Alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, and condom possession among bar patrons

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bar patrons' intentions to engage in unsafe sex varied by sex and BrAC.
• Significant predictors of condom possession were gender, race, age and BrAC level.

PURPOSE:

The current study seeks to: 1) assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and intentions to engage in unprotected sex in an uncontrolled environment, and 2) to identify if covariates (race, age, sex, breath alcohol content (BrAC), intentions to engage in sex, hazardous drinking rates) are significant predictors of condom possession during time of uncontrolled alcohol consumption.

METHODS:

Data were collected from 917 bar patrons to assess alcohol use using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), BrAC levels, intentions to engage in risky sex, and condom possession. Correlational analysis and hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted using SPSS.

RESULTS:

Correlational analyses indicated a negative relationship between AUDIT-C scores (r=-0.115, p=0.001), BrAC (r=-0.08, p=0.015), and intentions to use a condom. Over 70% of participants intended to use a condom if they engaged in sex; however, only 28.4% had a condom to use. The regression analysis indicated the predictive model (χ²=114.5, df=8, p<0.001) was statistically significant, and correctly classified 72.9% of those in possession of a condom.

CONCLUSIONS:

Alcohol consumption was associated with intentions to have unprotected sex; however, intentions to engage in protected sex and condom possession were higher for males and those with higher BrAC levels.

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By:  Chaney BH1, Vail-Smith K2, Martin RJ3, Cremeens-Matthews J4.

• 1East Carolina University, Department of Health Education & Promotion, 3105 Carol G. Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858, United States. Electronic address: chaneye@ecu.edu.
• 2East Carolina University, Department of Health Education & Promotion, 3208 Carol G. Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858, United States. Electronic address: vailsmithk@ecu.edu.
• 3East Carolina University, Department of Health Education & Promotion, 2206 Carol G. Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858, United States. Electronic address: martinry@ecu.edu.
• 4East Carolina University, Department of Health Education & Promotion, 2302 Carol G. Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858, United States. Electronic address: cremeensj@ecu.edu. 
• Addict Behav. 2016 Apr 6;60:32-36. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.035.

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Combined Use of Alcohol and Energy Drinks Increases Participation in High-Risk Drinking and Driving Behaviors among College Students

Objective:

A recent study suggested that college students who combined alcohol and energy drinks were more likely than students who consumed only alcohol to drive when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was higher than the .08% limit and to choose to drive despite knowing they had too much alcohol to drive safely. This study sought to replicate those findings with a larger sample while also exploring additional variables related to impaired driving.

Method:

College students (N = 549) completed an anonymous online survey to assess differences in drinking and driving-related behaviors between alcohol-only users (n = 281) and combined alcohol-energy drink users (n = 268).

Results:

Combined users were more likely than alcohol-only users to choose to 

1. drive when they perceived they were over the .08% BAC limit,
2. drive despite knowing they had too much alcohol to drive safely, and 
3. be a passenger when they knew the driver had too much alcohol to drive safely. 

Combined users were significantly more likely to report indicators of high-risk alcohol use, such as larger number of drinks consumed, number of days drinking, number of days drunk, number of heavy episodic drinking episodes, greatest number of drinks on one occasion, and average hours of consumption.

Conclusions:

Combined use of alcohol and energy drinks may place drinkers at greater risk when compared with those who consume only alcohol. College students in this sample who combined alcohol and energy drinks were more likely to participate in high-risk driving behaviors than those who consumed only alcohol.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/jKGGRi

By:   Conrad L. Woolsey, Ph.D.,^a* Ronald D. Williams, Ph.D.,^b Jeff M. Housman, Ph.D.,^b Adam E. Barry, Ph.D.,^c Bert H. Jacobson, Ph.D.,^d & Marion W. Evans, D.C., Ph.D.^a

Affiliations
^aNorthwest Center for Lifestyle and Functional Medicine, University of Western States, Portland, Oregon
^bDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
^cDepartment of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
^dDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

*Correspondence may be sent to Conrad L. Woolsey at the Northwest Center for Lifestyle and Functional Medicine, University of Western States, 2900 NE 132nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97230, or via email at: cwoolsey@uws.edu.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2015.76.615 

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