Peer drinking and alcohol use. The role of risk perception, perceived vulnerability, and gender: a moderated moderation analyses

Objective To examine the moderating role of alcohol-related risk perception and perceived vulnerability to alcohol consequences in the relationship between descriptive drinking norms and personal alcohol use, and to determine if this moderation was, in turn, moderated by gender Methods 538 college students (78.0% women, mean age = 21.2) from three Spanish universities completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Simple moderation and moderated moderation analyses were conducted Results Risk perception and perceived vulnerability moderated the relationship between drinking norms and alcohol use. This relationship weakened as perceived vulnerability and risk perception increased. High levels of risk perception and perceived vulnerability nullified the effect of perceived peer drinking on drinking quantity among both men and women, but higher values were necessary to nullify these effects among men Conclusions Risk perception and perceived vulnerability appear to be useful in identifying specific subgroups more vulnerable to the effects of drinking norms and might be effective strategies for weakening its impact on alcohol use, with such strategies being more beneficial for women than men. These variables could thus be incorporated into norm-based interventions as they may improve their effectiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of designing gender-specific interventions to reduce the potential negative impact of alcohol consumption.