A longitudinal examination of drinking motives

Abstract

Drinking motives have been associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among young adult drinkers (Kuntsche et al., 2005). We included a sample of 360 college students and fit latent profile models at each time point using 12-items from the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R: Cooper, 1994), which were determined the most discriminating items via Item Response Theory. Patterns of motives were identified using Latent Transition Analysis and included alcohol quantity and problems as covariates with quantity as a moderator to examine transitions. A 3-class model provided the best fit and parsimony: a) High Motive, endorsed items highly (baseline: 11%, 6-month: 10%, 12-month: 14%), b) Positive Reinforcement Motive, endorsed positive affect/social interaction items (49%, 53%, 49%), c) Low Motive, had low motive endorsement (39%, 37%, 38%). These findings suggested High Motive and Positive Reinforcement Motive classes drank more (High Motive, baseline: OR = 1.05, p <0.05, 6-month OR = 1.07, p < 0.05; Positive Reinforcement Motive, baseline: OR = 1.08, p < 0.001, 6-month: OR = 1.04, p < 0.05) and experienced more problems (High Motive baseline: OR = 1.14, p < 0.00, 12-month: OR = 1.06, p < 0.001; Positive Reinforcement Motive, baseline: OR = 1.12, p < 0.001). Transitioning between 6- and 12-month follow-up was less likely for higher levels of alcohol use (+1 SD: ORs = 0.32-0.44, ps < .05). This study provided evidence for the stability of drinking motives and targeting the positive reinforcing beliefs of alcohol, as these individuals are at higher risk for experiencing problems.