It also is possible that adolescents with a high degree of perceived well-being are more likely to hold positive alcohol expectancies (e.g., relaxation, friendliness, sexual enhancement) and to drink for different reasons (e.g., to facilitate social interactions, to avoid boredom) than other adolescents. Alcohol expectancies tend to increase with age (e.g., Chung, Hipwell, Loeber, White, & Stouthamer-Loeber, 2008) and have been shown to predict alcohol consumption (Goldberg, Halpern-Felsher, & Millstein, 2002; Patrick, Wray-Lake, Finlay, & Maggs, 2009). Reasons for drinking may vary by region, and certain reasons, such as drinking with peers to avoid boredom, may be particularly salient for rural youth (D’Onofrio, 1997), thereby increasing the likelihood of adolescent alcohol use. Once established and within the context of college life, alcohol use may become a predictor of increased subjective well-being (Molnar et al., 2009), possibly through perceived continued enhancements to social activities. Expanded studies that address alcohol expectancies and reasons for drinking along with subjective well-being and other potential positive correlates of alcohol use are needed, especially those that focus on rural youth or directly compare urban and rural samples to determine the generalizability of findings.
