Measures Of Alcohol Consumption Research Articles

Evaluating the Impact of Phosphatidylethanol Testing on Hospital Outcomes.

Alcohol dependence remains a significant global health issue, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a direct biomarker of recent alcohol consumption, offers improved specificity, sensitivity, and a longer detection window of 2 - 4 weeks compared to traditional biomarkers. This study evaluates the association between PEth testing and hospital outcomes in hospitalized patients by comparing outcomes among patients with positive PEth and negative PEth test results. This retrospective cohort study used data from the TriNetX database, comprising de- identified medical records from 66 US healthcare organizations from 2015 to 2024. The study population included patients with documented PEth test results. Patients were divided into two groups: positive PEth test results (≥ 20 ng/mL) and negative PEth test results (≤ 19 ng/mL). Propensity score matching was performed to minimize bias, balancing for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and comorbidities such as cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Key hospital outcomes assessed included mortality, delirium tremens, endoscopy/colonoscopy, liver transplant status, liver transplant rejection, liver transplant complications, hepatorenal syndrome, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hepatic encephalopathy, and sarcopenia. These outcomes were chosen based on their prevalence in patients with alcohol use. Patients with positive PEth results demonstrated significantly worse outcomes compared to patients in the negative PEth group. Positive PEth results were associated with higher mortality (odds ratio, 10.037; P < 0.001), ICU admissions, and rates of complications such as hepatorenal syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy, and sarcopenia. Postoperative liver transplant complications and rejection were also more frequent in the positive cohort. This study highlights the association between recent alcohol use, as identified by PEth testing, and severe hospital outcomes. While PEth testing provides an objective measure of recent alcohol consumption, further research is needed to explore its role in improving clinical outcomes and guiding interventions for patients with alcohol use.

Associations between employees' alcohol consumption, insomnia and HR management strength.

Understanding of hazardous alcohol drinking and insomnia among Australian ambulance personnel is limited. Australian ambulance organizations have strengthened their organizational human resource management (HRM) to promote their employees' healthy lifestyles, health and well-being. To describe the prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption and insomnia among Australian ambulance personnel and to explore their associations with the organizational HRM strength. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 492 ambulance personnel randomly selected from three Australian states. The Alcohol Use Disorders tool, The Insomnia Severity Index and the Perceived HRM System Strength instrument measured alcohol consumption, insomnia and HRM strength. Descriptive analyses, bivariate association analyses and general linear models were used for data analysis. Twenty per cent of Australian ambulance personnel consumed alcohol at a hazardous level and 68% experienced clinically significant insomnia. There was no significant association between organizational HRM strength and ambulance personnel's hazardous alcohol consumption. There was a significant association between organizational HRM strength (consensus) and ambulance personnel's insomnia experience. Hazardous alcohol consumption and insomnia were concerns among Australian ambulance personnel. Even though strengthening the HRM system might reduce their experience of insomnia, simply strengthening the HRM system could not reduce their hazardous alcohol consumption.

The effect of alcohol consumption on clinical outcomes and structural damage in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo systematically review the effects of alcohol consumption (AC) on disease-specific outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). MethodsA systematic review of observational studies on axSpA and AC was conducted. Multiple electronic databases were searched for keywords. Two investigators reviewed articles to assess for inclusion eligibility. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal checklist was employed to evaluate the risk of bias. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were used to synthesize the data and I2 was used to ascertain heterogeneity. Spinal pain, disease activity as measured by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), and spinal radiographic progression based on the modified Stokes Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) were examined as outcomes. ResultsSearch strategy identified 703 records; 13 articles were assessed for eligibility. Five studies (n=3858) were included. Compared to non-consumers, axSpA patients who consumed alcohol had lower BASDAI (SMD: −0.19, 95% CI: −0.37 to −0.02, I2=72.5%) and lower spinal pain (SMD: −0.17, 95% CI: −0.24 to −0.09, I2=0%). No significant difference was found for ASDAS (SMD: −0.19, 95% CI: −0.39 to 0.00, I2=36%). One cohort study on the spinal radiographic progression indicated greater radiographic progression among consumers (SMD: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.62). ConclusionAC appears to be associated with lower disease activity and spinal pain. However, these findings may reflect confounding by sex and smoking. Further longitudinal cohort studies with standardized measures for AC are warranted to assess the direction of alcohol's effect on structural damage progression.

Drinker’s own drinking, experience of alcohol-related harms, and concern for drinking predict drinker’s attitudes towards non-drinkers

Objective While the stigma experienced by non-drinkers is well-documented, little is known about the factors that influence it. This study aims to test a sequential mediation model in which the amount of alcohol consumed by a drinker, predicts their experienced alcohol-related harm, which in turn predicts the concern they have for drinking and their negative attitudes towards non-drinkers. Methods A sample of 787 Australian drinkers (Mage = 38.4 years, SD = 11.4) completed online measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harms, concern for drinking and the Cheers Attitudes towards Non-drinker Scale (CANS): a scale that measures the negative attitudes toward non-drinkers via three threats non-drinkers are perceived to pose to drinkers (Threat to Fun, Connection, and Self). Results The model was shown to be a good fit and demonstrated a sequential mediation with significant indirect effects from alcohol consumption via experienced alcohol-related harms and concern, to each CANS subscale: Threat to Self (β = 0.402, p < 0.001), Fun (β = 0.096, p = 0.006) and Connection (β = 0.165, p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings suggest that the stigma directed at non-drinkers may be enacted as a defence against an unwanted self-reflection from a drinker’s concern for their own drinking.

Evaluation of the risk relationship between average alcohol volume consumed and suicide in the USA: an analysis of mortality linked cohort data

ObjectiveAlcohol use disorder is an established risk factor for suicide; however, it is largely unknown whether subclinical levels of drinking may also contribute to the risk of suicide. The objective...

Impact of alcohol consumption and diet on quality of life in higher education. A structural equation model.

Alcohol consumption among Spanish undergraduates during their university time has increased exponentially in recent years. In addition, this lifestyle change is associated with abandoning the Mediterranean diet, increasing the risk of suffering some kind of injury and affecting their quality of life. The study was carried out with a sample of 1,057 Spanish university students, 12.1% (n = 127) of them women and 87.9% (n= 930) men. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to measure health-related quality of life, the MEDAS test to check adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and the AUDIT test to measure alcohol consumption. The results show an inverse relationship between injury and quality of life (β= -0.020) and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (β= -0.042) among students who have suffered some kind of injury. On the other hand, there was a positive relationship with alcohol consumption (β= -0.046). The main conclusion is that lower alcohol consumption and higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a better quality of life and a reduced risk of injury in undergraduates in southern Spain.

Types and Effectiveness of Community-Based Cardiovascular Disease Preventive Interventions in Reducing Alcohol Consumption: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a global health challenge, with modifiable risk factors, notably alcohol consumption, impacting its onset and progression. This review synthesizes evidence on the types and effectiveness of community-based interventions (CBIs) aimed at reducing alcohol consumption for CVD prevention. Electronic databases were systematically searched until October 31, 2019, with updates until February 28, 2023. Given the heterogeneity in outcome measures, we narratively synthesized the effectiveness of CBIs, adhering to the synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines for transparent reporting. For selected homogenous studies, a random-effects meta-analysis was utilized to estimate the effects of CBIs on alcohol consumption. Twenty-two eligible studies were included, with 16 demonstrating that CBIs reduced alcohol consumption compared to controls. Meta-analysis findings revealed reductions in above moderate-level alcohol consumption (pooled odds ratio (OR)=0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37, 0.68), number of alcohol drinks per week (standardized mean difference=-0.08, 95% CI: -0.14, -0.03), and increased odds of low-risk drinking (pooled OR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.81) compared to the control groups. Multi-component interventions (particularlythose combining health education, awareness, and promotion activities) and those interventions with a duration of 12 months or more were notably effective. The beneficial effects of CBIs focusing on achieving a reduction in alcohol consumption showed promising outcomes. Implementing such interventions, especially multicomponent interventions, could play a significant role in mitigating the increasing burden of CVDs. Future studies should also consider employing standardized and validated tools to measure alcohol consumption outcomes to enhance the consistency and comparability of findings.

Making decisions one drink at a time and the "just one drink" effect: A fuzzy-trace theory model of harmful drinking.

Understanding the decision factors that drive harmful alcohol use among young adults is of practical and theoretical importance. We apply fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) to investigate a potential danger that may arise from the arguably correct notion that a single drink carries no meaningful risk. Decisions that are mentally represented as one drink at a time could contribute to excessive drinking. College students (N = 351) made a series of decisions to take or decline eight hypothetical drinks presented one at a time. Outcome measures included each decision, recent alcohol consumption (weekly drinks, peak blood alcohol content, and binges), and alcohol-related harms (scores on the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Linear regression models predicted each outcome from sex, perceived risk of a single drink, perceived risk of heavy drinking, perceived consequences of drinking, and general health-related risk sensitivity. Consistent with FTT, decisions to have a first drink and up to four additional drinks in short succession were each associated with lower perceived risk of one drink-a "just-one drink" effect-independent of perceived risks of heavy drinking, perceived consequences of drinking, and general risk sensitivity. Similarly, all measures of recent alcohol consumption and consequent harms were associated with perceived risk of one drink. Participants reporting "zero risk" of a single drink had worse outcomes on all measures than those reporting at least "low risk." Results are consistent with the theoretically informed premise that consumption decisions are typically made one drink at a time rather than by deciding the total number of drinks to be consumed in a sitting. When decisions about alcohol use proceed one drink at a time, a perception of zero risk in a single drink may contribute to heavy drinking.

Evaluating Two Brief Motivational Interventions for Excessive-Drinking University Students.

Two brief computerized motivational interventions for excessive-drinking university students were evaluated. Participants (N = 88, females = 61.5%, mean age = 21.05 years) were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two experimental groups: Computerized Brief Intervention (CBI) or Computerized Brief Intervention-Enhanced (CBI-E). CBI followed the principles of Motivational Interviewing to motivate participants to change their drinking behavior. CBI-E additionally used the principles of Systematic Motivational Counseling to identify and discuss with participants their dysfunctional motivational patterns that were interfering with their attainment of emotional satisfaction. At baseline and a three-month follow-up, the participants completed a battery of measures of alcohol consumption and related problems. At baseline, the participants were confirmed to be heavy drinkers with many drink-related negative consequences. Males and females responded differently to the interventions. During follow-up, males' alcohol use was ordered: CBI-E < CBI < Controls. The females in all three groups reduced their alcohol use, but there were no significant group differences. Males responded to the interventions as expected. For females, the assessment itself seemed to serve as an effective intervention, and there were no post-intervention differences among the three groups. Suggestions for future research using CBI and CBI-E are discussed.

Alcohol's impact on fine motor skills: Insights from minimally invasive surgical simulation

BackgroundAlcohol misuse among medical professionals poses a significant concern, and there is a lack of clarity in (inter)national guidelines regarding alcohol use during work. Moreover, there exists an insufficient body of research on the specific impact of alcohol on fine motor skills within the medical sector, specifically surgery. This study aims to investigate the impact of alcohol on fine motor skills in a minimally invasive surgical setting. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at Lowland Science on August 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2022, during the Lowlands music festival in Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands. Participants were divided into five groups based on measured alcohol consumption. Exclusion criteria included drug use, prior surgical experience, being underage, and previous participation. The main outcomes were the number of correctly transferred rings during the PEG transfer task and the number of errors. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured using a breathalyser. ResultsA total of 1056 participants were included in the study. The results indicated an inverse relationship between BAC levels and surgical performance, with higher alcohol levels associated with a decrease in performance (p = 0.023). However, there was no significant difference in the number of errors among the five groups (p = 0.597). The group with the highest alcohol consumption (BAC >0.08 %) exhibited significantly worse performance compared to the group with a BAC of 0.0 % (p = 0.002). ConclusionThis study uncovers a negative impact of increased alcohol intake on fine motor skills in a minimally invasive surgery simulation exercise. While there was no effect on the occurrence of errors. Professional medical organizations should reconsider and explicate their position on alcohol use in (surgical) healthcare.

Impulsivity, self-regulation, and response withholding in university-student drinkers

This study was designed to determine how impulsivity, self-regulation, and response withholding are related to one another and to university students’ drinking behavior. Participants (N = 108) completed measures of impulsivity, self-regulation, and alcohol consumption. In addition, a computerized Go/No Go task and a backward memory task were used to measure participants’ behavioral impulsivity and their memory capacity. The aim was to determine whether (a) light/moderate and heavy drinkers would respond differently when the task stimuli were alcohol-related compared to when they were alcohol-unrelated and (b) whether the accuracy of participants’ responses was related to their cognitive ability. Compared to light/moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers were low in self-regulation and high in impulsivity. Heavy drinkers and those with lower memory capacity were also poorer at withholding responses on No Go trials. These findings point to personality/cognitive characteristics that influence university students’ alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption questionnaire: Scale development in a sample of Mexican American young adults and association with ADH7

BackgroundTo understand why some individuals who develop alcohol use disorders (AUD) first begin to drink heavily, a number of scales have been developed that index aspects of alcohol craving and restraint from drinking. We developed a new measure called the Alcohol Consumption Questionnaire (ACQ), based in part on items modified from scales used to index binge eating, because there are data to suggest that binge eating and binge drinking may share common antecedents. We present an initial validity study using data from a sample of Mexican Americans. MethodsData were from 699 Mexican American young adults in San Diego County, CA. A subsample (n = 60) had short-term test-retest data. Factor analysis and reliability assessment guided item reduction. Item response theory (IRT) analyses quantified item severity and identified questions with differential item functioning (DIF). Logistic regression assessed associations of mean scale scores with AUD, adjusting for key demographics, alcohol expectancies and subjective response to alcohol. We also examined associations with a protective genetic variant downstream from the alcohol dehydrogenase 7 (ADH7) gene. ResultsThe scale was reduced from 20 to 14 questions, which can be summarized by a single overall score (Cronbach's alpha = 0.896) or by two sub-scores (Consumption: 12 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.896; Enjoyment: 2 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.780). Test-retest reliability was very high (0.80–0.98) in this sample. The overall ACQ score and each subdomain score were strongly associated with AUD (ORs = 5.95 mild; 11.41 moderate; 48.56 severe) and family history of AUD. Respondents with the protective genetic variant had significantly lower overall ACQ scores (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe ACQ is a novel measure of alcohol consumption with strong relationships with both the AUD phenotype and ADH7 gene variants in a sample of Mexican American young adults.

Is the Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Mental Well-Being in University Students Linear, Curvilinear or Absent?

Background: Both alcohol consumption and mental well-being problems have been found to be prevalent in higher educated students and often have severe consequences. However, previous findings of the association between these constructs are mixed, possibly because often linear models are fitted, while some theories suggest a curvilinear association between the two concepts. Objectives: To clarify previously mixed findings, the current study compared curvilinear and linear models for the relationship between alcohol consumption and mental well-being in university students. Because of potential gender differences in this relationship, these models were explored for females and males separately. Data from the first cross-sectional online survey wave of the Healthy Student Life project including 2,631 female and 998 male students was used. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-consumption was used to measure alcohol consumption. Mental well-being was assessed by six sub-concepts (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, happiness, and self-rated mental health). Results: For females both linear (for anxiety, life satisfaction, and self-rated mental health) and curvilinear (for depression, stress, and happiness) associations were found, while for males no support for either curvilinear or linear models was found. Conclusions: Results should be interpreted with caution due to the small effect sizes in the relationships for females but may suggest that testing the curvilinear association between alcohol consumption and mental well-being is an important future endeavor.

Delay in the fine-tuning of locomotion in infants with meconium positive to biomarkers of alcohol exposure: a pilot study.

Prenatal alcohol exposure causes a variety of impairments to the fetus called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Since it is very difficult to identify women that consume alcohol during pregnancy, different methods have been studied to evaluate alcohol exposure. Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) and Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEEs) are commonly used to measure alcohol consumption in individuals at-risk for alcohol abuse, including pregnant women. We conducted a study of two cohorts of 1.5 year-old infants (of mothers without a history of alcohol abuse) with or without meconium samples positive to both EtG and FAEEs and we evaluated their cognitive-behavioral development by the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale (GMDS) method. Our protocol included 8 infants with meconium positive to alcohol metabolites (EtG and FAEEs) and 7 with meconium negative to alcohol metabolites. None of the 8 alcohol metabolites positive meconium infants exhibited distinctive facial features and growth retardation of severe FASD, showing that other factors may contribute to the FASD onset but elevations in EtG and FAEEs in the meconium were significantly associated with disrupted neurodevelopment and adaptive functions within the first year and a half of life. Indeed, we found out that infants with meconium positive for both EtG and FAEEs, although without displaying any FASD morphological features, had a delay in the fine regulation of their own locomotory capabilities. Further analyses and larger studies are needed to estimate the right link between prenatal alcohol exposure and the different range of disorders connected but this study provides an additional step in the field of FASD in order to suggest early treatments for at-risk newborns and infants.

Prevalence and change in alcohol consumption in older adults over time, assessed with self-report and Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 -The HUNT Study.

Changes in alcohol consumption may affect older adults' health. We examined prevalence and changes in the alcohol consumption of older women and men (≥65 years) in Norway over a 24-year period. Data from three population-based health surveys (The Trøndelag Health Study-HUNT2 1995-97, HUNT3 2006-08, HUNT4 2017-19) were used. Alcohol consumption was measured using self-reported measures and an objective measure of alcohol consumption (Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1, PEth). Self-reported lifetime abstinence, former drinking, current drinking, frequent drinking (≥4 times/week), and risk drinking (≥8 units/week) were measured. The PEth concentrations were stratified: <0.03 μmol/l (abstinence/very low level of alcohol consumption); >0.06 μmol/l (indicating >1 unit/day); >0.10 μmol/l (indicating >3 units/day), and >0.30 μmol/l (heavy alcohol consumption). In HUNT4, the prevalence of self-reported lifetime abstinence, frequent drinking, and risk drinking was 5.2%, 4.4%, and 5.6%, respectively, while prevalence of PEth <0.03 μmol/l was 68.1% and PEth >0.06 μmol/l was 21.2%. Over the course of the three surveys, the prevalence of self-reported lifetime abstinence decreased, while the prevalence of frequent drinking and risk drinking increased. Men were less often abstainers and more often frequent and risky drinkers than women in all three surveys. Gender differences for abstinence and current drinking reduced with time. From HUNT3 to HUNT4, the prevalence of PEth <0.03 μmol/l decreased, while the prevalence of PEth >0.06 μmol/l increased. Men compared to women, had less often PEth <0.03 μmol/l and more often PEth >0.06 and >0.10 μmol/l in HUNT3 and HUNT4. Women and men ≥75 years were just as likely to have PEth >0.30 μmol/l in HUNT4. The gender differences in PEth concentrations were reduced in HUNT4 among those aged 70-74 years or ≥75 years. Alcohol consumption has increased among Norwegian older adults over a 24-year period, but at a slower pace during the last decade.

Predicting Disease Progression from Idiopathic Cytopenia of Undetermined Significance to Myeloid Malignancies Using a Machine Learning-Based Approach

Background Idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS) is characterized by an unexplained, persistent cytopenia without a definite diagnosis of hematologic or non-hematologic conditions, and that does not meet criteria for myeloid neoplasms. The progression of ICUS to myeloid malignancies has been associated with certain clinical features, such as genetic mutations or allele frequencies. However, the incidence of progression and the risk factors vary among previous studies. While prognostic scoring systems are well-established in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to predict progression to acute myeloid leukemia and survival outcomes, similar predictive tools for ICUS are currently lacking. Considering that a significant proportion of patients with ICUS share similar genetic abnormalities and clinical features with those with MDS, there is a need for predictive tools for ICUS. In this study, we aimed to establish a predictive model for disease progression from ICUS to myeloid malignancies. Methods Patients with ICUS were identified using electronic medical records, and those meeting the diagnostic criteria of ICUS were included. ICUS was defined as persistent cytopenia lasting for at least 4 months, with no underlying disease or condition that could explain the cytopenia which included history of cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation therapy, blood or bone marrow (BM) disorders, autoimmune diseases, solid organ transplantation, active infection by atypical pathogens, and the use of immunosuppressant and chemotherapeutic agents. Cytopenia was defined as follows: hemoglobin &amp;lt;13 g/dL in males or &amp;lt;12 g/dL in females, neutrophil count &amp;lt;1.9 × 10 9/L, and/or platelets &amp;lt;150 × 10 9/L. For the predictive model, various features were considered, including medication history, laboratory data, comorbidities, family history of cancer and major disorders, smoking history, alcohol consumption, and physical measurements. Numeric data from the BM report were standardized using regular expressions, while free text or comments from the BM report and chromosomal analysis were extracted and processed using a pre-trained language model called PubMedBERT to generate embeddings. The primary objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for identifying progression from ICUS to myeloid malignancies. The performance of the model was assessed using machine learning algorithms, specifically XGBoost, support vector machine, and logistic regression. Results Among the initial 6,962 patients with medical records of the BM examination between January 2000 and December 2021, 5,147 patients were excluded from the modeling process due to secondary causes of cytopenia. Ultimately, 1,815 patients were finally included in the study. Of 1,815 patients, 47 (2.6%) were diagnosed with myeloid malignancies from further BM examination. The predictive model, utilizing XGBoost and incorporating standardized text and embedded features, demonstrated favorable performance, with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.800 (Figure). Additionally, our analysis confirmed that the XGBoost model effectively processed features from text data, as we assessed the feature importance using Shapley values. Conclusion In conclusion, our study successfully established a predictive model for disease progression from ICUS to myeloid malignancies, demonstrating the potential utility of clinical predictive tools. Further integration of genetic data holds promise for enhancing the model's performance and providing clinical insights for managing patients with ICUS.

Distress tolerance, coping motives, and alcohol craving and consumption: Two experiments testing momentary responses to a mood induction

BackgroundThe current studies examined the relationship between state and trait distress tolerance (DT), drinking-related variables (alcohol craving and consumption), and the moderating role of drinking to cope with negative affect (i.e., coping motives). MethodsStudy 1 was a laboratory-based experiment. Participants (n=71) completed measures of trait DT, craving, coping motives, and affect valence prior to a negative mood induction task. Post-mood induction, participants completed measures of affect valence, alcohol craving, and state DT. Next, participants completed an alcohol taste task, measuring alcohol consumption. Study 2 was completed online. Participants (n=592) completed the same pre- and post-mood induction measures as study 1, but were randomized to a mood condition (neutral, negative, or positive). Study 2 did not include alcohol consumption. ResultsNegative mood induction lowered reported affect in both studies. In study 1, higher coping motives predicted increased craving in response to negative mood induction but state and trait DT did not predict craving change alone. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals with higher coping motives showed a positive relationship between trait DT and craving. Analyses predicting alcohol consumption were not significant. In study 2, lower trait DT predicted post-mood induction craving prior to inclusion of interactions in the model. Higher coping motives were the strongest and most consistent predictor of craving. Other predictors (state DT, mood condition) and interaction terms were not significant. ConclusionsFindings broadly align with previous research suggesting that coping motives are predictive of craving and indicate that trait DT may also impact craving.

Parental Divorce and Trajectories of Alcohol Consumption in Men: A Genetically Informative Perspective.

Much of what is known about parental divorce and adult alcohol outcomes comes from cross-sectional comparisons of those who did and did not experience parental divorce. In contrast, far less is known about whether and how parental divorce is associated with alcohol consumption trajectories. We used a longitudinal perspective to investigate the associations between parental divorce and men's alcohol consumption trajectories as well as a genetically informative approach to evaluate whether the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on these trajectories differed for men who did and did not experience parental divorce. The sample included 1,614 adult men from a population-based twin registry in Virginia. Measures of parental divorce (before age 16) and alcohol consumption (between ages 10 and 40) came from interviews and life history calendars. Data were analyzed with growth curve and longitudinal biometric variance component models. In total, 11% of the sample experienced parental divorce. Parental divorce was associated with higher alcohol consumption intercepts that were sustained over time but was not associated with the linear slope or quadratic curvature of men's alcohol consumption trajectories. Longitudinal biometric variance components modeling indicated that genetic influences on alcohol consumption were higher in adolescence and young adulthood among those who experienced parental divorce compared with those who did not. Parental divorce is associated with the shape and relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on men's alcohol consumption trajectories from adolescence through adulthood.

Does Reducing Alcohol Use Among People with HIV Alleviate Psychological Distress and Symptoms of Depression? A Randomized Controlled Trial in Tshwane, South Africa

Although alcohol use is associated with depression, it is unclear if brief alcohol reduction interventions can ameliorate depression and psychological distress among people with HIV (PWH). We use data from a two-arm randomised controlled trial to examine this question. PWH on antiretroviral treatment (ART) were randomly assigned to receive a brief intervention or treatment as usual (n = 622). Screening was done with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), AUDIT-C, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression inventory and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, at baseline and at 3- and 6-months post-baseline. Changes in depression and psychological distress was assessed using analysis of covariance models with baseline measures of alcohol consumption, sex and age included as covariates and adjusting for baseline symptom severity. Changes in alcohol consumption between baseline and follow-up were included in the analysis to establish if this affected outcomes. For both the intervention and control groups, there were significant reductions in symptom severity at 3-months and 6-months for depression and psychological distress, but no significant between group differences were observed. Reductions in alcohol consumption were significantly associated with reductions in depression and psychological distress, supporting the hypothesis that alcohol use is linked to depression among PWH.Trial Registration Pan African Clinical Trials Register, PACTR201405000815100.nh

Associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and alcohol consumption among UK adults: Findings from the Health Behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (HEBECO) study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and attendant lockdowns have had a substantial negative effect on alcohol consumption and physical activity globally. Pre-pandemic evidence in the adult population suggests that higher levels of physical activity were associated with higher levels of drinking, but it is unclear how the pandemic may have affected this. Therefore, this study aims to assess the association between alcohol consumption and physical activity in a UK cohort established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses utilized data from the Health Behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (HEBECO) study involving 2,057 UK adults (≥18 years). Participants completed self-report measures of alcohol consumption [frequency, quantity, frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and AUDIT-C score] and physical activity [moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), frequency of muscle strengthening activity (MSA) and sedentary behaviour] between November 2020 and January 2021. Ordinal logistic regression models were conducted, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Fifteen percent of the sample reported abstinence from drinking. Overall, 23.4% of participants drank ≥4 times/week, 13.9% drank more than 6 units/single drinking occasion (HED), 7.5% reported HED daily/almost daily and 4.2% scored ≥11 on AUDIT-C. MSA 3 days/week compared with no MSA was significantly associated with higher odds of alcohol frequency [OR (95 CI%) = 1.41 (1.04-1.91)], quantity [OR (95 CI%) = 1.38 (1.02-1.87)], HED [OR (95 CI%) = 1.42 (1.05-1.94)] and possible dependence [OR (95 CI%) = 1.47 (1.05-2.06)]. The association of MVPA and sedentary behaviour with drinking measures was not significant (p>0.05). In contrast with previous research, MSA rather than aerobic physical activity was associated with increased alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is conceivable that during lockdown while drinking was used as a coping strategy, limited opportunities for aerobic exercise made MSA a more convenient form of physical activity. To guide public health interventions, more research is required to examine the temporal relationship between different forms of physical activity and alcohol consumption.