Binge drinking in college students: development of a TPB based instrument
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/Keywords:
Theory of Planned Behavior, binge drinking, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, intention, validationAbstract
Background: excessive alcohol consumption (binge drinking) is a major global public health problem, with high prevalence among young people. Objective: this study examined the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain binge drinking among university students in Lima, Peru, through the development of a belief-based psychometric instrument. Method: participants were 608 students from a private university. The questionnaire followed the guidelines of Fishbein and Ajzen and was preceded by a qualitative belief elicitation phase. Exploratory factor analyses and a structural equation model were conducted. Results: Factor analyses supported onedimensional structures for attitudes, normative beliefs, and control beliefs, and a two-dimensional structure for behavioral beliefs. The structural model showed excellent fit (CFI = .991, TLI = .989, RMSEA = .045, SRMR = .050). Intention emerged as the strongest predictor of binge drinking frequency. Favorable attitudes and positive behavioral beliefs were associated with higher intention, while perceived behavioral control was inversely related to frequency. Subjective norms had a positive, albeit smaller, effect on intention. Conclusions: the findings support the validity of the TPB model and provide an instrument with adequate psychometric evidence.
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Copyright (c) 2026 David Pascual Olivo Chang, Fiorella Otiniano Campos, Silvana Melisa Romero Saletti, Cecilia Chau Pérez-Aranibar, Ronald Castillo-Blanco, Luz Gabriela Alvarez Saavedra
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