Low-risk Alcohol Research Articles

Psychosocial factors and physical activity among workers in Brazil.

Complex behaviors, such as physical activity (PA), may be related to different levels of influence. To analyze the role of social support, mood and alcohol consumption as psychosocial predictors on the engagement in PA among Brazilian workers. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical study. A sample of 395 participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), the Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Social Support Scale for Physical Activities (SSSPA) and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS). Analysis via Pearson's Correlation Test indicated a negative correlation between PA and depression and fatigue, and a positive correlation between PA and alcohol consumption, vigor and the four variables of social support (support of family members for walking; support of friends for walking; support of family members for moderate and vigorous physical activity; support of friends for moderate and vigorous physical activity). A positive relationship between PA and low-risk alcohol consumption was also identified. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that family support for walking, friends support for moderate and vigorous physical activity, vigor and alcohol consumption are predictors of PA. Hayes' moderation analysis indicated that social support has a moderating effect on the relationship between alcohol use and PA. Different factors may be involved in engaging in PA. A broader approach that addresses the singularities of individuals, especially in actions for different patterns of alcohol consumption, is recommended.

A cluster analysis of mothers of reproductive age based on their attitude and risk of alcohol use.

The rates of alcohol use and binge drinking are increasing among women. To examine factors that can differentiate women with low-risk alcohol use from those with high-risk alcohol use, the present study explored whether there would be distinct subgroups of mothers who differed in their attitudes and risk of alcohol use. A sample of 141 women aged between 18 and 50 years old who had given birth within 3 years was recruited on Amazon Mechanical Turk. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to categorize the mothers based on the similarities between their attitudes and risk of alcohol use, which resulted in the identification of the following distinct subgroups: (a) mothers with negative attitudes toward alcohol use and low risk for problematic alcohol use, (b) mothers with positive attitudes and low risk, and (c) mothers with positive attitudes and high risk. These subgroups of mothers were then compared on the extent to which they differed in trait impulsivity and impulsive decision-making toward instant gratification. The results showed that the subgroups significantly differed in trait impulsivity but not in impulsive decision-making toward instant gratification. The present study demonstrated the usefulness of cluster analysis for profiling distinct, practically meaningful subgroups of mothers of reproductive age based on their attitudes and risk of alcohol use, which has important implications for developing intervention strategies for problematic alcohol use in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol Use and Alcoholism Among Individuals with Schizophrenia in the North of Iran

Background: Alcohol consumption is one of the most common problematic issues globally that usually causes high costs for the health system. Also, schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder responsible for a heavy burden on healthcare providers. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate alcohol use and alcoholism in schizophrenia in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted on 400 individuals with schizophrenia referred to the psychiatry hospital of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. History of alcohol consumption and the criteria of alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5-TR were sought during the interviews using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Results: Of the patients, 45.5% had drunk alcohol at some point in their lives, 23% had low-risk alcohol consumption, and 10% experienced high-risk consumption. In addition, 1.5% of our sample suffered from alcoholism, according to the AUDIT. Conclusions: The results of our study in Iran regarding alcohol use in schizophrenia are more similar to those of Western countries than eastern countries. The ratio of alcohol use in schizophrenia compared with the general population was even higher in our study than in western countries.

Rate-dependent effects of narrative interventions in a longitudinal study of individuals who use alcohol.

Delay discounting (DD), the decrease in reward valuation as a function of delay to receipt, is a key process undergirding alcohol use. Narrative interventions, including episodic future thinking (EFT), have decreased delay discounting and demand for alcohol. Rate dependence, the relationship between a baseline rate and change in that rate after an intervention, has been evidenced as a marker of efficacious substance use treatment, but whether narrative interventions have rate-dependent effects needs to be better understood. We investigated the effects of narrative interventions on delay discounting and hypothetical demand for alcohol in this longitudinal, online study. Individuals (n= 696) reporting high- or low-risk alcohol use were recruited for a longitudinal 3-week survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Delay discounting and alcohol demand breakpoint were assessed at baseline. Individuals returned at weeks 2 and 3 and were randomized into the EFT or scarcity narrative interventions and again completed the delay discounting tasks and alcohol breakpoint task. Oldham's correlation was used to explore the rate-dependent effects of narrative interventions. Study attrition as a function of delay discounting was assessed. Episodic future thinking significantly decreased, while scarcity significantly increased delay discounting relative to baseline. No effects of EFT or scarcity on the alcohol demand breakpoint were observed. Significant rate-dependent effects were observed for both narrative intervention types. Higher delay discounting rates were associated with a greater likelihood of attrition from the study. The evidence of a rate-dependent effect of EFT on delay discounting rates offers a more nuanced, mechanistic understanding of this novel therapeutic intervention and can allow more precise treatment targeting by demonstrating who is likely to receive the most benefit from it.

Building workforce capacity to address substance use in primary health care: preliminary results from a mixed-methods pilot program.

Primary health care is critical to the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related harms. Scaling-up screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) within primary health care can reduce the burden of substance-related diseases, and improve downstream healthcare services. Building knowledge, skills and confidence among general practitioners (GPs), particularly in rural, regional and remote areas, to deliver SBIRT is an essential step. Therefore, this study aimed to pilot test a skills-based training program for GPs designed to build capacity for SBIRT delivery. This pilot study investigated the acceptability of a structured, educational skills-based training program among GPs, as well as its preliminary effectiveness in inducing changes in confidence to deliver SBIRT, and in increasing knowledge about low-risk alcohol guidance. The training package was designed by experts in addiction medicine and public health, and involved a series of online webinars and in-person workshops at four locations across the South Eastern NSW Primary Healthcare Network catchment. A total of 18 GPs registered for the training, with six completing the final webinar. The GPs who completed all sessions demonstrated increases in confidence to deliver SBIRT and alcohol guidance knowledge from baseline. Qualitative feedback found the program acceptable, and GPs were able to successfully implement learnings into practice, and promote to colleagues. The results indicated the potential of this program at a national level, but highlighted the need for a range of additional incentives to encourage uptake and ongoing implementation.

Prognostic factors for low-risk drinking and relapse in alcohol use disorder: A multimodal analysis.

This study aims to specify the determinants of low-risk alcohol drinking and relapse at different time points after detoxification in patients with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). Fifty-four patients with AUD and 36 healthy controls (HC) were evaluated early in abstinence (T1). They underwent clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging (structural MRI and 18 FDG-PET) investigations. Patients with AUD were subsequently classified as "low-risk drinkers" (LR) or "relapsers" (R) based on their alcohol drinking at 6months (T2) and 1year (T3) after discharge, using their medical record or self-reported drinking estimation at follow-up. Based on the alcohol status at T2 and compared with HC, only R had alexithymia, lower grey matter volume in the midbrain and hypermetabolism in the cerebellum and hippocampi. Based on the alcohol status at T3 and compared with HC, only R had more severe nicotinic dependence, lower episodic and working memory performance, lower grey matter volume in the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus and hypermetabolism in cerebellum, hippocampi and anterior cingulate gyrus. Moreover, R had bilateral frontal hypometabolism, whereas LR only presented right frontal hypometabolism. Nicotine dependence, memory impairments and structural brain abnormalities in regions involved in impulsivity and decision-making might contribute to a 1-year relapse. Treatment outcome at 1year may also be associated with an imbalance between a hypermetabolism of the limbic system and a hypometabolism of the frontal executive system. Finally, cerebellar hypermetabolism and alexithymia may be determinants of relapse at both 6months and 1year.

Baclofen in alcohol use disorder: An analysis of the data provided by the French "Temporary Recommendation for Use" 2014-2017 cohort.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a devastating illness for which effective treatments are lacking. Studies over the last two decades have shown that baclofen, a GABA-B agonist, could be a promising treatment for AUD. However, the efficacy of baclofen is still controversial, and studies have shown that it may be associated with an excess of hospitalizations and deaths. In March 2014, the French Health Safety Agency granted a “Temporary Recommendation for Use” (TRU) regulating the prescription of baclofen in subjects with AUD. The TRU allowed physicians to prescribe high-dose baclofen (up to 300 mg/d). The doses were adjusted, and tailored to the needs of each patient. Between March 2014 and March 2017, TRU clinical data were collected for a total of 6,939 subjects. The recorded data included information on alcohol consumption, the intensity of alcohol cravings, and adverse events. The present article proposes an analysis of the data provided by the TRU. Subjects for which data were missing regarding baclofen daily dosage, alcohol consumption or craving scores were discarded from the analyses. A cohort of two groups of subjects was analyzed. The first group included all TRU subjects suitable for analyses (5,550 subjects), and the second group included subjects followed for at least 365 days (169 subjects). Comparisons were made between baseline and endpoint of the follow-up period. The results show that a majority of subjects in the whole cohort had received doses of over 80 mg/d. The mean dose of baclofen at the endpoint was >110 mg/d in the second group of subjects. Doses of >80 mg/d were not associated with an increase in adverse events after adjustment for the follow-up duration. In terms of efficacy, comparisons between baseline and endpoint show that baclofen treatment significantly decreased alcohol consumption and alcohol cravings, and significantly increased the number of subjects with null or low-risk alcohol consumption according to WHO criteria.

Recomendaciones sobre el estilo de vida. Actualización PAPPS 2022

We present the recommendations of the Preventive Activities and Health Promotion Programme (PAPPS) of the semFYC (Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine) to promote healthy lifestyles using intervention methodology, and preventive actions against tobacco and alcohol use, healthy eating, physical activity in leisure time, prevention of traffic accidents, and child restraint systems. The recommendations have been updated, and new aspects highlighted, such as the definition of low-risk alcohol consumption, and the references have been updated. For the main recommendations, we include specific tables showing the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendation.

The association of substance use with attaining employment among unemployed job seeking adults: Prospective findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort

This study aimed to examine the prospective association between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use with attaining employment among unemployed job seekers. Data from the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort on 5114 unemployed job seeking adults enrolled from 2012 to 2018 were analyzed. Binary logistic regressions were computed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI of remaining unemployed at one-year of follow-up (versus attaining employment) according to substance use at baseline were obtained. The following independent variables were introduced into separate models: tobacco use (non-smoker, former smoker, light (<10cig/day), moderate (10-19cig/day) and heavy smoker (>19cig/day)), alcohol use according to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (non-users (0), low (<7), moderate (7–15) and high or very high-risk (>15)) and cannabis use (never used, no use in the previous 12 months, less than once a month, at least once a month but less than once per week, once per week or more). Analyses were adjusted for age, gender and education. At follow-up, 2490 participants (49.7%) were still unemployed. Compared to non-smokers, moderate and heavy smokers were more likely to remain unemployed, with ORs (95%CI) of 1.33 (1.08–1.64) and 1.42 (1.04–1.93), respectively. Compared to low-risk alcohol users, no alcohol users and high or very high-risk alcohol users were more likely to remain unemployed, with ORs (95% CI) of 1.40 (1.03–1.83) and 2.10 (1.53–2.87), respectively. Compared to participants who never used cannabis, participants who use cannabis once a week or more were more likely to remain unemployed, OR (95%CI) of 1.63 (1.33–2.01). Substance use may play an important role in difficulty attaining employment.

Differential association between the GLP1R gene variants and brain functional connectivity according to the severity of alcohol use

Growing evidence suggests that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) system is involved in mechanisms underlying alcohol seeking and consumption. Accordingly, the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has begun to be studied as a potential pharmacotherapeutic target for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between genetic variation at the GLP-1R and brain functional connectivity, according to the severity of alcohol use. Participants were 181 individuals categorized as high-risk (n = 96) and low-risk (n = 85) alcohol use, according to their AUD identification test (AUDIT) score. Two uncommon single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs6923761 and rs1042044, were selected a priori for this study because they encode amino-acid substitutions with putative functional consequences on GLP-1R activity. Genotype groups were based on the presence of the variant allele for each of the two GLP-1R SNPs of interest [rs6923761: AA + AG (n = 65), GG (n = 116); rs1042044: AA + AC (n = 114), CC (n = 67)]. Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired for 10 min and independent component (IC) analysis was conducted. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA) examined the interaction between GLP-1R genotype group and AUDIT group on within- and between-network connectivity. For rs6923761, three ICs showed significant genotype × AUDIT interaction effects on within-network connectivity: two were mapped onto the anterior salience network and one was mapped onto the visuospatial network. For rs1042044, four ICs showed significant interaction effects on within-network connectivity: three were mapped onto the dorsal default mode network and one was mapped onto the basal ganglia network. For both SNPs, post-hoc analyses showed that in the group carrying the variant allele, high versus low AUDIT was associated with stronger within-network connectivity. No significant effects on between-network connectivity were found. In conclusion, genetic variation at the GLP-1R was differentially associated with brain functional connectivity in individuals with low versus high severity of alcohol use. Significant findings in the salience and default mode networks are particularly relevant, given their role in the neurobiology of AUD and addictive behaviors.

To what extent is alcohol consumption in social gatherings associated with observance of COVID-19 restrictions? A rapid review.

BackgroundPre-pandemic research found a connection between alcohol consumption and reduced physical distancing among strangers. Understanding the association between alcohol consumption at social gatherings and observance of COVID-19 restrictions can help inform policy related to the safe operation of public spaces where alcohol is typically consumed, as well as guidance related to the safe conduct of social events in private spaces.MethodsWe conducted a rapid review using adapted systematic review methods to explore the association between alcohol consumption in social gatherings and compliance with COVID-19 public health measures and produced a narrative synthesis of our findings. We ran searches in eleven health-related databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase (Ovid), ProQuest Public Health, ProQuest Coronavirus, Global Health (Ovid), WHO COVID-19 literature database, PsycInfo (Ovid) and ASSIA) between July 9, 2021, and July 31, 2021. We assessed methodological quality using the relevant Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists. This review was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA-P guidelines.ResultsWe identified 7936 studies from the searches. After title, abstract and full-text review, three cross-sectional studies were eligible for inclusion. One study found that people who adhered strongly to physical distancing rules were engaged in about 40% fewer weekly drinks and 60% fewer heavy episodic drinking occasions in a week than people who adhered poorly to physical distancing rules (P < 0.01). One study found that people who reported low-risk alcohol consumption patterns had a higher chance of adhering to hand hygiene measures than those who reported high-risk alcohol consumption (odds ratio (OR) = 4.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08-16.64). No other statistically significant results on patterns of alcohol consumption and compliance with individual public health measures or with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were found. The direction of effect between alcohol consumption and non-adherence to NPIs and the effect of confounding factors has not been established. The quality of studies found was low to moderate, with risk of recall bias and selection bias due to study design; and the extent to which those studies can be generalised beyond their original settings may be limited.ConclusionsDespite existing evidence suggesting an association between alcohol consumption, reduced physical distancing, and increased social interaction, we found few studies of variable quality exploring the relationship between alcohol consumption and compliance with public health measures. A possible association between higher-risk alcohol behaviours and lower compliance with certain NPIs was suggested, but the direction of effect is unknown, and further studies are required to confirm this finding.

Complex relationship between health and moderate alcohol use

In The Lancet, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 Alcohol Collaborators 1 GBD 2020 Alcohol CollaboratorsPopulation-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020. Lancet. 2022; 400: 185-235 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (6) Google Scholar provide a further study to systematically determine thresholds for low-risk alcohol consumption while considering background rates of disease. Overall, the authors estimated the amount of alcohol that minimises health risks to be between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0–0) and 1·87 (0·50–3·30) standard drinks per day. Levels of zero, or very close to zero, were observed among individuals aged 15–39 years (ranging from 0 to 0·603 standard drinks per day), but higher levels were reported for individuals aged 40 years and older (ranging from 0·114 to 1·87 standard drinks per day). These findings seemingly contradict a previous GBD estimate published in The Lancet, which emphasised that any alcohol use, regardless of amount, leads to health loss across populations. 2 GBD 2016 Alcohol CollaboratorsAlcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. 2018; 392: 1015-1035 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1361) Google Scholar Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Full-Text PDF Open AccessDepartment of ErrorBurton R, Sheron N. Complex relationship between health and moderate alcohol use. Lancet 2022; 400: 141–43—In this Comment, the email has been corrected. This correction has been made to the online version as of July 18, 2022. Full-Text PDF

Investigations on the influence of different mouth and nose protection masks on the evidential breath alcohol measurement

Anlässlich eines richterlichen Gutachtenauftrages zur Frage, ob das Tragen von Mund-Nase-Schutzmasken zu einer Verfälschung des Atemalkoholmesswertes zuungunsten des Angeklagten führen kann, erfolgte unter Pandemiebedingungen eine experimentelle Testreihe an 6 gesunden Proband*innen (4 Männer, 2 Frauen), die risikoarmen Freizeitalkoholkonsum betrieben. Pro Untersuchungstag wurde jeweils ein Maskentyp (Op.-Maske, Textilmaske, FFP2-Maske) untersucht. Nach Aufnahme einer individuell berechneten Menge Alkohol und einer 30-minütigen Resorptionsphase erfolgten in halbstündigen Abständen 6 aufeinanderfolgende Atemalkoholmessungen, wobei zwischen den Messungen jeweils im Wechsel eine der Masken oder keine Maske getragen wurde. Anschließend wurden Wertepaare für Zeiträume mit und ohne Maske gebildet und die stündlichen Atemalkoholabbauraten berechnet. Im Ergebnis unterschieden sich die Atemalkoholabbauraten mit und ohne Masken nicht voneinander. Fehlermeldungen durch das Atemalkoholmessgerät, die auf das vorherige Tragen einer Maske zurückzuführen sind, traten nicht auf.

Using Facebook language to predict and describe excessive alcohol use.

Assessing risk for excessive alcohol use is important for applications ranging from recruitment into research studies to targeted public health messaging. Social media language provides an ecologically embedded source of information for assessing individuals who may be at risk for harmful drinking. Using data collected on 3664 respondents from the general population, we examine how accurately language used on social media classifies individuals as at-risk for alcohol problems based on Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption score benchmarks. We find that social media language is moderately accurate (area under the curve=0.75) at identifying individuals at risk for alcohol problems (i.e., hazardous drinking/alcohol use disorders) when used with models based on contextual word embeddings. High-risk alcohol use was predicted by individuals' usage of words related to alcohol, partying, informal expressions, swearing, and anger. Low-risk alcohol use was predicted by individuals' usage of social, affiliative, and faith-based words. The use of social media data to study drinking behavior in the general public is promising and could eventually support primary and secondary prevention efforts among Americans whose at-risk drinking may have otherwise gone "under the radar."

Alcohol consumption patterns and unhealthy aging among older lifetime drinkers from Spain

BackgroundThe protective health effects of light alcohol consumption are debated due to potential selection biases, reverse causation and confounding. We examined cross-sectional and prospective associations of alcohol consumption patterns with unhealthy aging among older drinkers addressing these methodological issues. Methods2081 lifetime drinkers aged 65 + years from the Seniors-ENRICA-2 cohort followed-up for 2.4 years were classified as occasional (average lifetime alcohol intake [g/day] ≤1.43), low-risk (men: >1.43–20; women: >1.43–10), moderate-risk (men: >20–40; women: >10–20) and high-risk drinkers (men: >40; women: >20; or binge drinkers). A Mediterranean drinking pattern (MDP) was defined as occasional/low-risk drinking, wine preference and drinking only with meals. Unhealthy aging was measured with a 52-item health deficit accumulation index (DAI), with higher values indicating more health deficits. ResultsA 10-g/day increment in lifetime average alcohol intake was cross-sectionally associated with a higher DAI among all drinkers (mean difference [95% confidence interval] = 0.35 [0.16, 0.53]) and moderate-/high-risk drinkers (0.41 [0.17, 0.65]), but not among occasional/low-risk drinkers. Also, the DAI was 1.35 (0.06, 2.65) points higher in high-risk versus low-risk drinkers and 2.07 (0.59, 3.60) points higher in non-adherers versus adherers to the MDP. Most associations strengthened when restricting analyses to individuals with lower disease burden and did not generally remain after 2.4 years. ConclusionsWe found no evidence of a beneficial association between low-risk alcohol consumption and unhealthy aging, but a detrimental one for high-risk drinking, which strengthened when accounting for reverse causation, although attenuated over the follow-up likely due to selective attrition of those less resilient to the harmful effects of alcohol.

The relationship of alcohol and other drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic among people with or at risk of HIV; A cross-sectional survey of people enrolled in Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3PNO) cohorts

BackgroundAlcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic increased. People living with HIV or at risk for HIV acquisition often have psycho-social and structural barriers or co-occurring substance use making them vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol. We describe factors associated with alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic in this group. MethodsFrom May 2020 to February 2021, 1984 people enrolled in 6 existing cohort studies completed surveys about alcohol and other drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe the past-month prevalence of no alcohol use, low-risk use, and hazardous use. We use multinomial regression to describe factors associated with low-risk or hazardous alcohol use relative to no alcohol use. ResultsForty-five percent of participants reported no alcohol use, 33% low-risk use, and 22% hazardous use in the past 30 days. Cannabis and stimulant use were associated with a higher prevalence of low-risk use relative to no use. Tobacco, stimulant, cannabis use and recent overdose were associated with a higher prevalence of hazardous use relative to no use. Substance use treatment and living with HIV were associated with a lower prevalence of low-risk or hazardous use relative to no use. ConclusionsStimulant use was strongly associated with a higher prevalence of hazardous alcohol use while engagement in substance use treatment or living with HIV was associated with a lower prevalence. Ascertaining hazardous alcohol and other drug use, particularly stimulants, in clinical care could identify people at higher risk for adverse outcome and harm reduction counseling.

Women's Substance Use and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PurposeWomen are experiencing greater unemployment and increased stress from childcare responsibilities than men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women with these experiences may be at particular risk for mental illness and increased substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to assess women's substance use, mental health, and experiences of COVID-19 pandemic impacts.MethodsA national online survey was administered to adult women from September to November 2020. The survey included questionnaires assessing mental health, loneliness, intolerance for uncertainty, social support, substance use, and intimate partner violence (IPV).ResultsA total of 499 women responded; most were White, college educated, and in their mid-30s. Of the 20.24% who acknowledged at least one IPV problem, 29.7% stated that their IPV problems have gotten worse since the pandemic began, and 16.83% said that they have increased their drug or alcohol use to cope with their relationship problems. Anxiety, perceived daily impact of COVID-19, and lower self-efficacy were significant predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. Those with risky alcohol use had significantly higher anxiety (p = .028) and depression (p = .032) than those with low-risk alcohol use.ConclusionsGreater anxiety about COVID-19, greater reported changes in daily life due to the pandemic, and high-risk alcohol use are related to greater mental health–related distress among women. For some, IPV has gotten worse during the pandemic and drug or alcohol use is a coping mechanism.

Academic Performance during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship with Demographic Factors and Alcohol Consumption in College Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes in the education sector worldwide, and school curricula have had to adapt to a non-face-to-face modality. However, international studies have concluded that this modality has affected the academic performance of students. The present study aimed to compare the academic performance of a sample of college students from before the start of quarantine with their current performance, and to test whether various demographic factors influenced these changes in conjunction with alcohol consumption. With a non-experimental, comparative and longitudinal design, we applied an ad hoc questionnaire, in conjunction with the AUDIT questionnaire, in a sample of college students (n = 341), and we also obtained data of academic average and failed subjects. The demographic factors that influenced academic performance were sex (p < 0.01), age (p < 0.01) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.001). Most students showed an improvement in their academic average during the quarantine period. Women without failed subjects and low-risk alcohol consumption obtained a better average in this period. In conclusion sex, age and alcohol consumption level were factors associated with academic performance during the quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and women had a higher academic average than men did.

Substance use disorders among primary care patients screening positive for unhealthy alcohol use.

Despite high prevalence of polysubstance use, recent data on concurrent alcohol use in patients with specific substance use disorders (SUDs) are lacking. To examine associations between specific SUDs and alcohol consumption levels. Using electronic health record data, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 2,720,231 primary care adults screened for alcohol use between 2014 and 2017 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Alcohol consumption levels were categorized as no reported use, low-risk use, and unhealthy use (exceeding daily, weekly, or both recommended drinking limits). Using multinomial logistic regression, and adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics, we examined the odds of reporting each alcohol consumption level in patients with a prior-year SUD diagnosis (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, inhalant, opioid, sedative/anxiolytic, stimulant, other drug, nicotine, any SUD except nicotine) compared to those without. The sample was 52.9% female, 48.1% White; the mean age was 46 years (SD = 18). Patients with SUDs were less likely to report low-risk alcohol use relative to no use compared with patients without SUDs. Patients with alcohol or nicotine use disorder had higher odds of reporting unhealthy alcohol use relative to no use; however, patients with all other SUDs (except cocaine) had lower odds. Among patients who reported any alcohol use (n = 861,427), patients with SUDs (except opioid) had higher odds of exceeding recommended limits than those without. The associations of unhealthy alcohol use and SUDs suggest that screening for both alcohol and drug use in primary care presents a crucial opportunity to prevent and treat SUDs early.

Relationship between personality traits and health behavior among working women in Japan

Considering personality traits is effective for cultivating health promotion habits. Therefore, individualized interventions that account for personality traits would be more beneficial for modifying health behaviors. The present study describes the relationship between personality traits and health behaviors among working women compared with non-working women in Japan. Secondary analysis was conducted using nationally representative data from the Japanese Household Panel Survey (JHPS/KHPS). In the 2019 wave, data were gathered from 1,141 women (939 who were working and 202 who were not) between the ages of 28 and 65. Associations among health behaviors, personality traits, and employment status were confirmed by phi coefficient and coefficient ratio. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between health behaviors and personality traits. As for working women, daily fruit consumption was associated with extraversion (odds ratio [OR], 1.197; p = 0.003) and conscientiousness (OR, 1.238; p = 0.032). Conscientiousness has been found to significantly contribute to low-risk alcohol consumption (OR, 1.213; p = 0.035). Desirable physical activity habit was associated with extraversion (OR, 1.312; p = 0.000). In contrast, among non-working women, desirable physical activity habits was associated with extraversion (OR, 1.573; p = 0.007) and neuroticism (OR, 0.390; p = 0.001). Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying differences between working women and non-working women in the association between health behaviors and personality.