Risk Of Alcohol-related Harm Research Articles

O.4.2-6 The complexity of physical activity and alcohol consumption in adolescents aged 13-16 years: cross-sectional analysis of Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data (ALSPAC)

Abstract Purpose A recent review indicated that physical activity (PA), facilitated by organisations/clubs, may reduce alcohol consumption in early to mid-adolescence. Our study aims were to examine these factors, and identify how health determinants may influence association. Methods Cross-sectional secondary data analysis using UK cohort data from ALSPAC. Ages and sample-size: Time-point (TP) 1: 13-14 (n = 1824), TP2: 15-16 (n = 1334). Variables: minutes per day spent in moderate to vigorous PA > =3 days of accelerometer wear. Ancillary PA variables: Club-type (CT); and frequency of attending club (FAC) collected age 15 only. Risk of alcohol-related harm (RARH) categorised as: no current risk, increasing risk, and at risk (AR). Ordinal regression was conducted at each TP, using PA as a covariate. Explanatory variables (EVs): Psychosocial health (PSH) - Cluster membership numbers generated through K-means cluster analysis (uniquely represented at each TP); Socioeconomic status (SES); Educational attainment; BMI; Smoking status, and Gender. EVs entered into regression model if preliminary X2 tests achieved p<.10. Results Regression showed a positive association between PA and RARH at both TPs. Odds of being AR at TP1 were 1.31 greater for each 30 minute increase in PA (95%CI 1.10-1.57; p<0.002). At TP2: OR 1.24 (95%CI 1.01, 1.52; p=.036). TP1: CT (age 15) was not statistically significant at age 13. However, ‘sports club only’ (SCO), had greatest RARH (OR 1.04; 95%CI .806, 1.35; p=.753) vs. no CT. All EVs retained statistical significance at p<.05, excepting IDACI (p = .854) and gender (p = .917). TP2: Although CT was not statistically significant, SCO had the greatest RARH (OR 1.22; 95%CI .798, 1.86; p=.360). RARH was reduced if attending club most evenings vs. no attendance (OR .796; 95%CI .499,1.27; p=.388). Statistically significant EVs were PSH (OR 4.27; 95%CI 3.32, 5.51; p<.001) and smoking (OR 5.39; 95%CI 3.99, 7.29; p<.001). Model fit χ2 331.010, df 11, p<0.001. Pearson .455. Deviance .218. Nagelkerke .251. -2LL test of parallel lines with significance .321. Conclusions The relationship between PA and alcohol consumption is complex. While facilitated PA can provide many benefits for adolescents, potential unwanted consequences may be an increase in risk-behaviours like alcohol consumption. Further research is needed for greater comprehension of this association.

Exploring the use of workplaces to recruit \u201chard-to-reach\u201d male drinkers to a survey on alcohol use and awareness of health messages

BackgroundLower socioeconomic status (SES) groups, particularly lower SES males, are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than higher SES groups, despite drinking at the same level or less. However, they are rarely recruited for research through typical recruitment strategies. Consequently, limited evidence exists on patterns of alcohol use and effectiveness of public health messages for these groups. Using workplaces to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds may provide a feasible and accessible approach to research participation and enable improved understanding of alcohol use, drinking motives and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages in this underrepresented and high-risk group. We investigated workplace-based strategies to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds. We also investigated their experiences and motivations for alcohol use, and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages.MethodsA feasibility element investigated the effectiveness of workplace-based strategies to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds in the south west of England. A pilot element investigated this population’s experiences and motivations for alcohol use, and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages, through a mixed-methods survey.ResultsFeasibility results indicated that workplace-based recruitment strategies, including recruiting participants in person at their workplace and providing a financial incentive, effectively led to the recruitment of 84 male drinkers (70% recruitment rate), predominately from lower SES backgrounds, to a survey. Pilot results indicated that more than half of participants were at increasing risk of alcohol-related harm, and approximately one fifth engaged in weekly heavy episodic drinking. Participation in campaigns aimed at reducing alcohol use, and knowledge of government alcohol consumption guidelines, were low. Participants reported negative beliefs about alcohol including health effects, dependency and excess use, and financial and occupational effects. Positive beliefs about alcohol included relaxation, socialising, and enjoyment.ConclusionsWorkplace-based recruitment, using in-person recruitment and a financial incentive, may be a feasible strategy to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds. Pilot results may direct larger scale research aiming to understand alcohol use in this population and inform targeted public health messages. Workplace-based recruitment may represent a promising avenue for future research aiming to tackle inequalities in participation in alcohol research.

Harm from Others' Drinking Among Sexual Minority Adults in the United States.

Purpose: Due to discrimination and stigma, sexual minority adults may be more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to experience harms from other people's drinking. We compared prevalence of second-hand alcohol harms for sexual minority and heterosexual adults in the United States. Methods: Data from the 2014-15 U.S. National Alcohol Survey (n = 5516; 10.2% sexual minority adults) were analyzed using logistic regression with survey weights to account for sampling and nonresponse. Multivariable models included simple main effects of sexual identity on the past-year harm outcomes, as well as interactions of drinker status with sexual identity. Results: In bivariate results stratified by sex, bisexual women were significantly more likely than heterosexual women to report all five types of harms. Lesbian respondents had greater odds relative to heterosexual women of reporting harm by a friend/coworker and assault or physical harm by a drinker. Bisexual identity among men was associated with greater odds of reporting assault/physical harm relative to heterosexual men in bivariate models. In adjusted models, differences by sexual identity were substantially reduced, with significance remaining only for friend/coworker-perpetrated harms and assault/physical harm among lesbian respondents compared with heterosexual women. For assault/physical harm, an interaction of sexual identity with the respondent's own drinking showed that the increased odds of harm associated with heavy drinking was even greater among sexual minority respondents (both bisexual and lesbian/gay respondents) than among heterosexual respondents. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of preventive interventions that consider disparities in risk for alcohol-related harms, particularly interpersonal violence, among sexual minority adults in the United States.

Alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities: protocol for a scoping review

IntroductionAlcohol-related harm is a major public health concern and appears to be particularly problematic in rural and remote communities. Evidence from several countries has shown that the prevalence of harmful...

Young People’s Voices Regarding the Use of Social Networking Sites to Plan for a Night Out Where Alcohol Is Involved

ABSTRACT The risk of alcohol related harm is experienced disproportionality by young people aged 15–24 years. Harmful use of alcohol has serious effects on individual physical and mental wellbeing and is considered by the World Health Organization to be one of the main risk factors for poor health globally. It is crucial to understand the factors that influence drinking behavior in young people in order to inform prevention strategies to prevent problematic drinking. This is particularly paramount during the transition into young adulthood (around 18–25 years), when risky health behaviors are likely to become embedded. This pilot study adopted a qualitative descriptive methodology that facilitates exploration of what young people say about their own experiences and behavior, as it relates to SNS use and alcohol consumption. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Newcastle, NSW Australia. An inductive, semantic approach to thematic analysis was selected to analyze the data as this method supported the exploratory nature of the pilot study and ensured that the themes identified were strongly linked to the data. Four main organizing themes that arose from the collected data were: organizing friends; safety amongst friends, planning not to plan; and different event – different plans. All of the participants stated they preferred to use Facebook Messenger™ to connect and share in a group conversation with peers. Convenience, cost and accessibility emerged as the main reasons for using SNSs to plan nights out. Planning for a night out using SNSs allows young people to impulsively plan and change plans – making planning fluid and asynchronous. To date, despite the global use of SNSs, the influence of SNSs in young adults’ planning for events during which alcohol is served is relatively unknown. This pilot study gives us a some understanding of how young people use SNSs to plan and prepare for a night out where alcohol is served. Further research needs to be conducted to determine whether SNSs can be used effectively to promote health behavior change or be used as forums for advice seeking and support when attending events where alcohol is served, with the ultimate goal of lowering risky behaviors and thereby improving health outcomes for young people.

Evaluation of a local government \u201cshelter and van\u201d intervention to improve safety and reduce alcohol-related harm

BackgroundThe entertainment precincts of cities, while contributing to local economies, need to be carefully managed to mitigate harms. Individual behaviours and government regulation have typically been the foci of interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm. Little is known about how changes to the built environment might influence alcohol-related harms in these settings. The aim of this study was to explore how a public shelter and a volunteer-funded and staffed mobile van in a regional city influenced perceptions of safety and reduction in alcohol-related harm.MethodsAn intrinsic case-study approach was used. Document reviews, qualitative interviews with 16 key informants (volunteers, licensees, police, local business owners, patrons, community members and security guards), observation, and secondary data analysis were conducted in 2016. A conceptual framework of the causative pathways linking the drivers of alcohol consumption with social and health outcomes was used to inform the analysis.ResultsThe shelter and van were frequently utilised but there was no significant association with a reduction in the proportion of alcohol-related hospital emergency department presentations or police incident reports. Occupational health and safety risks were identified for the volunteers which had no management plan.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the challenge faced by local governments/authorities wanting to provide community-based interventions to complement other evidence-based approaches to reduce alcohol-related harm. Local governments/authorities with restricted regulatory oversight need to collaborate with key agencies for targeted upstream and evidence-based alcohol prevention and management interventions before investing resources. Such approaches are critical for improving community safety as well as health and social outcomes in communities at greatest risk of alcohol-related harm.

Why Parents Should Not Provide Alcohol to Adolescents

To determine if parental provision of alcohol is associated with reduced risk for alcohol-related harms, investigators conducted a longitudinal study

The dimensionality of impulsivity: Perspectives and implications for emerging adult drinking.

Heightened impulsivity is a risk factor for problematic alcohol use among emerging adults. However, recent literature suggests that impulsivity is comprised of several facets that have shown differential relationships with alcohol use versus alcohol-related problems. Previous reviews have noted the bivariate associations between facets and alcohol use outcomes, but have not honed in on which facets may explain more variance in alcohol-related outcomes once other facets are accounted for. As such, certain facets may be more relevant than others in predicting alcohol-related harms among emerging adults. Consequently, the purpose of this review was to support the validity of discrete impulsivity facets and to identify specific facets that may pose most risk for alcohol-related harms. Based on previous research, the present review focused on five facets from the self-report impulsivity literature (i.e., sensation seeking, negative urgency, positive urgency, premeditation, and perseverance) and two facets from the behavioral impulsivity literature (i.e., impulsive action and impulsive choice). Conceptual and empirical evidence were provided to support the distinction of these self-report and behavioral facets, and literature comparing each of their relative contributions to alcohol use and alcohol-related problems, while controlling for the influence of other facets, is summarized. Overall, it is suggested that among emerging adults, sensation seeking is the strongest predictor of alcohol use whereas positive and negative urgency are the strongest predictors of alcohol-related problems. Implications and directions for future research were proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Can positive faith-based encounters influence Australian young people’s drinking behaviours?

Purpose: Alcohol-related accidents and injuries occur disproportionately within young people – especially when gathering at social events. This study represents a partnership between a faith-based group of volunteers specifically trained to counsel and support young people to reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm, Adelaide City Council, and the South Australian Police Force aimed at reducing risk-related alcohol consumption in a metropolitan nightclub district area. It posits that supporting young people to party safely, alongside positive community engagement, may deter unsafe consumption practices – such as pre-loading and binge-drinking. Methods: Retrospective online survey evaluated the impact on attitudes of young people who received the intervention. Results: Findings suggest volunteers were perceived as positive role models who demonstrated a genuine sense of care and ability to support. As a result, one-third of respondents identified potentially more carefully pre-plan their drinking behaviour on their next night out. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that young people are responsive to positive interventions and that future pre-planning may become a more natural part of their party routine – resulting in less likelihood of alcohol-related risk. The outcome measure, that young people’s intentions to moderate their drinking as a result of positive encounters, is an important one.

Interventions in sports settings to reduce risky alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm: a systematic review

BackgroundElevated levels of risky alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm have been reported for sportspeople and supporters compared to non-sporting populations. Limited systematic reviews have been conducted to assess the effect of interventions targeting such behaviours.MethodsA review was undertaken to determine if interventions implemented in sports settings decreased alcohol consumption and related harms. Studies were included that implemented interventions within sports settings; measured alcohol consumption or alcohol-related injury or violence and were either randomised controlled trials, staggered enrolment trials, stepped-wedged trials, quasi-randomised trials, quasi-experimental trials or natural experiments. Studies without a parallel comparison group were excluded. Studies from both published and grey literature were included. Two authors independently screened potential studies against the eligibility criteria, and two authors independently extracted data from included studies and assessed risk of bias. The results of included studies were synthesised narratively.ResultsThe title and abstract of 6382 papers and the full text of 45 of these papers were screened for eligibility. Three studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. One of the included studies was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a cognitive-behavioural intervention with athletes within an Olympic training facility in the USA. The study reported a significant change in alcohol use between pre-test and follow-up between intervention and control groups. The other two studies were RCTs in community sports clubs in Ireland and Australia. The Australian study found a significant intervention effect for both risky alcohol consumption at sports clubs and overall risk of alcohol-related harm. The Irish study found no significant intervention effect.ConclusionsA limited number of studies have been conducted to assess the effect of interventions implemented in sports settings on alcohol consumption and related harms. While two of the three studies found significant intervention effects, it is difficult to determine the extent to which such effects are generalisable. Further controlled trials are required in this setting.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42014001739Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0183-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tackling risky alcohol consumption in sport: a cluster randomised controlled trial of an alcohol management intervention with community football clubs

BackgroundAn increased prevalence of risky alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm has been reported for members of sporting groups and at sporting venues compared with non-sporting populations. While sports clubs and...

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: Are there associated negative consequences beyond hazardous drinking in college students?

ObjectiveThe consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) is prevalent among college students as is hazardous drinking, a drinking pattern that places one at risk for alcohol-related harm. The present study, therefore, examined associations between AmED use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related consequences in college students. MethodsBased on a probability sample conducted in 2010, participants were 606 undergraduate students aged 18–25. AmED consumption included lifetime and past year use. Hazardous drinking and alcohol-related consequences were measured during the past year. Point prevalence was used to estimate rates of AmED use, and chi-square, ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to examine associations between AmED use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related consequences. ResultsLifetime and past year AmED use prevalence rates were 75.2% and 64.7%, respectively. Hazardous drinkers who engaged in AmED use were significantly more likely than past year hazardous drinkers who did not engage in AmED use to have had unprotected sex (OR=2.35, CI 1.27–4.32). ConclusionsAmED use appears to be highly prevalent among college students, and AmED use may confer additional risk for unprotected sex beyond hazardous drinking. Unprotected sex has implications for public health, and students who drink hazardously and consume AmED may be at greater risk.

The relationship between membership of a university sports group and drinking behaviour among students at English Universities

Aims: The primary aim is to compare members of UK university sport groups with students not engaged in UK university sport in terms of alcohol consumption and risk for alcohol-related harm. A secondary aim is to compare alcohol consumption levels and alcohol-related problems in UK university athletes in different sports and at different competitive levels.Method: A cross-sectional survey using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a demographic questionnaire was carried out with a purposive sample of 770 undergraduates (298 male, 471 female) from seven UK universities.Results: University sport members (n = 181) had a median AUDIT score of 11.5 (interquartile range (IQR) = 8) compared to students not engaged in university sport (n = 588) median AUDIT score of 8 (IQR = 11). The difference between medians was highly significant (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference between the median scores of members of team (n = 103, median = 13, IQR = 8) and individual sports (median = 8, IQR = 11), with team sports members scoring higher on the AUDIT (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences on median AUDIT scores between athletes competing at different levels.Conclusions: Levels of alcohol-related risk and harm are high in members of UK university sport groups. University sports members particularly team sports may be an ‘at risk group’ for alcohol-related problems and require targeted interventions. Further research is warranted comparing these student groups, and the relationship between sport type, participation level and alcohol consumption.

P1-187 Access to alcohol outlets and harmful alcohol consumption: a multilevel study in Melbourne, Australia

IntroductionWhile developed countries have either introduced, or are considering, legislation to restrict the number of alcohol outlets, there is little evidence to support this strategy except in the USA.MethodsMultilevel study...

SLIDING LIMITS TO SAFE LEVELS OF DRINKING

A random sample of 106 male surgical outpatients at the York District Hospital were asked for their views on safe limits, before receiving alcohol education. Subjects were asked to state how much alcohol they considered safe to drink and in addition, to attribute degrees of risk of alcohol related harm to levels of alcohol intake. Twenty-seven (34.1%) of the respondents did not acknowledge a further risk from a level of alcohol intake that was above their declared safe limit. These inconsistent subjects were identified as having sliding limits rather than safe limits. Subjects were also asked to state how much alcohol they had consumed over the preceding week. Twenty-three (29.1%) of the subjects reported their alcohol consumption as greater than their safe limit. Furthermore, the drinkers who were found to be exceeding their limits were more likely to have sliding limits than those who were not (P less than 0.05).

Some Empirical Grounds for Controlling Alcohol Consumption

This paper examines the suggestion that the empirical and epidemiological evidence for controlling per capita alcohol consumption is less firmly grounded than is claimed. The dispersion issue surrounding the Ledermann distribution hypothesis is briefly reviewed and some empirical data on alchohol consumption and alcohol related harm in the United Kingdom are presented. It is concluded that despite certain statistical and epidemiological weaknesses in Ledermann's work and much of the work that has followed in this tradition, there are empirical grounds for wanting to minimize the risk of alcohol related harm amongst all groups of drinkers by controlling national per capita alcohol consumption.