Objective

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether pregaming (ie, drinking prior to a social event) is a risk factor for hospitalization.

Participants

Participants (N = 516) were undergraduate students with an alcohol-related sanction.

Methods

Participants completed a survey about alcohol use, as well as behaviors and experiences, prior to and during the referral event. The dependent variable was whether participants received medical attention at an emergency department during the sanction event.

Results

Results indicated that older students, females who pregame, students with higher alcohol use screening scores, lighter drinkers, and higher numbers of drinks before the referral event all increased the odds of receiving medical attention. Pregaming alone was not significantly related to receiving medical attention in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Female students who pregame appear to be at risk for requiring hospitalization after drinking when controlling for the number of drinks consumed.