Citation

Napper LE, Wolter LC, Ebersole DS. J. Fam. Comm. 2020; 20(2): 160-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15267431.2020.1723591

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

College students commonly report that their parents provide advice about how to drink safely; however, there is very little research exploring the content of parent-child harm-reduction conversations. The present study explores the types of advice mothers provide underage college students about drinking. A random sample of college students (ages 18 to 20) completed an online survey about their alcohol use and conversations they had with their mother about alcohol. Students' perceptions of mother-child harm-reduction conversations include the themes of: specific protective behavioral strategies, ambiguous behavioral advice, decision making advice, value-based advice, warning-based advice, and advice conveying approval.

DISCUSSION of specific protective behavioral strategies was most common for female students and students who reported binge drinking. Mothers did not typically address how to implement harm-reduction strategies effectively. The findings have implications for the assessment of harm-reduction communication between parents and emerging adult children.

Language: en

Keywords

communication with mothers about alcohol; students’ perceptions of alcohol advice from mothers; underage drinking messages