# Rural Drinking and Intoxication Among Young Adults: A Qualitative Study

> **NIH NIH R01** · SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS CORPORATION · 2021 · $617,814

## Abstract

7. Project Summary
The overall purpose of this 36 month qualitative project is to examine the social context of drinking and the
meanings and roles of intoxication among rural young adults (18-25), which includes an investigation of the
structural conditions shaping intoxication, including living in poverty, unemployment, housing insecurity, lack of
leisure facilities, family disruption, and effects of rural isolation, as well as the contexts and cultures of youthful
heavy drinking and intoxication within rural areas. While concerns about alcohol consumption and related
problems among urban youth have led to an extensive body of research, the role and meaning of alcohol in the
lives of rural young adults has not generated the same research interest. This is in spite of the fact that alcohol
use is more prevalent among young people in rural areas and has more serious health and social impacts than
other substances. This project will examine the following four research questions: 1) What are the structural
conditions that shape rural intoxication among young adults? 2) What are the drinking contexts of intoxication
and to what extent do they shape alcohol use and intoxication among rural young adults? 3) To what extent
are the cultures of drinking among rural young adults defined by heavy drinking and intoxication? What are the
perceived social and health consequences? 4) How are these drinking and intoxication practices shaped by
the intersecting identities of rural young adults?
 In order to examine these issues, we will conduct in-depth interviews with 200 young adults using a
qualitative interview schedule, which includes a pre-coded survey instrument, detailed open-ended questions,
and innovative elicitation techniques. We will disseminate findings through a project website
(criticalpublichealth.org) that includes an accessible presentation of study findings and a social media forum to
solicit feedback from study participants and people concerned about alcohol related problems among rural
young adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10265462
- **Project number:** 5R01AA027992-02
- **Recipient organization:** SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS CORPORATION
- **Principal Investigator:** GEOFFREY P HUNT
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $617,814
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-20 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10265462

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10265462, Rural Drinking and Intoxication Among Young Adults: A Qualitative Study (5R01AA027992-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10265462. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*