Abstract for: Agent-based modeling of College Drinking Behavior and mapping of feedback mechanism of alcohol reduction

Alcohol use is prevalent among college students in the US and is the leading cause of many alcohol-related consequences such as injury, driving under influence, and sexual assault. The problem of college drinking involves complex individual, social, and cultural factors. By viewing college drinking as a complex system problem, this paper describes two components necessary for the full development of a simulation-based dynamic agent model for alcohol use in college. The first component is a basic agent-based model that explores the dynamic of college drinking. The second component discusses the use of system dynamic modeling to explore the causal relationship between various personal/environmental factors and alcohol consumption. The paper also discusses important leverage points for intervention strategies, especially in the context of targeting both high-risk and low- to medium-risk drinkers in college.