Volunteering might prevent substance abuse for female student-athletes
"Past research has demonstrated that prosocial behaviors such as comforting or assisting others has long-term benefits for young people," said Gustavo Carlo, Millsap Professor of Diversity in MU's College of Human Environmental Sciences. "For this study, we were interested in understanding how female student-athletes might be impacted by community service because they make up a growing number of the college population." Carlo and Alexandra Davis, former doctoral candidate from MU and current assistant professor of family and child studies at the University of New Mexico, led a research team that investigated Division III women student-athletes' social and health behaviors over a five-year period. Participants in the study self-reported their helping behaviors such as willingness to volunteer as well as their individual alcohol and marijuana use. The researchers found that student athletes with a tendency to help others were less likely to abuse alcohol ...