This study investigated the drinking motives, behaviour and problems among first-entering university students in South Africa. The most predominant drinking motive was social, followed by enhancement and coping. Social and enhancement drinking motives were predictors for current alcohol use, heavy drinking and risky drinking, while coping drinking motives were predictors for drinking problems. Intervention programmes may address coping motives with problem drinkers and social and enhancement motives with male current and risky drinkers and social motives in female drinkers.
Human Sciences Research Council (Wed,) studied this question.