Sensory processing patterns link alcohol consumption in undergraduate students

Background: Alcohol consumption among undergraduate students is a public health concern. Sensory processing refers to how individuals receive, organize, and respond to sensory information from their environment, influencing their emotions and behavior. However, no research has yet explored the relationship between sensory processing patterns in specific modalities and alcohol consumption among undergraduate students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sensory processing patterns and alcohol consumption among undergraduate students. Materials and methods: Participants included 430 students. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Functional-Belief-Based Alcohol Use Questionnaire and the Thai Sensory Patterns Assessment. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and chi-squared test were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings indicated that alcohol consumption was positively correlated with sensory arousal in the auditory and proprioceptive modalities (r=0.176 and 0.186, respectively; p<0.01), as well as with sensory preferences across all modalities (rs ranged from 0.116 to 0.204; p<0.01; p<0.05). Conclusion: This research found that sensory processing patterns may be associated with alcohol consumption. Further research and public health efforts could contribute to developing strategies to assist students in managing sensory cues and preventing alcohol abuse.