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.