ArticleEpidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland)2022
Substance Use Descriptive Norms and Behaviors among US College Students: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study.
Article in Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Alcohol and Cannabis Perceived Descriptive and Injunctive Norms, Personal Use, and Consequences Among 2-Year College Students.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Modification Mechanisms of Descriptive Norm Perceptions Toward Vaping: The Role of Behavior Prevalence and Group Size in an Online Setting.Health communication · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSocial norms have been associated with alcohol use in college populations; however, more research is needed to confirm the associations between social norms and a range of substance use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsWe analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (September 2020-December 2020), a non-probability sample administered online to college students. We used multivariable logistic regression to test for associations between respondents' perceptions of substance use behaviors in their respective colleges and their own substance use behaviors, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and international student status.
resultsWe found that those who overestimated the prevalence of alcohol use, cigarette use, cannabis use, and vaping were significantly more likely to use these substances when compared with those who did not overestimate. These associations persisted even when using different prevalence estimates of substance use, though some associations lost statistical significance when applying the survey weights to account for non-response.
conclusionCollege students overestimated the prevalence of substance use in their respective colleges, even during the early stages of the pandemic when social interactions were limited, and these beliefs were associated with substance use. Future studies may test the utility of campaigns to alter perceptions of social norms and interventions that use personalized normative feedback to reduce substance use during pandemics.
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