Recreational Sports Participation as a Mediating Factor for College Student Alcohol Use.

Research indicates that college students involved in extracurricular activities are less likely to abuse alcohol or other drugs. This study investigated whether or not involvement in recreational sports acts as a protective factor in preventing abuse and explored whether substance use differs by type of recreational sports program: team sports, individual or dual sports, fitness programs, and nonparticipation in any recreational sports activity. Trained resident assistants surveyed college freshmen (N = 316) living in residence halls. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses of variance were calculated. Overall, no significant differences in alcohol use based on participation and type of activity were found regarding recreational sports participants; however, findings are useful in providing future direction for recreational sports programs. Implications for campus recreation professionals related to program planning, student employee and sports officials training, team captain training or orientation, and use of peer educators are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]