Demand for alcohol use among students at higher education institutions: an integrative literature review

Background The high prevalence rates of alcohol use among students in higher education is a public health concern. Most interventions aim to reduce alcohol-related harm, while few demand reduction strategies exist. Aims The aim if this article was to review existing evidence in order to address alcohol abuse among students from a demand reduction approach. Methods The authors searched databases PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar. Articles were screened according to the following inclusion criteria: qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research, using a population of higher education students, published between 2010 and 2020, written in English. This article presents the findings of 26 sources that addressed the demand for alcohol and demand reduction among students. Findings Two themes emerged, namely, risk factors that increase the demand for alcohol use, and protective factors that reduce the demand for alcohol use among students. The subthemes revealed intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental risk and protective factors. Conclusions Reducing the demand for alcohol use among students is a critical health priority that requires a combination of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental interventions.