Attitudes towards Alcohol Use among University Students in Sri Lanka: Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Abstract

Alcohol use is regarded as a health issue among university students, which presently has a high occurrence. The objective of this research is to investigate the determinants of intentions toward Alcohol use among university students. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), it is hypothesized that favourable attitude, subjective norms, and lack of behavioural control will be positively and significantly associated with intention towards alcohol use and alcohol use behaviour among university students in Sri Lanka. A questionnaire was developed based on the TPB domains. Separately, alcohol use behaviour questionnaire was developed. Both were circulated among university students through google forms and social media. It was received a total number of 320 completed questionnaires from students. Coefficients path analyses of study variables, attitude (b=0.34), subjective norms (b=0.28) indicate a significant effect on the intention to use alcohol at the 1% level (H1 & H2). However, PBC does not indicate a significant impact on intention (b=0.03) to use alcohol (H3). Furthermore, Intention towards alcohol use is positively and significantly correlated with alcohol use behaviour (b=0.31, H4). This research validates the possibility of TPB in studying the behavioural intention and actual behaviour in a different social context. These findings will be important policy implications, policy-makers who wish to reduce alcohol use among university students can introduce interventions targeting to reduce positive attitudes towards alcohol use intention and favourable subjective norms towards reducing alcohol use intention. Correspondingly, policy-makers can propose educational awareness programs to increase the PBC among university students relating alcohol use intention and behaviour. The results indicate the effectiveness of diverse approaches to alcohol reduction programs.