Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Alcoholism is a prevalent issue among college students and has been shown to have a detrimental effect on academic performance. This research project aimed to investigate the relationship between alcoholism and academic performance among college students. A sample of 300 college students was surveyed, and data on their alcohol consumption habits and academic performance were collected. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between alcohol consumption and academic performance. Students who reported higher levels of alcohol consumption tended to have lower grades and were more likely to experience academic difficulties. Furthermore, the study found that the negative effects of alcoholism on academic performance were more pronounced among students who engaged in binge drinking compared to those who drank in moderation. These findings highlight the importance of addressing alcoholism among college students to improve their academic outcomes. Efforts to prevent and reduce alcoholism should be integrated into college campuses to support students in achieving academic success.

Thesis Overview

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND 

Alcoholism is a disease in which an individual continues to crave for alcohol despite of repeated alcohol-related problems. The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are as very similar and are often just a question of degree or intensity. Typically the last person to be aware that he/she has serious drinking problems is the alcoholic himself/herself – they are in denial. Some sign and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcoholic abuse include, drinking alone, not being able to limit how much alcohol consumed, dropping hobbies and activities of the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them, feeling an urge to drink, having relationship problems with the law, having money problems, and requiring a large quantity of alcohol to feel its effect (videbeck, 2007).

            Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world. Mostly people drink a small or moderate amount of alcohol to make them relax and enhance their social activities. Using alcohol in this way is not harmful for most adult. However, people, whose use of alcohol has negative effects on any aspects of their lives, including health, relationship, work, study are considered to have an alcohol problem. This problem can range from mild to severe. The severity of an alcohol problem defends on the factors including the type of alcohol you drink, how much you drink and how long you have been drinking (Draves, 2008).

            Alcohol is a liquid of strong pungent taste, an inflammable intoxicating element in fermented or distilled liquor. Alcohol is one of the large groups of sedatives, drugs which include barbiturates, bromides and chloroform. A seductive drug is one that causes sleep when used in large enough quantities. Alcohol was one of the earliest sedative drugs used.

            Doctors are not sure why people become alcoholism. These do not seem to be particular type of personality likely to become an alcohol. Alcoholism may affect men and women, the old and young, the rich and the poor (Grolier, 2000).

            Alcohol use and binge among our nation’s youth is a major public problem. Nowadays, college students are consuming alcohol at increasing rates where the college students who appear to be a particularly high risk is one of the public health concern in terms of their alcohol consumption and its associated risk behaviors. Studies from different parts of the world have shown that college students have a high prevalence of alcohol drinking and alcohol-use disorders, than the college youth. This could be attributed to the well-established developmental phase college students go through, in which they are away from home, family and longstanding friendship, in addition to the college setting being a unique environment to with a large proportion of young people are exposed. Aside from health risk, college students who drink too much alcohol may also be damaging their academic performance. There are already many lifestyle and other variables which may related to academic performance. Alcohol use is only part of the picture. Interestingly, estimates of hours spent in private study were only marginally correlated with academic performance.

            Alcoholism may lead to physical and psychological problems in persons of any age. Older alcoholics very frequently have problems as a consequence of interaction between alcohol con­sumption and physiological changes developing with age. Chemical composition of alcohol affects almost all body cells, and in high concentrations can lead to coma or death. Among the most com­mon effects, often stated are: impairments of the immune system, frequent infections, high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, impairments of the heart muscle, stroke, higher prevalence of malignant conditions, cirrhosis and other impair­ments of the liver, and malnutrition (5). Alcoholism is also shown to be related to increased mortality, and the most frequently stated causes are acci­dents, injuries, poisonings, and diseases of the cardio­vascular system, lung tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis, malignant diseases and suicide (6). Alcohol con­sumption in pregnant women may cause severe impairments in children, the most severe being fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It is characterized by irregularities in the structure and development of the head and face, along with disorders in brain development.

            According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol dependence, the most cause of severe disorders, is characterized by behavioral and other responses that always include a compulsion to take alcohol a continuous or periodic bases in order to experience its psychic effect, and sometimes avoid discomfort of its absence. Alcohol dependence is defined by sexennial criteria, including a narrowing of the persons drinking preferences; increased seeking of alcoholic beverages often to alcohol repeated withdrawal symptoms. Subjective compulsion or a strong urge to drink in spite of awareness that drinking creating problems in the person’s life and rapid return to establish drinking patterns of the following periods of abstinence (Collier, 1997).

            It is essential that research into a better treatments methods and more significance, into method of prevention be continued. Only in this way can progress be made in dealing with vices. It is significant to learn more about why people drinking, what effect of drinking to the health of a person, the most effective ways to prevent youth from starting and how to health adult to stop and to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages that drinking are caused.

Statement of the Problem

            This study aimed to determine the extent to which alcoholism can affect the academic performance of college students of Samar State University.

            Specifically, this seeks to answer the following questions:

1.     What is the profile of the Civil Engineering students in terms of:

1.1 Age and sex;

1.2 Year level;

1.3 Family monthly income?

2. What are the drinking habits of the respondents in terms of:

2.1 Kinds of liquors;

2.2 Number of bottles consumed (per week);

2.3 How much do you typically pay for one alcoholic drink?

2.4 Where do you usually drink?

2.5 What time do you usually drink?

2.6 What is the reason why are you drinking?

2.7 How would you best describe yourself in terms of your current use of                           alcohol?                                                                                                      

2. What is the level of academic performance as determined by the General Weight Average (GWA) of their first semester subjects?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the academic performance of the students and their drinking habits?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the drinking habits and their profile varieties?

Hypothesis

1. There is no significant relationship between the academic performance of the students and their drinking habits.

2. There is no significant relationship between the drinking habits and their profile.

3. What implication may be derived from the findings of the study?

Theoretical Framework

            The researchers will use the Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura (1993:66 – 70) stating “that people learned through observing other’s behavior and most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling from observing others, from forms of an ideas how new behavior are performed and from this coded information serves as guides for action”. This social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavior and environmental influences (1993:69).

            Bandura further believes in reciprocal determinism, that, it isthe world and the person’s behavior cause each other, while behaviorism essentially states that one’s environment causes one’s behavior. He considered personality as an interaction between three (3) components: the environment, the behavior and one’s psychological process (1993:70)

        In this theory, it is assumed that the students’ cognitive development results from a behavioral process (Eynsenk; 120-122) whereby a student learns how to drink alcohol through the influences with someone else usually the parents, friends, neighborhood and peers.