Exposure to Alcohol Promotions on Web-Based Media, Sex and College Risky Drinking
- Resource Type
- Journal Articles
Reports - Research
- Authors
- Joseph Malechwanzi (ORCID 0000-0003-1480-8660); Abdirizak Guyo; Christine Mwangangi
- Source
- Journal of American College Health. 2024 72(2):446-450.
- Subject
- Kenya
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0744-8481
1940-3208
Objective: Internet and development of digital media as a tool for online promotions provides avenues for early recruitment of college students into risky drinking. The objective of the study was to examine prevalence of alcohol promotions on web-based media and its possible effects on alcohol drinking by sex among college students in Kenya. Participants and Methods: A sample of 836 out of 1354 (61.7%) second and final year students in the school of education of a public urban university in Kenya participated in this online cross-sectional survey using awareness of online alcohol marketing and TWEAK questionnaires. Results: Facebook attracted most alcohol post per day (X=3.6) and other apps collectively had least alcohol post per day (X=0.8). Spearman's correlation show significant association between online alcohol promotions and risky drinking (0.37; p < 0.001). At the overall level of exposure to online alcohol promotions on web-based media and risky drinking, we perceived a statistical significance difference (p < 0.001) in favor of male respondents. The regression model was successful in explaining approximately 56% of the adjusted variance in risky drinking habits. Conclusion: This significant level presence of online liquor promotions suggest that the youth had fairly open access to the mixed beverage creator's items through web-based media stages which could impact youth to take part in early liquor drinking propensity. There was substantial presence of online alcohol promotions via web-based media scene that was related to risky drinking. Lastly, sex and online alcohol promotions could contribute to risky drinking among college students in Kenya.