Pre-drinking Motives in Canadian Undergraduate Students: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Prepartying Motivations Inventory and Examination of New Themes

Abstract Introduction Pre-drinking is a risky, yet common activity among college students whereby they consume alcohol prior to going to an event where more alcohol may be consumed (LaBrie, Hummer, Pederson, Lac, & Chithambo, 2012). While general drinking motives have been studied extensively, attention to pre-drinking is recent, and deserves more attention. This study assessed the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Prepartying Motivations Inventory (PMI), and identified novel motivations through a thematic analysis. Method A sample of 276 Canadian undergraduate students completed an online survey consisting of open-ended questions, drinking and pre-drinking questions, the PMI, and a brief demographic questionnaire. Results It was demonstrated that a four-factor model, similar to that of the initial PMI, fits well, but that improvements are made by eliminating an item related to being under the legal drinking age. Further, five new themes emerged that warrant further investigation, and possible inclusion in the current PMI. Conclusions Findings suggest that the PMI could be refined to further understand students’ motivations for pre-drinking, and might inform alcohol intervention programs on post-secondary campuses.