation (SR) moderates this relationship. The data was collected online from 1621 first-year university students in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia. The AUDIT, self-regulation questionnaire and questions regarding DNB were used. DNB were found to be positively associated with drinking across all the samples. The associations between DNB and alcohol use as well as between alcohol use and negative consequences were stronger among students with lower SR. The protective effect of SR on alcohol use and consequences combined with the theory of social influence may improve intervention accuracy and make it a promising target for intervention among young adults.