A Cross-Cultural Study of Drinking Behaviors and Perceptions in Korean and Chinese Students

Chung, Young Chul; Eun, Hong Bai; Li, Bing; Zhang, Wei Xi

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
& METHODS: To compare a drinking culture between Korean and Chinese University students, an appropriate questionnaire was developed and surveyed to 244 Korean students and 220 Chinese students with a co-administration of NAST to rule out problem drinkers from November 1997 to April 1998.
RESULTS
1) The numbers of problem drinker detected by NAST were 39 for Korean students and 20 for Chinese students. They were all excluded in the analysis. 2) Drinking rate for Korean students was 94.1% , much higher than that of Chinese, 62.6% and drinking frequency was also higher in Koreans The most preferred alcoholic liquor was beer for both countries and the most preferred place for drinking was beer house for Korean and home for Chinese. SuJack(passing one's own glass to other people) was also found to be practiced among small percentage of Chinese students, 18.7%. 3) As for the drinking motivations, emotional one and expectation for the alcoholic effect itself were negative for both countries. However, social one was strong for Koreans and neutral for Chinese. 4) As for the drinking behaviors, both countries showed autonomous and abstinent behavior: drinking manner and group solidarity were counted more importantly by Koreans while objectives of drinking was considered more importantly by Chinese. 5) As for the drinking perceptions, both countries showed a negative attitude toward admiration of alcoholic usefulness but positive attitude toward the need for social regulation of alcohol and generosity toward a drunken behavior.
CONCLUSIONS
These results show that drinking culture of Korean and Chinese University students is the same in terms of autonomous and abstinent behavior but quite different in terms of certain other drinking behavior and perception which might be related to their economical and cultural differences.