Harm From Other People ' S Drinking Among College Students In India

Introduction and Aims There is a paucity of studies on the harms experienced by college students from India due to others ' drinking, despite their increased risk. We studied the prevalence and correlates of harm from others ' drinking among college students in the state of Kerala, India. Design and Methods A total of 5784 students from 58 colleges completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included the World Health Organization-Thai Health Harm to Others from Drinking Master Protocol and other structured instruments to assess correlates. The frequencies of various harms were determined and a mixed effect multivariable negative binomial regression model was used to identify the factors responsible for harms. Results Of the 4487 valid responses, 68.3% were females. The mean age of the sample was 19.5 years. Harm from others ' drinking was reported by 68.7% of respondents. Among various harm domains, psychological harm was reported by 65.7%, physical by 15.2%, financial by 20.9%, and property harm by 5.0%. Strangers were the most common perpetrators. Being male and having a part-time job increased harms. Increasing age, urban residence, and staying in a hostel were correlated with psychological-but not physical-harm. Subjects who reported harm had higher odds of reporting alcohol use and psychological distress. 'Any harm' or psychological harm was associated with suicidal thoughts; only physical harm was correlated with suicidal attempts. Discussion and Conclusions The high prevalence of harms from others ' drinking and its negative correlates underscore the need for colleges to focus on second-hand effects in programs for tackling alcohol use.