Showing posts with label Drinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drinking. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2016

Syndemic Factors associated with Drinking Patterns among Latino Men and Latina Transgender Women Who Have Sex with Men in New York City

Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern among Latino men and Latina transgender women who have sex with men. However, characteristics and behaviors associated with alcohol consumption in this population, particularly in regard to the complex influence of syndemic factors, remain understudied. 

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of high-risk alcohol consumption (i.e. binge or heavy drinking). Between January and March of 2014, 176 Latino men and Latina transgender women in New York City completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We developed a syndemics scale to reflect the total number of syndemic factors – clinically significant depression, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and discrimination – reported by each participant. 

We also carried out a multinomial logistic regression model predicting binge and heavy drinking. Forty-seven percent of participants reported high-risk alcohol consumption in the past 30 days (21% binge and 26% heavy). Approximately 16% of participants reported no syndemic factors, 27% reported one factor, 39% reported two factors, and 18% reported three or four. 

In the multinomial logistic regression model, our syndemic factors scale was not significantly associated with binge drinking. However, participants who reported three or four factors were significantly more likely to report heavy drinking. In addition, having multiple sexual partners was associated with an increased risk of binge and heavy drinking; involvement in a same-sex relationship was associated with binge drinking. 

Further work is needed to develop effective prevention intervention approaches for high-risk alcohol consumption within this population.

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

  • a Temple University School of Social Work, Philadelphia, PA, USA;
  • b School of Social Work at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
  • c Department College of Liberal Arts at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA;
  • d College of Public Health at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA;
  • e Bureau of Public Health Statistics, Phoenix, AZ, USA;
  • f School of Public Health at Indiana University – Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA;
  • g Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA;
  • h HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
  • i Lutheran Family Health Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA;
  • j School of Social Work at the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA;
  • k Department of Public Health at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA




Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Pathways to Romantic Relational Aggression Through Adolescent Peer Aggression & Heavy Episodic Drinking

Adolescent peer aggression is a well-established correlate of romantic relational aggression; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. Heavy episodic drinking (or "binge" alcohol use) was examined as both a prior and concurrent mediator of this link in a sample of 282 12-18 year old interviewed four times over 6 years. 

Path analyses indicated that early peer relational and physical aggression each uniquely predicted later romantic relational aggression. Concurrent heavy episodic drinking fully mediated this effect for peer physical aggression only. 

These findings highlight two important mechanisms by which peer aggression may increase the risk of later romantic relational aggression: a direct pathway from peer relational aggression to romantic relational aggression and an indirect pathway through peer physical aggression and concurrent heavy episodic drinking. 

Prevention programs targeting romantic relational aggression in adolescence and young adulthood may benefit from interventions that target multiple domains of risky behavior, including the heavy concurrent use of alcohol. 

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

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
  •  2016 Mar 16. doi: 10.1002/ab.21651.  



Saturday, March 12, 2016

Associations Between LGBTQ-Affirmative School Climate & Adolescent Drinking Behaviors

BACKGROUND:
We investigated whether adolescents drank alcohol less frequently if they lived in jurisdictions with school climates that were more affirmative of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals.

METHODS:
Data from the 2010 School Health Profile survey, which measured LGBTQ school climate (e.g., percentage of schools with safe spaces and gay-straight alliances), were linked with pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which measured sexual orientation identity, demographics, and alcohol use (number of drinking days, drinking days at school, and heavy episodic drinking days) in 8 jurisdictions. Two-level Poisson models tested the associations between school climate and alcohol use for each sexual-orientation subgroup.

RESULTS:
Living in jurisdictions with more (versus less) affirmative LGBTQ school climates was significantly associated with: fewer heavy episodic drinking days for gay/lesbian (incidence-rate ratio [IRR]=0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56, 0.87; p=0.001) and heterosexual (IRR=0.80; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.83; p<0.001) adolescents; and fewer drinking days at school for adolescents unsure of their sexual orientation (IRR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.93; p=0.024).

CONCLUSIONS:
Fostering LGBTQ-affirmative school climates may reduce certain drinking behaviors for gay/lesbian adolescents, heterosexual adolescents, and adolescents unsure of their sexual orientation.

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

  • 1Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States; Center for LGBT Health Research, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States. Electronic address: Robert.ws.coulter@pitt.edu.
  • 2Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
  • 3Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, United States.
  • 4Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States.
  • 5Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States; Center for LGBT Health Research, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States. 
  •  2016 Feb 23. pii: S0376-8716(16)00097-1. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.02.022



Sunday, February 21, 2016

Relations among Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms and Drinking Frequency During Adolescence

Background
In adolescence, internalizing (e.g., anxious, depressive, and withdrawn) and externalizing (e.g., aggressive, oppositional, delinquent, and hyper-active) symptoms are related with alcohol use. However, the directionality among internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and alcohol use during adolescence is equivocal. Moreover, gender differences and similarities among these behaviors are not definitive in existing literature.

Objectives
This study examined longitudinal relationships between internalizing and externalizing symptoms and past-month alcohol use among adolescent boys and girls.

Methods
Using longitudinal survey data from a study of community-dwelling adolescents (n = 724), we estimated cross-lagged structural equation models to test relations between internalizing and externalizing symptoms (as measured by the Youth Self Report, YSR [Achenbach, 1991]) and self-report alcohol use in the past month among adolescents. Gender differences were tested in a multiple group structural equation model.

Results
Alcohol use at age 12 was a predictor of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 15 for both boys and girls. With regard to gender differences, girls demonstrated an association between internalizing symptoms and drinking at age 12, whereas boys showed a stronger association between externalizing symptoms and drinking at age 18.

Conclusions/Importance
Early alcohol use is problematic for youth, and results of this study lend support to prevention programs for youth. Preventing or curbing early drinking may offset later externalizing and internalizing symptoms, as well as ongoing alcohol use, regardless of gender.

Below:  Cross-lagged model of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and alcohol use



Full article at:   http://goo.gl/2kdCDB

School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Address correspondence to Hyun-Jin Jun, University of Maryland, School of Social Work, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; ude.dnalyramu.wss@nujh




Saturday, February 13, 2016

Where do College Drinkers Draw the Line? A Qualitative Study

Alcohol use among college students has received nationwide recognition as a public health concern. The primary aim of this study was to explore students’ opinions of when drinking “crosses the line” from acceptable to unacceptable. This study used qualitative methods to: (a) examine unappealing aspects of drinking by relationship type (potential dating partner, friend, self), and (b) determine whether this differs by gender. Seventy-eight interviews were conducted with college students who violated campus-alcohol policy. The semi-structured interview included open-ended questions related to reactions to other’s excessive drinking. Qualitative analyses revealed that college males and females find lack of control as unappealing, including lack of physical, verbal, and sexual control. More females than males indicated negative perceptions of same-sex friends and self who displayed poor sexual control. Future research might also consider integration of themes in measures of negative expectancies and consequences to more accurately capture unappealing aspects of college drinking behavior.

…This study revealed three primary themes regarding college students’ negative reactions to excessive drinking. These included (a) negative reactions to a lack of control, (b) female participant’s dislike of uncontrolled sexual behavior by self and others, and (c) alcohol-induced aggression. First, the majority of male and female participants found behaviors that indicated a lack of general control (e.g., being “sloppy,” stumbling, impaired consciousness, etc.) as unappealing in a potential dating partner, in same-sex friends, and in oneself...

A second theme emerging from these qualitative interviews related to how females in the sample viewed a lack of sexual control by same-sex friends or themselves such as engaging unplanned sexual behavior, and/or betraying a friend by having relations with his/her romantic partner. Negative perceptions of casual or spontaneous sexual encounters are consistent with data exploring perceptions of casual sexual encounters. Research examining gender differences in sex or “hook-ups” among young adults suggests that females are less likely to report the experience as positive compared to men (). Qualitative data suggest that women are aware of a double standard and believe that other women who engage in casual sex are disrespected and stigmatized (; )...

Third, both male and female students noted that alcohol-induced aggression was a behavior that “crossed the line.” Females identified that dating partners who were sexual aggressive or “pushy” were unattractive, and males indicated that they would lose respect for a same-sex friend who acted in a sexually aggressive way. Acts of sexual aggression and assault are most prevalent among women ages 16–24 years, with an estimated 38% of women reporting some form of sexual violence during the previous academic year (). Furthermore, an estimated 39–50% sexual assault victims and 50% of perpetrators report using alcohol at the time of the assault (; ). More recent estimates have suggested that 96% of drug-related assaults involved use of alcohol prior to assault (). Alcohol use and sexual assault often occur in conjunction with each other; both genders reported prohibitions related to alcohol-induced aggression. Reinforcing these prohibitions may aid in prevention efforts that target early warning signs and ways to avoid situations likely to lead to aggressive behavior…

Full article at: http://goo.gl/Xnpcyc

By:  Danielle L. Terry, M.S., Lorra Garey, B.A., and Kate B. Carey, Ph.D.
Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University
Please Address Correspondence To: Danielle K. Seigers or Kate B. Carey, Department of Psychology, Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340,  ude.rys@regieskd,  ude.rys@yeracbk, Phone: 315-443-2877, Fax: 315-443-4123




Friday, January 29, 2016

Studying Ritual & Individual Orientations to Alcohol Use: Drinking Motives & Their Connection to Intoxication in Finland in the 2000s

Background
Finland was an agricultural country until the 1960s. Thereafter, Finland modernized rapidly. Studies have postulated that as Finland becomes modernized, intoxication-oriented drinking would gradually decrease. Current studies, however, show that heavy episodic drinking has lately become more common among men and women. Simultaneously, drinking is seldom motivated by the purpose of getting drunk. The article tackles this conundrum by approaching drinking motives from a ritual and an individual perspective. We study what kinds of drinking motives currently exist in Finland, their prevalence among different population groups, how they vary by social background, and their association with intoxication.

Methods
The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Drinking Habit Survey in 2008. It consists of verbal descriptions on the most recent drinking occasion (N = 521), estimations of its blood alcohol content, and responses to pre-defined standardized motive questions related to the latest drinking occasions (N = 8732).

Results
Besides the motive ‘to get drunk’, also the motives of drinking as a ‘time-out’ ritual, ‘to get into the mood’ and ‘I drunk to brighten up’ predict a “wet” drinking occasion. Overall, Finns highlight drinking motives of sociability, relaxation, meal drinking and situational factors. The more educated orientate to their drinking more with motives that express mastery of cultural capital and individuality. The less educated and the young, again, orientate to their drinking more with motives that imply intoxication and external expectations.

Conclusions
Whereas the ritual perspective discloses what kinds of situations predict intoxication, the individual perspective reveals what kinds of individualistic orientations are associated with drunkenness. These perspectives partly speak past each other and are difficult to combine. The article proposes that situational perspective would serve as a bridge between them and enable the incorporation of results from different research traditions.

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

Affiliations
SoRAD/Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden





Sunday, January 3, 2016

“Hey Everyone, I’m Drunk.” An Evaluation of Drinking-Related Twitter Chatter

Objective:
The promotion of drinking behaviors correlates with increased drinking behaviors and intent to drink, especially when peers are the promotion source. Similarly, online displays of peer drinking behaviors have been described as a potential type of peer pressure that might lead to alcohol misuse when the peers to whom individuals feel attached value such behaviors. Social media messages about drinking behaviors on Twitter (a popular social media platform among young people) are common but understudied. In response, and given that drinking alcohol is a widespread activity among young people, we examined Twitter chatter about drinking.

Method:
Tweets containing alcohol- or drinking-related keywords were collected from March 13 to April 11, 2014. We assessed a random sample (n = 5,000) of the most influential Tweets for sentiment, theme, and source.

Results:
Most alcohol-related Tweets reflected a positive sentiment toward alcohol use, with pro-alcohol Tweets outnumbering anti-alcohol Tweets by a factor of more than 10. The most common themes of pro-drinking Tweets included references to frequent or heavy drinking behaviors and wanting/needing/planning to drink alcohol. The most common sources of pro-alcohol Tweets were organic (i.e., noncommercial).

Conclusions:
Our findings highlight the need for online prevention messages about drinking to counter the strong pro-alcohol presence on Twitter. However, to enhance the impact of anti-drinking messages on Twitter, it may be prudent for such Tweets to be sent by individuals who are widely followed on Twitter and during times when heavy drinking is more likely to occur (i.e., weekends, holidays).

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/kgO0kX

By:   Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, Ph.D.,a,* Melissa J. Krauss, M.P.H.,a Shaina J. Sowles, M.P.H.,a & Laura J. Bierut, M.D.a
Affiliations
aDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
*Correspondence may be sent to Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg at the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8134, St. Louis, MO 63110, or via email at:rehgp@psychiatry.wustl.edu.




Do Drinking Episodes Contribute to Sexual Aggression Perpetration in College Men?

Objective:
Survey and experimental analog studies suggest that alcohol consumption contributes to perpetration of sexual aggression. However, few studies have considered the temporal association between naturally occurring episodes of drinking and subsequent sexual aggression. This daily report study was designed to examine whether alcohol consumption increases the odds of aggressive sexual activity within the next 4 hours.

Method:
First-year male college students (N = 427) completed daily online reports of drinking and sexual activity for up to 56 days. Multilevel modeling was used to determine whether drinking episodes increased the odds of the following outcomes occurring within 4 hours: (a) aggressive sex with a new partner, (b) non-aggressive sex with a new partner, (c) aggressive sex with a previous partner, and (d) non-aggressive sex with a previous partner.

Results:
Drinking episodes increased the odds of both aggressive and non-aggressive sex with a new partner. In contrast, drinking episodes did not predict aggression involving previous partners and decreased the odds of non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Contrary to hypotheses, individual difference variables associated with propensity toward sexual aggression (sexual misperception, antisocial behavior, hostility toward women) did not interact with daily alcohol.

Conclusions:
The complex pattern of results is more consistent with situational as opposed to pharmacological effects of alcohol on sexual aggression and suggests that prevention efforts focus on drinking contexts known to facilitate sexual activity.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/4eEkpY

By:   Maria Testa, Ph.D.,a,*, Kathleen A. Parks, Ph.D.,a Joseph H. Hoffman, M.A.,a Cory A. Crane, Ph.D.,a Kenneth E. Leonard,Ph.D.,a & Kathleen Shyhalla, Ph.D.a
Affiliations
aResearch Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
*Correspondence may be sent to Maria Testa at the Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, or via email at: testa@ria.buffalo.edu.





Saturday, January 2, 2016

The Menstrual Cycle Influences the Gastric Emptying of Alcohol

We previously reported that ingestion of 60 mL of red wine or vodka prior to the ingestion of a pancake significantly inhibited the gastric emptying of the pancake in male subjects, but not in female subjects, and that the retention times of wine and vodka were significantly longer than those of the congener of red wine and mineral water in male subjects, whereas in female subjects the retention times of these four drinks did not differ significantly from one another. 

We hypothesized that the menstrual cycle may influence the gastric emptying of alcohol beverages. Here, we determined and compared the retention times of vodka and water in the stomach during the luteal phase and the follicular phase. Ten female healthy volunteers were studied. They recorded their basal body temperatures every day, and participated in the following experiments: each volunteer drank mineral water or vodka containing 14% alcohol (60 mL) during the low-temperature (follicular) phase as well as during the high-temperature (luteal) phase. The retention time of vodka was significantly longer than that of mineral water during the follicular phase, but no significant differences between the retention times of the two drinks were observed during the luteal phase. 

In conclusion, the menstrual cycle influences the gastric emptying rate of alcohol.

Full [PDF] article at:   https://goo.gl/ByRbg9

  • 1Department of Physiology, Tokyo Kasei University Graduate School of Human Life Sciences.
  •  2015;36(6):411-5. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.36.411. 


Reducing Risky Sex among College Students: Prospects for Context-Specific Interventions

Better understanding the contribution of specific drinking contexts to alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors can help target effective prevention programs to specific locations and types of drinkers. 

We used a sample of college students to investigate whether more frequent and heavier drinking in specific drinking contexts was associated with unplanned sex, unprotected sex, and number of sexual contacts. Greater frequencies of drinking in almost all contexts (Greek parties, off-campus parties, campus events, dorms, and bars) were associated with greater numbers of sexual partners, unplanned sex and unprotected sex; heavier drinking at bars increased risks related to all outcomes. 

Risks related to frequencies of use of contexts were similar for men and women, but heavier drinking at bars was associated with more unprotected sex among males only. 

We discuss these observations in light of their implications for developing context-specific interventions to reduce community viral load in high-risk populations.

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

  • 1Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/), 219 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA, cmair@pitt.edu. 

The Drinkers Degree: Risk Taking Behaviours amongst Undergraduate Student Drinkers

Objective. 
To examine risk taking behaviours associated with alcohol consumption amongst UK undergraduate students. 

Design and Methods. 
A cross-sectional web survey was used to assess attitudes and health behaviours. The survey included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Students were also asked about why they drank alcohol; about their preferred alcoholic beverage; and if they had experienced any consequences associated with drinking alcohol as well as questions relating to sexual risk taking, drug use, and smoking. 

Results. 
2779 (65% female; 84% White British) students completed some part of the survey. Of these, 98% (n = 2711) completed the AUDIT. Of the 92% that drank 66% (n = 1,643) were categorised as being AUDIT positive. 8% (n = 224) were categorised as probably alcohol dependent. Higher AUDIT scores were significantly associated with negative consequences such as unplanned sexual activity, physical injuries, and arguments. Other risk taking behaviours such as drug use and smoking were also found to be positively correlated with higher AUDIT scores; drug use; and smoking. 

Conclusions. 
The results from this study provide insight into students' alcohol consumption and associated risk taking. University policies need to protect students' overall health and wellbeing to ensure academic potential is maximised.

Below:  Reasons for drinking alcohol.
Reasons for drinking alcoholStrongly agree/agreeStrongly disagree/disagreeMann-Whitney
NMeanSDNMeanSDZ scoreP value
To feel good178711.126.272549.284.91−4.7<0.0005
To feel confident199111.176.191928.675.58−6.21<0.0005
To relieve stress187710.816.1520711.116.38−0.270.785
To feel relaxed194410.736.1117710.755.88−0.720.474
To look cool9909.726.29101011.685.79−7.92<0.0005
To get drunk216111.106.081246.484.58−9.34<0.0005
Because friends do160710.456.2344111.725.97−3.99<0.0005

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/l8IluV

By:   Gillian O'Neill, 1 , 2 Neil Martin, 3 Jennifer Birch, 1 Alison Oldam, 4 and Dorothy Newbury-Birch 5 , *
1Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
2Durham County Council, Durham DH1 5UJ, UK
3Balance, North East Alcohol Office, Durham DH1 1TW, UK
4Student Wellbeing Service, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
5School of Health and Social Care, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK
*Dorothy Newbury-Birch: Email: ku.ca.seet@hcrib-yrubwen.d
Academic Editor: Gallus Bischof
J Addict. 2015; 2015: 965438.
Published online 2015 Dec 2. doi:  10.1155/2015/965438