Adolescent Drinking Research Articles

Does the decline in Swedish adolescent drinking persist into early adulthood?

Sweden has experienced a substantial decrease in adolescent drinking over the past decades. Whether the reduction persists into early adulthood remains unclear. Using survey data, the present study aimed to determine whether reductions in indicators of alcohol use observed among adolescents remain in early adulthood and whether changes in alcohol intake are consistent among light/moderate and heavy drinkers. Data from the Swedish monthly Alcohol Monitoring Survey (2001-20) were used to construct five 5-year birth cohorts (1978-82, 1983-87, 1988-92, 1993-97 and 1998-2002). Sweden. A total of n = 52 847 respondents (48% females) aged 16 and 30 years were included in this study. For both males and females, temporal changes in the prevalence of any drinking, the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and total alcohol intake in the past 30 days in centilitres were analysed. The prevalence of any drinking in more recent cohorts remained low until young people came into their early (females) and mid- (males) 20s. Male cohorts differed in the prevalence of HED across age, with the later cohorts showing lower odds than earlier cohorts (odds ratios between 0.54 and 0.66). Among females, no systematic differences between cohorts across age could be observed. Later male birth cohorts in light/moderate drinkers had lower alcohol intake than earlier cohorts (correlation coefficients between -0.09 and -0.54). No statistically significant cohort effects were found for male heavy drinkers. Although differences in alcohol intake among females diminished as age increased, the cohorts did not differ systematically in their level of alcohol intake. In Sweden, the reduced uptake of drinking in adolescents appears to fade as people move into adulthood. Observed reductions in alcohol intake among light and moderate drinkers appear to persist into adulthood. More recent male cohorts show a lower prevalence rate of heavy episodic drinking.

Exploring Patterns of Alcohol Consumption in Adolescence: the Role of Health Complaints and Psychosocial Determinants in an Italian Sample

AbstractAdolescents are particularly prone to engage in health-risk behaviors such as alcohol and substance use, which can significantly impact their present and future lives. Our study explores the factors contributing to (1) regular alcohol use (i.e., at least 3 to 5 times in the last 30 days) and (2) binge drinking (i.e., drinking at least five glasses of alcohol in a single sitting in the last 12 months) in adolescents, in the 2014 and 2018 waves of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey conducted in the Lombardy region, Italy. Data collection used a stratified cluster sampling method to obtain a representative sample of adolescents (N = 6506) aged 11, 13, and 15 years (49.7% females). We used structural equation models (SEM) to explore the association of individual-related factors, including health complaints (i.e., somatic problems and psychological problems) and psychosocial variables (i.e., perceived support from family, peers, and teachers), on regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Overall, 9.9% of adolescents reported regular alcohol drinking and 18.3% binge drinking. The findings highlighted that higher somatic problems are associated with increased regular alcohol use (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.04–1.46), and higher psychological problems are associated with increased binge drinking (OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.15–1.55). Moreover, lower perceived support from teachers is significantly associated with both regular (OR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.25–1.59) and binge drinking (OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.28–1.57), and lower perceived student support is associated with a reduced risk of both usual drinking (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.77–0.98) and binge drinking (OR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.78–0.96). The study findings emphasize the importance of tackling somatic and psychological health and psychosocial support, particularly in the school environment, through interventions aimed at controlling adolescent drinking habits.

Associations Between Parental Drinking and Alcohol Use Among Their Adolescent Children: Findings From a National Survey of United States Parent-Child Dyads

PurposeUnderage drinking is common and costly. This study examined associations between parent and child drinking using recent United States national survey data. MethodsWe analyzed responses of 740 parent-child dyads from 2020 SummerStyles and YouthStyles surveys. Parents and their adolescent children answered questions about past 30-day alcohol use. We estimated prevalence of adolescent drinking and explored differences by sociodemographics. A multivariable logistic regression model assessed whether parents' drinking behaviors were associated with drinking among their children. ResultsOverall, 6.6% of adolescents drank alcohol, with no significant differences by sociodemographics. Adolescents whose parents drank frequently (≥5 days/month), or binge drank, had significantly higher odds of drinking than adolescents whose parents did not drink or did not binge drink, respectively. DiscussionParents could drink less to reduce the likelihood of drinking among their children. Implementation of effective population-level strategies (e.g., increasing alcohol taxes, regulating alcohol sales) can reduce excessive drinking among both adults and adolescents.

Mediators of parental educational differences in the intake of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks among adolescents, and the moderating role of neighbourhood income

BackgroundExisting evidence suggests that the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among adolescents remains a public health concern and that socioeconomic differences in intake exist. Tackling these challenges requires identifying the factors associated with SSB intake and the mediators of socioeconomic differences in SSB intake among adolescents. Thus, this study aimed to explore (i) factors at different levels of the ecological model associated with the intake of carbonated soft drinks with added sugar (hereafter called soft drinks), (ii) mediators of the association between parental education and the intake of soft drinks(iii) whether neighbourhood income moderates the indirect effect of parental education on adolescents’ soft drink intake through potential mediators.MethodsData from 826 7th graders in Oslo, Norway, who participated in the TACKLE cross-sectional study conducted in 2020 were used. The association between factors at the individual, interpersonal and neighbourhood food environment levels and the intake of soft drinks among adolescents was assessed, as well as the mediating roles of these factors for the differences in intake by parental education, using multiple logistic regression and mediation analysis, respectively. Moderated mediation analyses were used to explore whether an indirect effect of parental education on adolescents' soft drink intake through potential mediators varies across neighbourhood income areas.ResultsHigher perceived accessibility of SSB at home, increased parental modelling for SSB intake, and increased frequency of food/drink purchased from the neighbourhood store were associated with a higher intake of soft drinks among adolescents and mediated the differences in intake by parental education. Neighbourhood food environment factors were neither statistically significantly associated with adolescents’ higher intake of soft drinks nor explained the differences in intake by parental education. Moderated mediation analysis showed that the mediating effect of perceived accessibility of SSB at home on the association between parental education and adolescent soft drink intake was stronger among those living in low neighbourhood income.ConclusionsOur study identified modifiable factors at the intrapersonal level (perceived accessibility of SSB at home and frequency of food/drink purchased from neighbourhood shops) and interpersonal levels (parental modelling for SSB intake) associated with a higher intake of soft drinks among adolescents and mediated the differences in the intake by parental education. The modifiable factors identified in this study could be targeted in public health initiatives among adolescents aimed at reducing the intake of soft drinks and the related differences by parental education.

Family history, childhood maltreatment, and adolescent binge drinking exert synergistic effects on delay discounting and future alcohol use

ABSTRACT Background: The transition to college is associated with a sharp increase in alcohol binge drinking. Family history (FH) of alcohol use disorder (AUD), childhood maltreatment (CM), and adolescent binge drinking are each associated with heightened impulsivity and greater alcohol misuse. Objectives: We hypothesized that FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking synergistically increase impulsivity and lead to binge drinking increases over the first year of college. Methods: Overall, 329 first-semester college students (18–19 years old, 70% female) with varying degrees of FH (Family History Assessment Module), CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), and adolescent binge drinking (Carolina Alcohol Use and Patterns Questionnaire) completed an online study that included a computerized delay discounting task and surveys. Binge drinking was surveyed retrospectively to measure adolescent binge drinking, in addition to baseline and one-year follow-up measures. Linear regression analyses tested the interacting effects of FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking on delay discounting as well as changes in binge drinking severity between baseline and one-year follow-up. A moderated mediation tested whether delay discounting mediated future binge drinking. Results: Greater levels of FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking interacted to reduce the selection of delayed rewards (β=-0.12, SE = 0.06), indicating increased impulsivity. There was a similar interaction effect on increased binge drinking over the one-year follow-up period (β = 0.37, SE = 0.13). Although FH, CM, and adolescent binge drinking influenced individual paths, the moderated mediation analysis was not significant. Conclusions: Heritable and environmental risk factors for AUD predicted impulsivity and prospectively predicted college binge drinking. Interventions targeting delay discounting processes may represent an effective strategy to reduce harmful drinking specifically for certain high-risk college students.

Binge drinking and suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents: Evidence from a pooled cross-sectional survey

BackgroundBinge drinking and suicidal ideation are public health problems that have consequences on the well-being of Peruvian adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between binge drinking and suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents. MethodsA secondary data analysis of the health questionnaire of the Demographic and Family Health Surveys from 2013 to 2019 was performed. The outcome variable was suicidal ideation in the last 14 days, assessed with one of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) questions, while the independent variable was binge drinking in the last 30 days. Generalized linear models of the Poisson family with logarithmic link (crude and adjusted) were used to assess the association of interest. ResultsData from a total of 11,609 participants were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was 8.5 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 7.8–9.2), and that of binge drinking was 5.8 % (95 % CI: 5.2–6.5). An association was found between binge drinking and suicidal ideation in the adjusted analysis (adjusted prevalence ratio: 2.95; 95 % CI: 1.69–3.09). LimitationsThe cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for establishing a causal relationship. ConclusionsBetween 2013 and 2019, nine out of every 100 Peruvian adolescents had suicidal ideation, and six out of every 100 adolescents had binge drinking. An association was found between both risk behaviors in Peruvian adolescents.

Neuroanatomical predictors of problematic alcohol consumption in adolescents: a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

This study aimed to systematically review the literature on neuroanatomical predictors of future problematic drinking in adolescents. Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted to evaluate neuroanatomical predictors of problematic alcohol consumption in adolescents. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were searched from inception to 6 January 2023. Studies were included if they were original, had a prospective design, had a sample size of at least 12, had a follow-up period of at least 1 year, had at least one structural neuroimaging scan before 18 with no prior alcohol use, and had alcohol use as the primary outcome. Studies were excluded if they had animals only and were not in English. Risk of bias was conducted using the CASP tool. Out of 1412 studies identified, 19 studies met the criteria, consisting of 11 gray matter (n = 4040), 5 white matter (n = 319), and 3 assessing both (n = 3608). Neuroanatomical predictors of future problematic drinking in adolescents were reported to be distributed across various brain regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and paralimbic regions. However, the findings were largely heterogeneous. This is the first systematic review to map out the existing literature on neuroanatomical predictors of problematic drinking in adolescents. Future research should focus on the aforementioned regions to determine their role in predicting future problematic drinking with more certainty.

Intermittent Exposure to a Single Bottle of Ethanol Modulates Stress Sensitivity: Impact of Age at Exposure Initiation.

Alcohol use during adolescence is a serious public health problem, with binge drinking and high-intensity drinking being particularly harmful to the developing adolescent brain. To investigate the adverse consequences of binge drinking and high-intensity adolescent drinking, adolescent rodents were intermittently exposed to ethanol through intragastric gavage, intraperitoneal injection, or vapor inhalation. These models revealed the long-lasting behavioral and neural consequences of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure. The present study was designed to characterize a different AIE model, namely, intermittent exposure to a single bottle of 10% ethanol as the only source of fluids on a 2 days on/2 days off (water days) schedule, and to determine whether this AIE exposure model would produce changes in hormonal and neuroimmune responsiveness to challenges of differing modalities. Assessments of ethanol intake as well as blood and brain ethanol concentrations (BECs and BrECs, respectively) in adult male and female rats (Experiment 1) revealed that BECs and BrECs peaked following access to ethanol for a 2 h period when assessed 1 h into the dark cycle. Experiment 2 revealed age differences in ethanol intake, BECs, and BrECs following a 2 h access to ethanol (1 h into the dark cycle), with adolescents ingesting more ethanol and reaching higher BECs as well as BrECs than adults. In Experiment 3, intermittent exposure to a single bottle of 10% ethanol for 10 cycles of 2 days on/2 days off was initiated either in early or late adolescence, followed by an acute systemic immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adulthood. LPS increased corticosterone and progesterone levels regardless of sex and prior ethanol history, whereas an LPS-induced increase in cytokine gene expression in the hippocampus was evident only in ethanol-exposed males and females, with females who underwent early exposure to ethanol being more affected than their later-exposed counterparts. In Experiment 4, intermittent ethanol exposure in females was initiated either in adolescence or adulthood and lasted for 12 ethanol exposure cycles. Then, behavioral (freezing behavior), hormonal (corticosterone and progesterone levels), and neuroimmune (cytokine gene expression in the PVN, amygdala, and hippocampus) responses to novel environments (mild stressors) and shock (intense stressors) were assessed. More pronounced behavioral and hormonal changes, as well as changes in cytokine gene expression, were evident in the shock condition than following placement in the novel environment, with prior history of ethanol exposure not playing a substantial role. Interleukin (IL)-1β gene expression was enhanced by shock in the PVN, whereas shock-induced increases in IL-6 gene expression were evident in the hippocampus. Together, these findings demonstrate that our intermittent adolescent exposure model enhances responsiveness to immune but not stress challenges, with females being more vulnerable to this AIE effect than males.

Cannabidiol tempers alcohol intake and neuroendocrine and behavioural correlates in alcohol binge drinking adolescent rats. Focus on calcitonin gene-related peptide's brain levels.

Alcohol binge drinking is common among adolescents and may challenge the signalling systems that process affective stimuli, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signalling. Here, we employed a rat model of adolescent binge drinking to evaluate reward-, social- and aversion-related behaviour, glucocorticoid output and CGRP levels in affect-related brain regions. As a potential rescue, the effect of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol was explored. Adolescent male rats underwent the intermittent 20% alcohol two-bottle choice paradigm; at the binge day (BD) and the 24 h withdrawal day (WD), we assessed CGRP expression in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), amygdala, hypothalamus and brainstem; in addition, we evaluatedsucrose preference, social motivation and drive, nociceptive response, and serum corticosterone levels. Cannabidiol (40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered before each drinking session, and its effect was measured on the above-mentioned readouts. At BD and WD, rats displayed decreased CGRP expression in mPFC, NAc and amygdala; increased CGRP levels in the brainstem; increased response to rewarding- and nociceptive stimuli and decreased social drive; reduced serum corticosterone levels. Cannabidiol reduced alcohol consumption and preference; normalised the abnormal corticolimbic CGRP expression, and the reward and aversion-related hyper-responsivity, as well as glucocorticoid levels in alcohol binge-like drinking rats. Overall, CGRP can represent both a mediator and a target of alcohol binge-like drinking and provides a further piece in the intricate puzzle of alcohol-induced behavioural and neuroendocrine sequelae. CBD shows promising effects in limiting adolescent alcohol binge drinking and rebalancing the bio-behavioural abnormalities.

Esophagoprotective agent in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) prevalence in children and adolescents is estimated as high. GERD has a wide variety of clinical signs that significantly reduce the patients' quality of life. Typical symptoms include heartburn, belching, and regurgitation (regurgitation). Extraesophageal symptoms are mainly represented by complaints indicating the involvement of the respiratory, ENT organs, and oral cavity organs in the process. In addition, gastroesophageal reflux disease is a major risk factor for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. The main factors predisposing to the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children are obesity, overeating, congenital anomalies of the esophagus, surgical interventions at the cardioesophageal junction, immature autonomic nervous system, nervous system diseases, administration of certain drugs, as well as vices such as smoking and alcohol drinking in adolescence. The mainstay of treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease is antisecretory therapy with proton pump inhibitors. However, some patients using proton pump inhibitors at a standard dosage fail to achieve the clinical and endoscopic remission of the disease. The causes of the gastroesophageal reflux disease refractoriness to the adequate therapy most often include impaired barrier function and increased esophageal mucosal permeability. The use of esophagogastroprotective agents contributes to the optimization of therapy of gastroesophageal reflux disease and aims at achieving the disease remission in a larger number of patients. Clinical case reports of diagnosis and treatment of patients aged 12 and 16 years with gastroesophageal reflux disease are presented. The use of the esophagoprotective agent provided rapid relief of both esophageal and extraesophageal symptoms of the gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition, complete healing of erosive esophagitis was achieved during its therapy.

Effects of adolescent ethanol exposure on adult nondrug reward seeking behavior in male and female mice.

Adolescent alcohol use is associated with an increased likelihood of developing an alcohol use disorder in adulthood, potentially due to the effects of alcohol exposure on reward-seeking behavior. However, it remains unclear whether adolescent drinking is sufficient to alter nondrug reward seeking in adulthood. As adolescence is a period of both brain and sexual maturation, which occur in a sex-dependent manner, males and females may be differentially sensitive to the consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure. The present study investigated whether adolescent ethanol exposure affected food reward taking and seeking in male and female adult mice. Male and female C57BL/6J mice underwent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) via vapor inhalation during early adolescence (28-42 days of age). At 10 weeks of age, the mice were trained in a conditioned place preference paradigm (CPP) for a food reward. We measured food consumption, CPP, and cFos expression in multiple brain regions following CPP testing. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with exposure (air vs. AIE), sex, and time as factors. AIE exposure increased food consumption during CPP training in adult male mice, but reduced pellet consumption in adult female mice. AIE exposure impaired CPP expression only in female mice. Despite these behavioral differences, exposure to the reward-paired chamber did not induce differential cFos expression following CPP testing in the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices or the nucleus accumbens core and shell. These findings indicate that adolescent ethanol exposure disrupted nondrug reward taking and seeking in adulthood in female mice and altered consumption in adult male mice.

Ethanol changes Nestin-promoter induced neural stem cells to disturb newborn dendritic spine remodeling in the hippocampus of mice.

Adolescent binge drinking leads to long-lasting disorders of the adult central nervous system, particularly aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis. In this study, we applied in vivo fluorescent tracing using NestinCreERT2::Rosa26-tdTomato mice and analyzed the endogenous neurogenesis lineage progression of neural stem cells (NSCs) and dendritic spine formation of newborn neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. We found abnormal orientation of tamoxifen-induced tdTomato+ (tdTom+) NSCs in adult mice 2 months after treatment with EtOH (5.0 g/kg, i.p.) for 7 consecutive days. EtOH markedly inhibited tdTom+ NSCs activation and hippocampal neurogenesis in mouse dentate gyrus from adolescence to adulthood. EtOH (100 mM) also significantly inhibited the proliferation to 39.2% and differentiation of primary NSCs in vitro. Adult mice exposed to EtOH also exhibited marked inhibitions in dendritic spine growth and newborn neuron maturation in the dentate gyrus, which was partially reversed by voluntary running or inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin-enhancer of zeste homolog 2 pathway. In vivo tracing revealed that EtOH induced abnormal orientation of tdTom+ NSCs and spatial misposition defects of newborn neurons, thus causing the disturbance of hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic spine remodeling in mice.

A Study on the Attitude of Higher Secondary School Students Towards Drug and Alcohol in Papum Pare District of Arunachal Pradesh

Introduction: Addiction is a condition characterized by a strong desire to continue using a drug to which one has become addicted due to overconsumption because it produces a specific effect, most commonly a change in mental status. A strong desire to obtain the drug, a tendency to increase the dose, a mental or physical dependence, and negative consequences for the individual and society. In today's world, adolescent alcoholism and drug abuse are extremely serious problems. In our country, underage drinking is a major public health concern. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among today's youth, and adolescent drinking poses serious health and safety risks. Research Methodology: a. Research Design: Descriptive cum Normative survey method has been adopted for this research. b. Method of the Study: Retro prospective method of research where attempt has been made to study the Drug and Alcohol Attitude of higher secondary school students of Papum Pare of Arunachal Pradesh. Results and Discussion: The Drug and Alcohol attitude Mean Score of 300 school students of Papum Pare District was found to be 75.07. The mention mean score (75.07) comes under moderate and it is interpreted as ‘Average Drug and Alcohol’ level. Hence it shows that School students of Papum Pare district possess average Drug and Alcohol Attitude. The calculated t-value (-4.30) of Male and Female which is less than critical value (1.97) at 0.05 level of significance with Degree of Freedom (2.98). Therefore, the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference between Drug and Alcohol attitude of Male and Female School students of Papum Pare District of Arunachal Pradesh” is accepted. the calculated t-value (-1.61) of APST and NON-APST higher secondary school students is less than critical value (1.97) at 0.05 level of significance with Degree of Freedom 298. Therefore, the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference between Drug and Alcohol attitude of APST and NON-APST higher ....

Therapeutic role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles in neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunctions induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous membrane vesicles secreted by cells in extracellular spaces that play an important role in intercellular communication under both normal and pathological conditions. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory cells capable of secreting EVs, which are considered promising molecules for treating immune, inflammatory, and degenerative diseases. Our previous studies demonstrate that, by activating innate immune receptors TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4), binge-like ethanol exposure in adolescence causes neuroinflammation and neural damage. To evaluate whether the intravenous administration of MSC-derived EVs is capable of reducing neuroinflammation, myelin and synaptic alterations, and the cognitive dysfunction induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice. MSC-derived EVs obtained from adipose tissue were administered in the tail vein (50 microg/dose, one weekly dose) to female WT adolescent mice treated intermittently with ethanol (3.0 g/kg) during two weeks. MSC-derived EVs from adipose tissue ameliorate ethanol-induced up-regulation of inflammatory genes (e.g., COX-2, iNOS, MIP-1α, NF-κB, CX3CL1, and MCP-1) in the prefrontal cortex of adolescent mice. Notably, MSC-derived EVs also restore the myelin and synaptic derangements, and the memory and learning impairments, induced by ethanol treatment. Using cortical astroglial cells in culture, our results further confirm that MSC-derived EVs decrease inflammatory genes in ethanol-treated astroglial cells. This, in turn, confirms in vivo findings. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence for the therapeutic potential of the MSC-derived EVs in the neuroimmune response and cognitive dysfunction induced by binge alcohol drinking in adolescence.

Less drinking, less harm: declines in adolescent alcohol use are accompanied by declines in self-reported alcohol harm

ABSTRACT Adolescent alcohol use has declined in many high-income countries, yet few studies have measured the impact on alcohol harm. We investigated whether declines in alcohol use among secondary school students in Aotearoa New Zealand were accompanied by declines in self-reported alcohol harm. We used data from the Youth2000 survey series (2007, N = 9098; 2012, N = 8487; 2019, N = 7311). We found alcohol use declined substantially on all indicators (lifetime, current, past month, and weekly alcohol use; past month binge drinking; typical consumption of 10 + drinks/session), with declines concentrated in the 2007–2012 period. Self-reported alcohol harm also declined markedly over the 2007–2012 period, e.g. the proportion reporting being injured declined from 22% to 16%; and/or doing something that could get them in serious trouble (e.g. stealing) declined from 19% to 12%. Despite declines, alcohol harm was common in 2012 with 33% of current drinkers reporting at least one indicator in the past 12 months. In conclusion, declines in adolescent drinking were accompanied by declines in self-reported alcohol harm. However, adolescent binge drinking remained prevalent in 2019 compared with similar countries. Addressing adolescent alcohol harm remains a pressing public health priority, and there is an urgent need to better monitor youth drinking and associated harms.

Analyzing the Relationship between Participation in Sports and Harmful Alcohol Drinking in Early Adolescence: Two-Year Prospective Analysis.

Alcohol drinking is an important health-related problem and one of the major risk factors for a wide array of non-communicable diseases, while there is a lack of studies investigating environment-specific associations between sports participation and alcohol drinking in adolescence. This study prospectively investigated the relationship between sports factors (i.e., participation in sports and competitive achievement), with the prevalence of harmful alcohol drinking (HD), and HD initiation in 14-to-16 years old adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina (n = 641, 337 females, 43% living in rural community). Participants were tested over 4-time points divided by approximately 6 months, from the beginning of high school to the end of the second grade. Variables included gender, factors related to sport participation, a community of residence (urban or rural), and outcome: alcohol consumption was assessed by the AUDIT questionnaire. Results evidenced that the prevalence of HD increased over the study period from 6 to 19%, with no significant differences between urban and rural youth. Logistic regression for HD as criterion evidenced adolescents who participated in sports and then quit as being at particular risk for drinking alcohol at the study baseline. Sports factors were not correlated with HD initiation in the period between 14 and 16 years of age. It seems that the problem of alcohol drinking should be preventively targeted in all youth, irrespective of living environment. Although sports participation was not evidenced as being a factor of influence on HD initiation, results highlight the necessity of developing targeted preventive campaigns against alcohol drinking for adolescents who quit sports.

Adolescent binge drinking in the West of Ireland: associated risk and protective factors

BackgroundAlcohol is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Adolescence is when alcohol use typically begins. Harmful patterns of alcohol consumption, such as binge drinking, may emerge during adolescence and become established. This study aimed to examine potential risk and protective factors for binge drinking among 15–16-year-old adolescents in the West of Ireland.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of 4473 participants from the Planet Youth 2020 Survey. The outcome was ever binge drinking, defined as ever consumption of five or more drinks in a two-hour period or less. Independent variables were selected a priori following review of peer-reviewed literature and were grouped as individual, parents and family, peer group, school, leisure time and local community factors. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 27. Differences in medians and means for continuous variables were examined using the Mann–Whitney U test and Independent Samples t-test respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine independent associations between potential risk and protective factors and ever binge drinking. A p-value of < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.ResultsThe prevalence of ever binge drinking was 34.1%. Self-rated ‘bad/very bad’ mental health (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 1.61, 95% CI 1.26–2.06, p < 0.001), current cigarette use (aOR 4.06, 95% CI 3.01–5.47, p < 0.001) and current cannabis use (aOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.80–4.31, p < 0.001) increased odds of ever binge drinking.Parental supervision (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73–0.88, p < 0.001) and negative parental reaction to adolescent drunkenness (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.42–0.61, p < 0.001) reduced odds of ever binge drinking. Getting alcohol from parents increased odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.42–2.25, p < 0.001).Adolescents with friends who drink alcohol had almost five times higher odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 4.59, 95% CI 2.65–7.94, p < 0.001). Participating in team/club sports also increased odds of ever binge drinking (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.07–1.57, p = 0.008 for 1–4 times/week, aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.07–2.16, p = 0.020 for ≥ 5 times/week).ConclusionThis study identifies individual and social environment factors associated with adolescent binge drinking in the West of Ireland. This can inform intersectoral action to protect adolescents from alcohol-related harm.

Acute alcohol induces greater dose-dependent increase in the lateral cortical network functional connectivity in adult than adolescent rats

Alcohol misuse and, particularly adolescent drinking, is a major public health concern. While evidence suggests that adolescent alcohol use affects frontal brain regions that are important for cognitive control over behavior, little is known about how acute alcohol exposure alters large-scale brain networks and how sex and age may moderate such effects. Here, we employ a recently developed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol to acquire rat brain functional connectivity data and use an established analytical pipeline to examine the effect of sex, age, and alcohol dose on connectivity within and between three major rodent brain networks: default mode, salience, and lateral cortical network. We identify the intra- and inter-network connectivity differences and establish moderation models to reveal significant influences of age on acute alcohol-induced lateral cortical network connectivity. Through this work, we make brain-wide isotropic fMRI data with acute alcohol challenge publicly available, with the hope to facilitate future discovery of brain regions/circuits that are causally relevant to the impact of acute alcohol use.

Use of a Fitbit-like device in rats: Sex differences, relation to EEG sleep, and use to measure the long-term effects of adolescent ethanol exposure.

Sleep difficulties and rhythm disturbances are some of the problems associated with adolescent binge drinking. Recently, animal models of alcohol-induced insomnia have been developed. However, studies in human subjects have recently focused not only on nighttime EEG findings but also on daytime sleepiness and disrupted activity levels as typically measured by activity tracking devices such as the "Fitbit." We sought to develop and test a Fitbit-like device (the "FitBite") in rats and use it to track rest-activity cycles following adolescent alcohol exposure. The effects of 5 weeks of adolescent ethanol vapor or control conditions were evaluated in 48 male and female Wistar rats using FitBite activity while intoxicated, and during acute (24 h post-vapor exposure) and chronic withdrawal (4 weeks post-vapor exposure). Data were analyzed using activity count and cosinor analyses. Fourteen rats were subsequently implanted with cortical electrodes, and data from the FitBite were compared with EEG data to determine how well the FitBite could identify sleep and activity cycles. Female rats were generally more active than males, with higher circadian rhythm amplitudes and mesors (rhythm-adjusted means) across a 24-h period. There were significant correlations between EEG-estimated sleep and activity counts using the FitBite. When the rats were tested during intoxication after 4 weeks of ethanol vapor exposure, they had significantly less overall activity. Disruptions in circadian rhythm were also found with significant decreases in the circadian amplitude, mesor, and a later shift in the acrophase. At 24 h of ethanol withdrawal, rats had more episodes of activity with shorter durations during the daytime, when rats are expected to spend more of their time sleeping. This effect remained at 4 weeks following withdrawal, but circadian rhythm disruptions were no longer present. A Fitbit-like device can be successfully used in rats to assess rest-activity cycles. Adolescent alcohol exposure produced circadian rhythm disturbances that were not observed after withdrawal. Fragmentation of ultradian rest-activity cycles during the light period was found at 24 h and 4 weeks after withdrawal and support data demonstrating the presence of sleep disturbance long after alcohol withdrawal.

Consequences of Adolescent Drinking on Cortical and Cerebellar Structure

Consequences of Adolescent Drinking on Cortical and Cerebellar Structure