Frequent Binge Drinking Research Articles

Protective or risky? The longitudinal association of team sports participation and health-related behaviours in Canadian adolescent girls.

Female sport participation is a prioritized action area in the 2018 Canadian federal budget for improving health and well-being. This study examined team sport participation prevalence and longitudinal associations with health-related behaviours among Canadian adolescent girls. We analyzed data from the COMPASS study. Participants included 1978 femalesecondary-school students who self-reported the following information at all measurement time-points (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12): socio-demographic, team sport participation status (consistent, intermittent and non-participator), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), dietary behaviours, smoking, cannabis use and binge drinking. Linear mixed models and generalized estimating equation models were used to examine team sport participation status in association with changes in health-related behaviours across grades. The prevalence of team sport participation declined by an average of 38.4% between grades 9 and 12. Proportions of participants being categorized as consistent, intermittent and non-participators were 25.7%, 36.4% and 37.9%, respectively. Compared to non-participators, consistent participators reported significantly greater decline in MVPA (β = - 2.77, 95% CI - 5.36, - 0.18), and the increase in odds of becoming more frequent cannabis users (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00, 1.26) and binge drinkers (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04, 1.23) was significantly greater. Girls' team sport participation had no significant longitudinal association with dietary behaviours and smoking status. Team sport participation outside of school settings is risky for prospective health-related behaviours in adolescent girls. Our findings highlight the need for investing in tailored participation initiatives that also consider how to prevent harmful substance use.

Does binge drinking between the age of 18 and 25 years predict alcohol dependence in adulthood? A retrospective case–control study in France

ObjectiveA retrospective case–control study was conducted to evaluate whether frequent binge drinking between the age of 18 and 25 years was a risk factor for alcohol dependence in adulthood.SettingThe Department...

Alcohol use and binge drinking among men who have sex with men in China: Prevalence and correlates

BackgroundBoth alcohol use/misuse and HIV incidence are increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Little is known about predictors of alcohol use/misuse. MethodsAn online nationwide sample (n = 1100) of MSM from mainland China was recruited between 2014 and 2015. The study objective was to examine the prevalence of a history of alcohol use and frequency of binge drinking in the previous 6 months in this population and assess their relationship with psychological and public health issues. ResultsNearly 62.1% of respondents reported a history of alcohol use; 30.7% were current infrequent binge drinkers; and 13.6% were current frequent binge drinkers. Adjusted logistic models showed that MSM who reported a history of alcohol use were more likely to report drug use in the previous 6 months (AOR = 1.67); higher levels of internalized homophobia (AOR = 1.49); and partial or full disclosure of their sexual orientation (AOR = 1.46). MSM engaging in current frequent binge drinking were more likely to report female sexual partners (AOR = 2.04) and drug use (AOR = 1.61) in the previous 6 months; higher levels of sexual sensation seeking (AOR = 1.68); and higher levels of homosexual stigma (AOR = 1.69). MSM who reported being unsure of their HIV status were less likely to be current frequent binge drinkers (AOR = 0.46). ConclusionsA high prevalence of a history of alcohol use and binge drinking exists among Chinese MSM. Strategies that target alcohol use/misuse in this population are needed.

Association of binge drinking in adolescence and early adulthood with high blood pressure: findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994–2008)

BackgroundAn investigation of the risk of high blood pressure (HBP) associated with heavy alcohol consumption in adolescence and early adulthood is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between...

Young frequent binge drinkers show no behavioral deficits in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility

Alcohol intoxication and abuse are well-known to cause impairments in executive functioning and control. Still, we know surprisingly little about individuals engaging in frequent binge drinking, even though they have an increased risk to develop an alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. As this risk has been suggested to be linked to (premorbid) executive deficits, we assessed changes in cognitive flexibility and inhibition with the help of a switching task and a stop-change task. Both paradigms had previously been shown to be modulated by alcohol, as well as by functional variations in dopaminergic and GABAergic neurotransmission.We employed an extreme group approach, where we compared pre-selected samples of frequent binge drinkers and non-frequent binge drinkers, all of which had stably pursued their respective consumption pattern for at least 3 years. In combination with Bayes analyses, our results showed that individuals engaging in frequent binge drinking showed no impairments of cognitive flexibility or inhibition, as compared to non-frequent binge drinkers. These observations suggest that frequent binge drinking alone is not associated with the cognitive control deficits commonly observed in AUD. Importantly, the investigated executive functions are known to be altered both during binge drinking and in individuals with AUD. It could hence be speculated that their intermittent consumption pattern prevents non-AUD frequent binge drinkers from the homeostatic counter-regulations of alcohol- and control-associated neurotransmitter systems that may be observed in AUD patients. Yet, this hypothesis still needs to be tested in future research, including studies that combine MR and molecular imaging.

Phase locking of event-related oscillations is decreased in both young adult humans and rats with a history of adolescent alcohol exposure.

Alcohol exposure typically begins in adolescence, and frequent binge drinking has been associated with health risk behaviors including alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Few studies have documented the effects of a history of adolescent binge drinking on neurophysiological consequences in young adulthood. Synchrony of phase (phase locking (PL)) of event-related oscillations (EROs) within and between different brain areas reflects communication exchange between neural networks and is a sensitive measure of adolescent development in both rats and humans, and thus may be a good translational measure of the potential harmful effects of alcohol exposure during adolescence. In this study, EROs were collected from 1041 young adults of Mexican American and American Indian ancestry (age 18-30years) with and without a history of adolescent binge drinking (five drinks for boys and four for girls per occasion at least once per month) and in 74 young adult rats with and without a history of 5weeks of adolescent alcohol vapor exposure. PL of theta and beta frequencies between frontal and parietal cortex were estimated using an auditory-oddball paradigm in the rats and a visual facial expression paradigm in the humans. Significantly lower PL between frontal and parietal cortices in the theta frequencies was seen in both the humans and the rats with a history of adolescent alcohol exposure as compared with their controls. These findings suggest that alcohol exposure during adolescence may result in decreases in synchrony between cortical neuronal networks, suggesting a developmental delay, in young adult humans and in rats.

Frequent binge drinking between 18 and 25 years old: a risk of adulthood alcohol dependence?

Frequent binge drinking between 18 and 25 years old: a risk of adulthood alcohol dependence?

Frequent binge drinking between 18 and 25 years old: a risk of adulthood alcohol dependence?

Frequent binge drinking between 18 and 25 years old: a risk of adulthood alcohol dependence?

Drinking under communism: Why do alcohol consumption habits in Eastern Europe differ from the west in the long-run?

This paper looks into possible explanations for differences between Eastern and Western Europe alcohol consumption behaviour even twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet regime. It suggests these differences can be viewed as an expression of cultural habits. We explore different ways of defining exposure to the communist regime: using number of years a person spent under the regime and also a dummy indicator for spending formative years (18–25) in it. We find both to be strong factors in explaining alcohol consumption behaviour. We consider differences in frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking using European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) micro data from Eurostat. Estimations are run with ordered probit model for men and women separately. Evidence suggests a statistically significant effect of experiencing communist regimes, which is larger for women's alcohol consumption frequency than for men's. It is also the most important factor in explaining more frequent male binge drinking. These effects hold after controlling for socio-economic, country level and time characteristics. This suggests the attitudes towards alcohol consumption could be more permissive in the Eastern Bloc countries.

Frequent binge drinking during the 18–25-year-olds: A risk of adulthood alcohol dependence?

Introduction Alcohol addiction in adult life is one of the most investigated long-term consequences of adolescence alcohol consumption but few studies focus on casual inferences of binge drinking behaviour in young adulthood on adulthood itself. The purpose of this study is to identify the binge drinking between 18 and 25 years as a risk factor of alcohol dependence at 25–45 years. Methods A case control study in a population of 25–45 years was carried out in France. The cases were alcohol dependent (AD) patients diagnosed by a physician and included in an hospital department of addictology. The controls were non-alcohol dependent (NAD) with the AUDIT test inferior to 8. A self-anonymous questionnaire collected at in-person interview during a medical consultation for the cases and with an online questionnaire for the control. Socio demographics data, family alcoholism history, frequency of binge drinking and occasion (with friends, family or lonely), and alcohol consumption between 18 and 25 years were collected. Binge drinking (5 or more drinks per drinking on any occasion) were classified as follows: more than twice a month as frequent, once a month or less as occasional and none binge drinking as never. Results A total of 199 adults of 25–45 years were included: 83 cases (72 males and 11 females) and 116 controls (72 males and 44 females). The mean age was 34.6 years (standard deviation: 5.1). The prevalence of the frequent binge drinking during the 18–25 years period were 75.9% in AD and 35.3% in NAD (P Discussion A new knowledge was highlighted about the association between frequent binge drinking during the 18–25-years-old and the alcohol dependence in adulthood. Prevention and caution about binge drinking during pre-adulthood, specially the lonely binge drinking, should be implemented to avoid acute consequences as injuries and death but also long-term consequences as alcohol dependence.

Alcohol, pattern of drinking and all-cause mortality in Russia, Belarus and Hungary: A retrospective indirect cohort study based on mortality of relatives

Aims This study investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality among males and females in three Eastern European countries. Specifically, the study examined the role of drinking frequency, the mortality risk which is posed by the combination of frequent drinking, binge drinking and other hazardous drinking habits, and whether the associations were similar across countries. Methods We conducted an indirect retrospective cohort study, in which the analytical cohort consisted of close relatives of participants in population surveys in selected middle-sized settlements in Russia, Belarus and Hungary. Survey respondents provided information on their mothers, fathers, siblings and partners of female respondents. This information included current vital status and dates of birth and death, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking and socioeconomic status. Alcohol consumption indices, reported by survey participants, included drinking frequency, binge drinking and hazardous drinking (consuming non-beverage and/or illicitly-produced alcohol and/or heavy drinking over several days [zapoi]). Overall, the analyses included 124,150 men and women were aged 35–69 years in 1998 and followed-up until 2013. The information on vital status and dates of birth and death was used to estimate survival in the cohort of relatives. Findings Drinking frequency was positively associated with mortality in all three countries and both genders. At each drinking frequency level, mortality risk increased among those who also engaged in binge and/or hazardous drinking. Regular male drinkers who were also binge drinkers and hazardous drinkers had the highest risk of death; their hazard ratios (HR), compared to non-binge-non-hazardous occasional drinkers, were 2.56 [95% CI 2.27–2.88], 2.14 [1.84–2.48] and 2.11 [1.90–2.35] in Russia, Belarus and Hungary, respectively. In women, the corresponding HRs (using a lower frequency cut-off) were 2.86 [1.99–4.12] in Russia, 3.44 [2.17–5.44] in Belarus and 3.01 [2.26–4.01] in Hungary. Conclusions Consistently across countries and sexes, the increased mortality risk was concentrated among frequent drinkers who also engaged in binge and hazardous drinking. Binge and hazardous drinking patterns are important for understanding the relationship between alcohol and high mortality in Eastern European populations.

Risk Factors Associated with Frequent Alcohol Binge Drinking among Jamaicans: Does Gender Matter?

Objective: Alcohol is one of the most commonly consumed substances in Jamaica, despite the many health problems associated with excessive alcohol use. The aim of this study was to identify potential risk factors for alcohol binge drinking among Jamaicans, and determine if there were significant gender differences in the associations between identified risk factors and frequent binge drinking. Methods: Data collected from the 2016 National Household Survey Jamaica were analysed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed using SPSS. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with frequent binge drinking. Results: The total number of respondents was 4623. Females were 2,535 (54.8%) compared to males 2088 (45.2%). In bivariate analysis, there was a significant association between age and frequent binge drinking among males (X2 = 11.11, p =0.004), but not among females (X2 = 2.03, p = 0.36). Similarly, there was a significant association between employment and frequent binge drinking for males but not for females (X2= 12.85, p= 0.002; X2= 2.49, p= 0.29 respectively). In multivariate analysis, age 12- 17 years was significantly, inversely associated with frequent binge drinking in the crude logit model but not in the adjusted logit model (crude odds ratio [COR] 0.21, 95%CI= 0.6- 0.66; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.51, 95%CI= 0.12- 2.13 respectively). Employment was significantly, positively associated with frequent binge drinking in the adjusted logit model (employed: AOR= 3.63, 95% CI= 1.05- 12.59) among males. Among females, age showed no significant association with frequent binge drinking. Only having primary/ lower education was significantly, positively associated with frequent binge drinking among females (AOR= 5.17, 95%CI= 1.36- 19.65). Conclusion: Risk factors for frequent binge drinking differed by gender; being employed was a risk factor for males while having primary (or lower) education was a risk factor for females.

Alcohol, pattern of drinking and all-cause mortality in Russia, Belarus and Hungary: a retrospective indirect cohort study based on mortality of relatives.

To assess the relationship between alcohol intake frequency and mortality among males and females in three Eastern European populations, and to estimate the additional mortality risk posed by a combination of frequent drinking, binge drinking and other hazardous drinking habits. Retrospective cohort study; the cohort consisted of close relatives of survey participants. Middle-sized settlements in Russia, Belarus and Hungary. A total of 124 150 subjects aged 35-69years in 1998 and followed-up until 2013. Survey respondents provided information on their mothers, fathers, siblings and partners of female respondents. This information, including current vital status and dates of birth and death, was used to construct the cohort of relatives. Alcohol consumption indices, reported by survey participants, included drinking frequency, binge drinking and hazardous drinking [consuming non-beverage and/or illicitly-produced alcohol and/or heavy drinking over several days (zapoi in Russian)]. Drinking frequency was associated positively with mortality in all three countries and both genders. At each drinking frequency level, mortality risk increased among those who also engaged in binge and/or hazardous drinking. Regular male drinkers who were also binge drinkers and hazardous drinkers had the highest risk of death; their hazard ratios (HR), compared with non-binge-non-hazardous occasional drinkers, were 2.56 [95% confidence interval (CI)=2.27-2.88], 2.14 (95% CI=1.84-2.48) and 2.11 (95% CI=1.90-2.35) in Russia, Belarus and Hungary, respectively. In women, the corresponding HRs (using a lower frequency cut-off) were 2.86 (95% CI=1.99-4.12) in Russia, 3.44 (95% CI=2.17-5.44) in Belarus and 3.01 (95% CI=2.26-4.01) in Hungary. Drinking frequency is associated positively with mortality among men and women in Russia, Belarus and Hungary. The mortality risk is higher among frequent drinkers who exhibit binge and hazardous drinking patterns.

Changes and specificities in health behaviors among healthcare students over an 8-year period.

BackgroundHealthcare students are future health care providers and serve as role models and coaches to enhance behaviors for healthy lifestyles. However healthcare students face multiple stressors that could lead to adopting risk behaviors.ObjectivesTo assess the changes in health risk factors among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015, and to identify specific health behaviors based on the curriculum in a population of healthcare students:MethodsTwo cross sectionnal studies were conducted in 2007 and 2015 among nursing, medical, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students (Rouen, France). During compulsory courses and examination sessions students filled self-administered questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics and behavior as: tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, eating disorders, regular practice of sport, perceived health, stress and use of psychotropic drugs.Results2,605 healthcare students were included (1,326 in 2007 and 1,279 in 2015), comprising 1,225 medical students (47.0%), 738 nursing students (28.3%), 362 pharmacy students (13.9%), and 280 physiotherapy students (10.8%). Between 2007 and 2015, occasional binge drinking and regular practice of sport increased significantly among healthcare students, respectively AOR = 1.48 CI95% (1.20–1.83) and AOR = 1.33 CI95% (1.11–1.60), regular cannabis consumption decreased significantly, AOR = 0.32 CI95% (0.19–0.54). There was no change in smoking or overweight/obese. There was a higher risk of frequent binge drinking and a lower risk of tobacco smoking in all curricula than in nursing students. Medical students practiced sport on a more regular basis, were less overweight/obese, had fewer eating disorders than nursing students.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate a stable frequency of classic behaviors as smoking but a worsening of emerging behaviors as binge drinking among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015. Health behaviors differed according to healthcare curricula and nursing students demonstrated higher risks. As health behaviors are positively related to favorable attitudes towards preventive counseling, therefore healthcare students should receive training in preventive counseling and develop healthy lifestyles targeted according to the health curriculum.

Life course socioeconomic position, alcohol drinking patterns in midlife, and cardiovascular mortality: Analysis of Norwegian population-based health surveys.

BackgroundSocioeconomically disadvantaged groups tend to experience more harm from the same level of exposure to alcohol as advantaged groups. Alcohol has multiple biological effects on the cardiovascular system, both potentially harmful and protective. We investigated whether the diverging relationships between alcohol drinking patterns and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality differed by life course socioeconomic position (SEP).Methods and findingsFrom 3 cohorts (the Counties Studies, the Cohort of Norway, and the Age 40 Program, 1987–2003) containing data from population-based cardiovascular health surveys in Norway, we included participants with self-reported information on alcohol consumption frequency (n = 207,394) and binge drinking episodes (≥5 units per occasion, n = 32,616). We also used data from national registries obtained by linkage. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD mortality was estimated using Cox models, including alcohol, life course SEP, age, gender, smoking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides, diabetes, history of CVD, and family history of coronary heart disease (CHD). Analyses were performed in the overall sample and stratified by high, middle, and low strata of life course SEP. A total of 8,435 CVD deaths occurred during the mean 17 years of follow-up. Compared to infrequent consumption (<once/month), moderately frequent consumption (2–3 times per week) was associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality (HR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.72, 0.84) overall. HRs for the high, middle, and low strata of SEP were 0.66 (95% CI 0.58, 0.76), 0.87 (95% CI 0.78, 0.97), and 0.79 (95% CI 0.64, 0.98), respectively, compared with infrequent users in each stratum. HRs for effect modification were 1.30 (95% CI 1.10, 1.54, p = 0.002; middle versus high), 1.23 (95% CI 0.96, 1.58, p = 0.10; low versus high), and 0.96 (95% CI 0.76, 1.21, p = 0.73; low versus middle). In the group with data on binge drinking, 2,284 deaths (15 years) from CVDs occurred. In comparison to consumers who did not binge during the past year, HRs among frequent bingers (≥1 time per week) were 1.58 (95% CI 1.31, 1.91) overall, and 1.22 (95% CI 0.84, 1.76), 1.71 (95% CI 1.31, 2.23), and 1.85 (95% CI 1.16, 2.94) in the strata, respectively. HRs for effect modification were 1.36 (95% CI 0.87, 2.13, p = 0.18; middle versus high), 1.63 (95% CI 0.92, 2.91, p = 0.10; low versus high), and 1.32 (95% CI 0.79, 2.20, p = 0.29; low versus middle). A limitation of this study was the use of a single measurement to reflect lifetime alcohol consumption.ConclusionsModerately frequent consumers had a lower risk of CVD mortality compared with infrequent consumers, and we observed that this association was more pronounced among participants with higher SEP throughout their life course. Frequent binge drinking was associated with a higher risk of CVD mortality, but it was more uncertain whether the risk differed by life course SEP. It is unclear if these findings reflect differential confounding of alcohol consumption with health-protective or damaging exposures, or differing effects of alcohol on health across socioeconomic groups.

Concurrent Tobacco Use and Binge Drinking Among University Students in 30 Countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean

The aim of this study was to investigate concurrent tobacco use and binge drinking and the co-occurrence risks of each substance among university students in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. A cross-sectional survey of 24,753 university students, 58.6% women and 41.4% men, mean age of 20.8 years (SD = 2.6) from 30 countries, was conducted in 2013–2015. Five percent of the university students had engaged in concurrent tobacco use and binge drinking, 17.7% in binge drinking only, and 8.0% in current tobacco use only. Overall, among past month tobacco users, 32.1% were frequent binge drinkers, and among binge drinkers, 45.6% were frequent tobacco users. Compared to students who neither smoked nor were binge drinkers, concurrent tobacco users and binge drinkers were more likely to be men (OR = 3.09, CI = 2.55, 3.74), were older (OR = 2.00, CI = 1.56, 2.36), had a wealthier family background (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.30, 1.96), were living in an upper middle or high-income country (OR = 0.27, CI = 0.10, 0.72), used illicit drugs (OR = 3.16, CI = 2.64, 3.83), were gambling (OR = 2.41, CI = 1.91, 3.04), had been in a physical fight (OR = 2.08, CI = 1.67, 2.59), had sustained an injury (OR = 1.25, CI = 1.03, 1.50), and lacked involvement in organized religious activity (OR = 0.40, CI = 0.32, 0.52). Prevention and treatment strategies should better incorporate the comorbidity of tobacco and alcohol use in their intervention programs.

Self-reported cognitive scales in a US National Survey: reliability, validity, and preliminary evidence for associations with alcohol and drug use.

To evaluate relationships between measures of cognitive functioning and alcohol or drug use among adults (≥18years) in the US general population. Two cognitive scales were created based on dimensionality and reliability of self-reported Executive Function Index items. Relationships between the two scales and validators were evaluated. Associations between the cognitive scales and past-year frequency of alcohol or drug use were estimated with adjusted odds ratios (aOR). United States, using the 2012-13 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, a nationally representative adult sample selected by multi-stage probability sampling. 36 085 respondents. Past-year substance use outcome variables categorized binge drinking, marijuana, cocaine, opioid, sedative/tranquilizer and stimulant use as frequent (at least weekly to daily), infrequent (any to two to three times/month) or no use, assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5. Key predictors were the two cognitive scales. Construct validators included education and functional impairment. Covariates included age, gender, income and race/ethnicity. Nine cognitive items fitted a two-factor model (comparative fit index=0.973): attention (five items) and executive functioning (four items). Both scales were associated positively with higher education (Ps<0.001) and negatively with functional impairment (Ps<0.001), demonstrating construct validity. Poorer attention was associated with frequent and infrequent binge drinking and use of drugs [aOR range=1.07 (binge drinking) to 1.72 (stimulants), Ps≤0.01]. Poorer executive functioning was associated with frequent binge drinking and use of drugs [aOR range=1.22 (binge drinking) to 2.03 (cocaine), Ps<0.001] and infrequent use of all drugs [aOR range=1.19 (marijuana) to 1.63 (cocaine), Ps<0.001]. Impairments in attention and executive functioning are positively associated with substance use in the US general population.

Freshman year alcohol and marijuana use prospectively predict time to college graduation and subsequent adult roles and independence

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examined how freshman year substance use prospectively predicted time to college graduation, and whether delayed graduation predicted postponed adoption of adult roles and future substance use. Participants: Participants were part of a longitudinal study that began in 2004. The first analyses focused on freshman year (N = 2,050). The second analyses corresponded to a subset of participants at age 27 (N = 575). Methods: Measures included self-reported substance use, adult role adoption, and university reported graduation dates. Results: Results indicated that frequent binge drinking and marijuana use during freshman year predicted delayed college graduation. Those who took longer to graduate were more likely to have lower incomes and were less likely to obtain a graduate degree. Taking 5–6 years to graduate was associated with greater likelihood of alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: Findings support the importance of interventions during freshman year of college to decrease substance use and promote timely graduation.

대학생에서의 삶의 목표와 문제 음주 간의 관계

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between life goals and alcohol drinking-related variables among college students. Method: Subjects of this study were 455 college students. The analysis of collected data included personal projects analysis, cross tabulation analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The results revealed that the less college students engaged in binge drinking of alcohol, the better they could define life goals. Significant differences in life goal and alcohol drinking-related variables were by gender. Results of group comparison by alcohol binge drinking and gender, revealed that female college students achieved higher levels of life goals commitment, while the less male college students engaged in alcohol binge drinking, the higher levels of life goals commitment, perceived progress, and efficacy were revealed. The relative effects of life goals on alcohol drinking-related variables wasthat different life goals influenced alcohol drinking-related variables by alcohol binge drinking and gender. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better male non-binge drinkers defined long-term goals and how to achieve such goals. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better female non-binge drinkers defined long-term goals and how to achieve such goals. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better male occasional binge drinkers defined long-term goals and goal efficacy. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better female occasional binge drinkers defined long-term goals. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better male frequent binge drinkers defined goal efficacy. The more alcohol drinking was responsibly managed, the better female frequent binge drinkers defined goal efficacy. Conclusion: This study extended previous studies of foreign countries, and is expected to provide a basis for differentiating alcohol drinking behavior-related intervention, focusing on different life goals depending on drinking behavior and gender.

Health and behavioral factors associated with binge drinking among university students in nine ASEAN countries

BackgroundHeavy drinking among university students has been globally recognized as a major public health burden. In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, studies on this issue have been scant, country-specific and in different time frames. The aim of this study was to identify social and behavioral factors associated with binge drinking among university students in nine ASEAN countries.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 among 8809 undergraduate university students from 13 universities in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam using self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associated factors.ResultsMore than half (62.3%) of the study sample were female with a mean age of 20.5 (SD = 2.0) years. Of total, 12.8% were infrequent (<once per month) and 6.4% frequent (≥ once per month) binge drinkers. After adjustment, among males, higher binge drinking remained significantly associated with being in older age groups, living with parents or guardians, lower level of non-organized religious activity, lack of knowledge on alcohol-heart disease relationship, weak beliefs in the importance of limiting alcohol use, poor subjective health status, lower level of life satisfaction, tobacco and illicit drug use, depressive symptoms and high level physical activity. Among females, higher prevalence of binge drinking remained significantly associated with being in the older age groups, poorer family background, living in an upper-middle- or high-income country, lower level of non-organized religious activity, lack of knowledge on alcohol-heart disease relationship, lack of knowledge on alcohol-high blood pressure relationship, weak beliefs in the importance of limiting alcohol use, lower level of life satisfaction, use of other substances such as tobacco and illicit drug, depressive symptoms and high level of physical activity.ConclusionsFindings from this study indicate a need for devising or refining university health promotion programs that integrate binge drinking, other substance use, co-occurring addictive behaviors and health beliefs in the respective countries.