Physical activity associated with binge drinking by gender and sexual orientation: Findings from the National College Health Assessment III

Objective: Examine the independent and joint association of meeting aerobic and muscle-strengthening (MS) physical activity (PA) guidelines with binge drinking among US college students. Participants: Data from the American College Health Assessment National College Health Assessment (Fall 2021-Spring 2022) were analyzed (n = 56,302). Methods: Odds of reported binge drinking (e.g., blood alcohol content (BAC) ≥0.08%) associated with meeting aerobic, MS, or both guidelines were examined using a series of logistic regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals to determine odds ratios whilst controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Results: Most participants were non-Hispanic White, women, >21 years of age, and did not meet PA guidelines. Independent models showed differences in associations of PA and binge drinking by gender and sexual orientation, while joint models showed a difference by gender only. Conclusion: The added context of specific PA behaviors associated with binge drinking among college students can be leveraged for health promotion initiatives.