I found this article noteworthy because it trends opposite from American universities: second-year students indicate significantly higher binge drinking than their first-year counterparts. The authors cite several sources indicating that high-risk alcohol use is on the rise throughout Hong Kong, though it is still well behind American usage.
I wonder what this says about some of the side effects of our open culture in the West? I also wonder about the research methods that led to a conclusion that only 18-19% of youth in China drink alcohol. Am I just assuming that can't be right because of my northeastern American frame of reference?
The study has a few issues . . . the sample size for second-year students is much smaller. I don't know what the retention rates are for typical Asian universities; high attrition seems likely. Still, the samples are pretty big compared to a lot of education research.
Kim, J., Chan, K., Chow, J., Fung, K., Fong, B., Cheuk, K., Griffiths, S. (2009). University binge drinking patterns and changes in patterns of alcohol consumption among Chinese undergraduates in a Hong Kong university. Journal of American College Health, Nov/Dec 2009, Vol. 58 Issue 3, p255-265.
Retrieved from the ERC database (which has full text available).
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