Interpersonal Communication and Alcohol Abuse among College Students: The Role of Demographic Characteristics

Abstract

The paper sought to examine the effect of interpersonal communication on alcohol abuse among college students, and the moderating role of demographic factors. This comes amid growing concern of a surge in alcohol abuse among college students, a menace to the country’s public health and overall socio-economic development. Despite empirical evidence showing a strong correlation between interpersonal communication and behaviours, this has not received adequate backing in Kenya’s context, particularly on alcohol consumption behaviour among college students. The paper was anchored on social cognitive theory and used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to survey 384 respondents drawn from Kenya Medical Training College. A questionnaire and key informant interviews were used to collect data from the respondents, which was analysed using quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) and qualitative (content analysis) approaches. The findings revealed that interpersonal communication had a strong and significant correlation with alcohol consumption among college students. Demographic factors were also found to significantly moderate the relationship between interpersonal communication and alcohol consumption among college students. The study concluded that interpersonal communication among college students was a major driver to increased alcohol consumption among the students. Further, it was concluded that demographic factors including age, gender and financial status stimulated the ability of interpersonal communication to influence alcohol consumption among college students. It is therefore recommended that policy makers and education stakeholders create awareness on the dangers of interpersonal communication on influencing alcohol consumption among college students. It is also essential for the college administrators and relevant ministries to undertake mentorship programs, embrace targeted communication strategies, and peer-led interventions tailored to students' age, gender, and economic backgrounds to curb harmful drinking behaviors among college students.