Adolescent Alcohol Consumption Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of Secondary Supply Laws on Adolescent Drinking Trends in Australia

Adolescent alcohol consumption has declined in Australia over the past 20 years. Secondary supply laws (SSLs) typically prohibit the supply of alcohol to adolescents by persons other than parents or guardians, or without parental consent. SSLs were introduced in Australia at different times in different states and territories over the period of declining alcohol consumption. In this study we examined the impact of variations in SSLs across Australia on young people's drinking. We used six waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the Australian population, from 2001 to 2016. The study population was adolescents ages 14-17 years. Our primary measure of interest was exposure to SSLs. Data were analyzed using two-way linear and logistic regression models with fixed effects of Australian state/territory and time to identify the effect of SSLs on the frequency of drinking, past-year drinking, and the secondary supply source, respectively. We found no evidence of an association between SSLs and any of the three outcomes of interest. SSLs are challenging to enforce, and, although they may empower parents to have more control over their children's drinking, they were not associated with reductions in adolescent drinking in Australia. Researchers looking to explain the decline in adolescent drinking in Australia should investigate factors beyond SSLs.

Effect of early determinants on adolescent fat-free mass: RPS cohort of São Luís - MA.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE:To analyze the effects of early determinants on adolescent fat-free mass.METHODS:A cohort study with 579 adolescents evaluated at birth and adolescence in a birth cohort in São Luís, Maranhão. In the proposed model, estimated by structural equation modeling, socioeconomic status (SES) at birth, maternal age, pregestational body mass index (BMI), gestational smoking, gestational weight gain, type of delivery, gestational age, sex of the newborn, length and weight at birth, adolescent socioeconomic status, “neither study/nor work” generation, adolescent physical activity level and alcohol consumption were tested as early determinants of adolescent fat-free mass (FFM).RESULTS:A higher pregestational BMI resulted in higher FFM in adolescence (Standardized Coefficient, SC = 0.152; p < 0.001). Being female implied a lower FFM in adolescence (SC = −0.633; p < 0.001). The negative effect of gender on FFM was direct (SC = −0.523; p < 0.001), but there was an indirect negative effect via physical activity level (SC = −0.085; p < 0.001). Women were less active (p < 0.001). An increase of 0.5 kg (1 Standard Deviation, SD) in birth weight led to a gain of 0.25 kg/m2 (0.106 SD) in adolescent FFM index (p = 0.034). Not studying or working had a negative effect on the adolescent's FFM (SC = −0.106; p = 0.015). Elevation of 1 SD in the adolescent's physical activity level represented an increase of 0.5 kg/m2 (0.207 SD) in FFM index (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:The early determinants with the greatest effects on adolescent FFM are gender, adolescent physical activity level, pregestational BMI, birth weight and belonging to the “neither-nor” generation.

Relevance of Athlete-Specific Psychosocial Factors in High School Student-Athlete Alcohol Consumption

Background: Research suggests that adolescent student-athletes are at heightened risk for alcohol consumption. The identification of unique, modifiable risk factors for alcohol use in this population is needed. Purpose/Objectives: Building on previous work highlighting the importance of each of athlete-specific drinking motives and alcohol expectancies, this study investigated whether athlete-specific psychosocial predictors optimize our ability to predict adolescent athlete alcohol consumption after accounting for general psychosocial predictors. Methods: Participants were 352 current high school student-athletes who completed a self-report questionnaire about their alcohol use attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions. Results: Hierarchical regression revealed that among the total sample, gender, class year, liquid courage/sociability, sexuality, and negative alcohol expectancies, and negative athletic-functioning alcohol expectancies predicted alcohol consumption. Among lifetime drinkers, gender, class year, enhancement motives, conformity motives (negative), negative athlete-functioning alcohol expectancies, and sport-related coping motives predicted alcohol consumption. Conclusions/Importance: Negative athletic-functioning alcohol expectancies and sport-related coping motives emerged as important, athlete-specific predictors of adolescent athlete alcohol use. These factors provide important opportunities for targeted prevention efforts.

Pengetahuan Remaja Tentang Konsumsi Alkohol

Background: Alcohol misuse increase between adolescent. They are more concerned with peer’s solidarity in drinking without being accompanied by a good knowledge. The aim of this study is to define adolescent’s knowledge about alcohol consumption. Methods: A Cross Sectional study was conducted in 35 alcoholic adolescent respondents with 12-22 years age range. Results: Knowledge assesment result showed that 60% respondents had a lack of knowledge, and 100% had negative attitudes and practices towards Alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Lack of knowledge related alcohol consumption in adolescents can spread to another risk behaviors in adolescents. Health workers should optimize the youth program such as PKPR in puskesmas by conducting health education especially on alcoholism and the long-term impact in the future.

A utilização de álcool na população adolescente e sua relação com ideias suicí­das

Objetivo: Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a relação entre o consumo de álcool em adolescentes e sua relação com o suicidio em escolas estaduais de João Pessoa. Método:Para a realização do estudo utilizou-se um questionário autoaplicável que abordavam questões referentes ao consumo de bebida e ideações suicidas. Os dados foram analisados por estatí­stica descritiva e Qui-quadrado. A amostra foi composta por 1142 estudantes com média da idade de 16,38 anos. Resultados: podemos destacar que 12% da população da amostra planejaram suicidar-se e 7,4% tentaram suicidar-se. Acrescentando com consumo de álcool, onde cerca de 40,9% ingeriram bebida alcoólica no último mês. As análises demonstraram a existência de uma relação entre o plano para o suicí­dio vinculado a quantidade de bebida no último mês (x2 20,116; p&lt;0,000), como também a Tentativa do suicí­dio vinculado com a quantidade bebida no último mês (x2 17,126; p&lt;0,017). Conclusão: portanto, indicar possí­veis estratégias para o desenvolvimento de intervenções eficazes neste grupo etário.

Drinking among friends: The role of personality in links between online exposure to peer drinking and adolescent alcohol use

The roles of conscientiousness and excitement seeking were investigated in the relationship between exposure to peer alcohol use online and adolescent alcohol consumption. It was hypothesized that higher levels of perceived peer alcohol use online would be associated with reports of higher adolescent alcohol consumption. Additionally, it was proposed that the relationship between perceived levels of peer alcohol use online and individual alcohol consumption would be stronger for adolescents lower in conscientiousness, and higher in excitement seeking, than it was in more conscientious, and less excitement-seeking students. Control variables included gender, pubertal timing, frequency of social networking site use, social networking site investment, and in-person peer alcohol norms. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey from a sample of 1,018 students (M = 16.45 years old, SD = 0.32 years). Higher levels of in-person peer drinking norms and social networking site alcohol exposure were associated with higher adolescent drinking. Furthermore, excitement seeking significantly moderated the relationship between social networking site alcohol exposure and alcohol use. Participants reporting higher excitement seeking appeared more susceptible to online alcohol exposure than those reporting lower excitement seeking. The current study contributes to understandings of adolescent drinking by demonstrating personality differences in adolescent susceptibility to online alcohol consumption norms.

Trends in adolescent drinking across 39 high-income countries: exploring the timing and magnitude of decline.

Evidence suggests adolescent alcohol consumption has declined since the turn of the millennium in almost all high-income countries. However, differences in the timing and magnitude of the decline have not been explored across countries. We examined trends in adolescent past month or monthly alcohol consumption prevalence from cross-national or national survey reports for 39 countries and four US territories. For each country, we calculated the magnitude of the decline in youth drinking as the relative change in prevalence from the peak year to the most recent year available. Heat maps were utilized to present the timing and magnitudes of these declines. The timing and extent of youth drinking declines have varied markedly across countries. The decline began in the USA before 1999, followed by Northern European countries in the early 2000s; Western Europe and Australasia in the mid-2000s. The steepest declines were found for Northern Europe and the UK, and the shallowest declines were observed in Eastern and Southern European countries. Previous analyses of the decline in adolescent drinking have emphasized the wide reach of the changes and their near-coincidence in time. Our analysis points to the other side of the picture that there were limits to the wide reach, and that there was considerable variation in timing. These findings suggest that as well as broader explanations that stretch across countries, efforts to explain recent trends in adolescent drinking should also consider factors specific to countries and regions.

The consumption of alcohol by adolescent schoolchildren: Differences in the triadic relationship pattern between rural and urban environments.

Excessive alcohol consumption in adolescents is one of the most significant public health problems currently facing society. Social and geographical contexts contribute to the development of alcohol-related behavior in adolescents. The aim of this research is to analyze the social pattern related to alcohol consumption in adolescents based on their geographical environment. We designed a descriptive cross-sectional study based on social network analysis. We recruited 196 high school students between 16 and 18 years of age to participate in the study. The methodology applied was social network analysis by means of transitivity and homophily social triads. The data were analyzed using STATA statistical software. A total of 58.48% of rural adolescents consumed alcohol compared to 49.52% of urban adolescents. These results demonstrate that adolescents who live in rural areas exhibit a greater risk of drinking alcohol than those who live in urban areas. The presence of transitive triads increases the probability of sharing sociodemographic attributes in such a way that it may be considered one of the causes of homophily, contributing to adolescents taking greater risks, such as consuming alcohol.

ПОЛОВОЗРАСТНЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ВОЗНИКНОВЕНИЯ АЛКОГОЛЬНОЙ ЗАВИСИМОСТИ У ПОДРОСТКОВ

Statement of the problem. The article provides an overview of the theoretical provisions and research on the formation of alcohol dependence in adolescence. At the same time, alcohol dependence is presented as a complex phenomenon, which includes the following components: addictive liability, dependent behavior, motives of alcohol consumption. There is a contradiction between the continuous growth of adolescent alcoholism, decrease in the age of persons who consume alcoholic beverages, the increasing number of adolescent girls who consume alcoholic beverages, and the insufficient number of psychological and pedagogical studies in the field of alcohol addiction development among elder adolescents. As a research task, the authors identified an attempt to identify and describe the indicators of alcohol dependence among elder adolescents. It has been shown that there is a connection between addictive behavior, alcohol dependence and the motives of alcohol consumption in adolescence. The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of alcohol dependence development in adolescence. Research methodology. In the study, we rely on the scientific ideas of age-related development in the context of studying addictive behavior among adolescents in the works by L.S. Vygotsky, A.V. Petrovsky, E. Erickson, and others; research on the problems of addictive behavior and its prevention (A.A. Aleksandrova, A.V. Gogoleva, M.V. Romannikova, N.A.Sirota, T.A.Shilova, V.M. Yaltonsky, etc.). The total sample size was 162 adolescents in the 9th grade: 80 boys and 82 girls studying in educational institutions of Krasnoyarsk. The diagnostic package is represented by the following methods: questionnaire survey “Attitude of adolescents to alcoholic beverages”, test questionnaire “Addictive liability” by V.V. Yusupov and V.A. Korzunina, test questionnaire “Liability to addictive behavior” (on the example of alcohol dependence) by V.D. Mendelevich, V.Yu. Zavyalov’s questionnaire “The motives for consuming alcohol”. To compare the samples, the Mann-Whitney U-test and calculation of the Spearman correlation coefficient were used. Results. The study showed that adolescents are characterized by low psychological resistance to an unfavorable social environment and poor adaptation in the educational space. The risk of alcohol dependence development was revealed under certain social conditions, and the girls were more strongly oriented towards the use of alcoholic beverages. The first acquaintance with alcohol of adolescents took place before the age of 10, adolescents tried alcohol, and half of them prefer beer, but at the same time drink strong drinks. Internal psychological reasons allow adolescents to use alcohol more often to raise their spirits, to liberate themselves in communication, to become ‘cronies’ in the group. The latter is especially true for girls. The leading motives for alcohol consumption are mainly the motives of the traditional and hedonic subtypes among girls and the pseudo-cultural and ataractic subtypes among boys, which may indicate the absence of alcoholic illness as such, but this is an alarming symptom for adolescents. There is a relationship between the severity of addiction, alcohol dependence and motivation for alcohol consumption (moderately pronounced addictive risk, signs of a tendency, addiction to alcohol, traditional motives, signs of increased addiction, submissive motives, pronounced signs of addiction, signs of increased liability, alcohol consumption for the company, pseudo-cultural type of motives, hedonistic motives, ataractic motives). Conclusion. The study made it possible to identify adolescents with varying degrees of risk of alcohol dependence, who require preventive work to be carried out with them. It is concluded that the study of adolescents’ attitudes to alcohol will expand the understanding of the phenomenon of alcohol dependence, and, no doubt, will be useful for purposeful planning and implementation of psychological and pedagogical prevention in an educational institution. Based on the data obtained, a prevention program can be developed using modern interactive technologies.

Cell phone use is associated with alcohol and tobacco consumption in insufficiently active adolescents.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco experimentation by adolescents and to verify the association between cell phone use with alcohol and tobacco consumption in adolescents with different physical activity levels. This work is a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 772 adolescents (52.6% girls; age: 16.63±0.70 years old). Self-reported questionnaires were assessed to verify the cell phone use, physical activity level, alcohol and tobacco consumption. Logistic regressions tested the associations obtaining odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Alcohol and tobacco consumption prevalence reached 43.4% and 7.8% of adolescents, respectively. Insufficiently active adolescents who reported using cell phones more than and 2 hours a day were more likely to use alcohol (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.14 - 2.19) and tobacco (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.23 - 4.96). We found a high prevalence of cell phone use and a worrying prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption by adolescents. The use of the cell phone for more than two hours a day seemed to be a risk factor for alcohol and tobacco consumption in insufficiently active adolescents.

Pre-training naltrexone increases conditioned fear learning independent of adolescent alcohol consumption history

Our previous research has shown a relationship between low voluntary alcohol consumption and high conditioned fear in male Long Evans rats. Here, we examined whether differences in the endogenous opioid systems might be responsible for these differences. Rats received 6 weeks of chronic intermittent to 20% alcohol (v/v) or water-only from PND 26–66. Based on their consumption during the last 2 weeks of alcohol access, the alcohol-access rats were divided into high drinking (>2.5 g/kg/24-h) or low drinking (<2 g/kg/24-h). Rats were then given injections of the preferential mu opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (1 mg/kg, s.c.) or the selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist LY2456302 (10 mg/kg, s.c.) prior to fear conditioning and were then tested for conditioned fear 2 days later. Pre-training naltrexone increased conditioned suppression of lever-pressing during training and testing, with no differences between high versus low alcohol drinkers or between water-only versus alcohol access groups (averaged across drinking levels). There was no effect of LY2456302 on conditioned fear in any comparison. We also found no differences between high and low alcohol drinkers and no reliable effect of prior alcohol access (averaged across drinking levels) on conditioned fear. Our experiment replicates and extends previous demonstrations that a preferential MOR antagonist can increase fear learning using conditioned suppression of lever-pressing as a fear measure. However, additional research is needed to determine the cause of the differences in conditioned fear that we previously observed (as they were not observed in the current experiments).

Phosphatidylethanol Reliably and Objectively Quantifies Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents and Young Adults.

Alcohol contributes to numerous annual deaths and various societal problems not just in adult, but also in adolescent, populations. Therefore, it is vital to find methods for reliably detecting alcohol use for early preventative measures. Research has shown phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to be superior to self-report instruments and indirect biomarkers for alcohol consumption in adult populations. However, the transferability onto an adolescent population has not yet been investigated. N=106 adolescents and young adults aged between 13 and 21years were included. PEth analysis using high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed on dried blood spot samples. Self-report questionnaires for alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption, AUDIT-C, and Timeline Followback, TLFB) and drug and alcohol consumption (Detection of Alcohol and Drug Problems in Adolescents, DEP-ADO) were completed by each participant. AUDIT-C scores showed large correlations with PEth 16:0/18:1 (rs =0.732) and PEth 16:0/18:2 (rs =0.661) concentrations. AUDIT-C with a cutoff value ≥3 was largely correlated with PEth 16:0/18:1 (η=0.411) and showed a medium-sized correlation with PEth 16:0/18:2 (η=0.397) concentrations. Using an AUDIT-C cutoff value ≥5 showed large correlations with both PEth 16:0/18:1 (η=0.510) and PEth 16:0/18:2 (η=0.497) concentrations, respectively. ROC curves indicated higher PEth concentrations are a good model for detecting positive AUDIT-C cutoff values (AUROC range: 0.800 to 0.849). PEth concentrations showed medium to large correlations with DEP-ADO and TLFB subscales (range rs =0.469 to 0.746). The results suggest that PEth is a reliable and objective marker for quantifying alcohol consumption in adolescents and young adults. This could be of importance for early preventative measures against hazardous alcohol consumption, which is increasingly common at younger ages.

Consumption of alcohol, tobacco and psychoactive substances in adolescents from an indigenous territory in the Colombian Amazon

IntroductionThere are very few studies on the consumption of psychoactive substances (PAS) among young people from indigenous territories and evening or blended learning students. In Inírida, a municipality in the Colombian Amazon, there were concerns about a possible consumption issue that had never been characterised before. ObjectiveTo characterise the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and PAS in Inírida among teenage evening and blended learning students. MethodsThe Inter-American Uniform Drug Use Data System (SIDUC) survey developed by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) was adapted to the cultural context and carried out on 95% of 284 evening and blended learning students (262). Descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analyses were used. ResultsCurrently, 59% consume alcohol; 28% tobacco; 21% marijuana; 3% cocaine paste; 1% ecstasy (MDMA); 1% cocaine; and 1% inhalants. Also, 61% believe that drugs are available inside and around the vicinity of their school, and that marijuana (62%) and cocaine paste (35%) are easily acquired. Drugs are most commonly offered in neighbourhoods (56%) and at parties (30%). Those offering the highest quantity of drugs are acquaintances (35%) and friends (29%). And 51% stated that they had participated in preventive activities related to consumption. ConclusionsCurrently, the population has a higher consumption of the substances studied in comparison with the national reference, that of Orinoquía and Amazonía, with the exception of cocaine and inhalants. The consumption situation was confirmed, so participatory actions are proposed.

Commentary on Raitasalo et al.: Looking beyond the borders-what else is driving the decline in adolescent alcohol consumption?

Commentary on Raitasalo et al.: Looking beyond the borders-what else is driving the decline in adolescent alcohol consumption?

Optimal two-stage sampling for mean estimation in multilevel populations when cluster size is informative

To estimate the mean of a quantitative variable in a hierarchical population, it is logistically convenient to sample in two stages (two-stage sampling), i.e. selecting first clusters, and then individuals from the sampled clusters. Allowing cluster size to vary in the population and to be related to the mean of the outcome variable of interest (informative cluster size), the following competing sampling designs are considered: sampling clusters with probability proportional to cluster size, and then the same number of individuals per cluster; drawing clusters with equal probability, and then the same percentage of individuals per cluster; and selecting clusters with equal probability, and then the same number of individuals per cluster. For each design, optimal sample sizes are derived under a budget constraint. The three optimal two-stage sampling designs are compared, in terms of efficiency, with each other and with simple random sampling of individuals. Sampling clusters with probability proportional to size is recommended. To overcome the dependency of the optimal design on unknown nuisance parameters, maximin designs are derived. The results are illustrated, assuming probability proportional to size sampling of clusters, with the planning of a hypothetical survey to compare adolescent alcohol consumption between France and Italy.

Comparing theoretical models for the understanding of health-risk behaviour: Towards an integrative model of adolescent alcohol consumption

The aim of the present manuscript is to test and compare the theory of reasoned action (TRA), theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and prototype-willingness model (PWM) in predicting risky alcohol consumption among adolescents and to build an integrative model to get a more comprehensive understanding of such risky behaviour. A total sample of 518 adolescents (55% females; 13-19 aged) recruited from Italian schools (7th to 12th grade) participated in a cross-sectional research study and completed an online questionnaire. Risky alcohol use assessed through the AUDIT-C was the dependent variable; whereas, variables from the TRA, TPB, and PWM (i.e. attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intention, prototype favourability and similarity, and willingness to alcohol use) were used as predictors. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings show that the integrative model had greater explanatory power and provided a better fit to the data, compared to the TRA, TPB, and PWM, indicating attitudes and subjective norms as the best predictors. In conclusion, perceived social approval from significant others and the volitional component have a central role in understanding adolescents’ alcohol consumption.

Association of alcohol control policies with adolescent alcohol consumption and with social inequality in adolescent alcohol consumption: A multilevel study in 33 countries and regions

Background Previous research found inconsistent associations between alcohol control policies and socioeconomic inequality with adolescent drinking outcomes. This study expands the focus beyond individual associations to examine whether a combination of policies is related to socioeconomic inequality in adolescent drinking outcomes and whether this relationship varies across survey years.Methods Multilevel modelling of 4 waves of repeat cross-sectional survey data (2001/02, 2005/06, 2009/10, and 2013/14) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study was carried out. The sample was composed of 671,084 adolescents (51% girls) aged 11, 13, and 15 (mean age=13.58; SD=1.65) from 33 European and North American countries/regions. The dependent variables were lifetime alcohol consumption, weekly alcohol consumption, and lifetime drunkenness. Independent variables were of three types: individual-level variables (age, sex, Family Affluence Scale, and the Perceived Family Wealth), time-level variable (survey year), and context-level variables (minimum legal drinking age, physical availability, advertising restrictions, a total alcohol policy index, and affordability of alcohol).Results The total alcohol policy index showed a negative relationship with both lifetime and weekly consumption. Higher affordability of alcohol was related to higher lifetime and weekly consumption and higher lifetime drunkenness. Family Affluence Scale was positively related to all three alcohol measures and Perceived Family Wealth was negatively related to lifetime drunkenness, with these associations increasing across survey years. The total alcohol policy index buffered the associations of Family Affluence Scale and Perceived Family Wealth with adolescent drinking outcomes.Conclusion A combination of alcohol control policies is more effective in reducing adolescent drinking outcomes than single policy measures. Reducing the affordability of alcohol stood out as the most successful single measure. Socioeconomic inequalities (i.e. higher alcohol consumption and drunkenness in adolescents with higher family affluence and higher drunkenness in adolescents perceiving their families to be poor) have persisted and even increased across survey years. A combined alcohol control policy can help in tackling them.

Trends of Hospitalization for Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Slovenian Children and Adolescents with and without Dual Disorder. Implications for a Correct Intervention.

Background: Binge drinking and other forms of ethanol abuse are, when present, a serious problem in preteens and adolescents worldwide. Aim: The present study has analyzed the trend in alcohol-related intoxications requiring the hospitalization of children, adolescents and young adults aged less than 21 years in Slovenia in the 1999–2018 period. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on patients discharged after hospitalizations due to mental and behavioral disorders due to acute alcohol intoxication (MBDAAI) or hospitalizations due to the toxic effects of alcohol (TEA We considered three groups: children (aged 10–14), adolescents (aged 15–19) and young adults (20–21 years old). Hospitalization rates and time trends were analyzed using joinpoint regression to obtain the annually calculated age- and sex-specific rates and the annual percentage of change (APC). Results: Considering a total of 2912 MBDAAI-hospitalizations, 15–19-year-old subjects showed a significantly higher hospitalization rate compared to the immediately younger and older age groups and a significant increase in hospitalization rates in the period 1999–2011, followed by a significant decrease. Considering 1143 TEA-hospitalizations, we observed a continuous decrease in the hospitalization rates for children and young adults and, conversely, a continuous even if less than significant increase for adolescents aged 15–19. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption in Slovenian children and adolescents is a highly important health concern. Special attention to public health problem of severe alcohol abuse requiring hospitalization in children and adolescents is needed, especially with possible crisis of SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 situation.

Exposición a contenidos relacionados con el alcohol en Facebook y consumo de alcohol en adolescentes

Introduction: exponential and excessive use of social networks like Facebook could lead to greater exposure of alcohol-related content and influence adolescent drinking behavior. Objective: to determine the influence of the exposure of alcohol-related content on the pattern of alcohol consumption, in addition to knowing the differences in frequency and exposure of alcohol-related content on Facebook in consumers and non-consumers of alcohol. Method: a predictive correlational study was carried out, with 672 adolescents from technical high schools, a data card, the Facebook use questionnaire (CUF) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were used. Results: significant differences in exposure to alcohol-related content on Facebook were found, with higher means and medians among adolescents who reported alcohol consumption compared to those who did not (U = 40875.0, p =.001). In addition, regression analysis revealed that hours per day on Facebook and exposure to alcohol-related content on Facebook predict alcohol consumption in adolescents. Discussion and conclusions: alcohol consumers presented greater exposure to alcohol-related content, in addition it was found that the current alcohol consumption behavior was explained through the number of hours per day of Facebook use and exposure.

Alcohol consumption during adolescence alters the hippocampal response to traumatic brain injury

Binge drinking is the consumption of large volumes of alcohol in short periods and exerts its effects on the central nervous system, including the hippocampus. We have previously shown that binge drinking alters mitochondrial dynamics and induces neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of adolescent rats. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is regularly linked to alcohol consumption and share mechanisms of brain damage. In this context, we hypothesized that adolescent binge drinking could prime the development of brain damage generated by mTBI. We found that alcohol binge drinking induced by the “drinking in the dark” (DID) paradigm increases oxidative damage and astrocyte activation in the hippocampus of adolescent mice. Interestingly, adolescent animals submitted to DID showed decreased levels of mitofusin 2 that controls mitochondrial dynamics. When mTBI was evaluated as a second challenge, hippocampi from animals previously submitted to DID showed a reduction in dendritic spine number and a different spine profile. Mitochondrial performance could be compromised by alterations in mitochondrial fission in DID-mTBI animals. These data suggest that adolescent alcohol consumption can modify the progression of mTBI pathophysiology. We propose that mitochondrial impairment and oxidative damage could act as priming factors, modifying predisposition against mTBI effects.