Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index Research Articles

Longitudinal examination of alcohol use motives, item-level protective behavioral strategies, and alcohol-related consequences.

Alcohol misuse among college students is a public health concern. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) can be used before, during, after, or instead of drinking to reduce alcohol use and negative consequences, but findings on their utility at the aggregate level are mixed. Although recent work has provided important information on the performance of individual PBS items, it is limited by research designs that are cross-sectional, do not examine consequences, or do not examine other important correlates, such as drinking motives. This study examines both the association between item-level PBS and alcohol-related negative consequences and the moderating effect of drinking motives longitudinally. College students from two universities (n = 200, 62.5% female, Mage = 20.16) completed the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised, Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey, the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index, and a measure of the quantity of alcohol use at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Generalized linear models were conducted to assess direct effects of item-level PBS on alcohol-related consequences and the moderating effects of drinking motives. Two PBS items were associated with fewer alcohol-related consequences at follow-up, and two items were associated with greater alcohol-related consequences at follow-up. Drinking motives differentially moderated associations between item-level PBS and alcohol-related consequences for a proportion in the sample. Enhancement motives moderated the greatest number of associations, followed by coping, conformity, and social motives. Certain PBS (e.g., drink slowly, rather than gulp or chug) were moderated by several drinking motives, whereas other PBS items were not moderated by any motives. Consistent with previous research, some item-level PBS were associated longitudinally with increased negative consequences, and some were associated with decreased negative consequences. Drinking motives, particularly enhancement, moderated several item-level PBS and consequence associations, suggesting that reasons for drinking may be important for understanding the associations between PBS strategies and alcohol-related consequences.

The indirect effects of self-regulation on the association of social support with increased protective drinking behavior and decreased alcohol problems in a predominantly Hispanic college student sample.

Research suggests that self-regulation, which refers to one's ability to manage a behavior, and social support are related to alcohol use. Other research suggests that social support may serve as a precursor to self-regulation and health-promoting behaviors. We examined whether self-regulation has an indirect effect on the association between social support and both protective drinking behaviors and alcohol problems. A random sample of students at a Hispanic Serving Institution completed an online survey, which included sociodemographic questions, the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire, the Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) Scale, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index. Undergraduate students (n = 192) who reported drinking in the last month were included in the analysis. A path analysis using Mplus8 was conducted to investigate the relationships among social support, self-regulation, PBS, and alcohol-related problems. The sample was mostly female (58.9) and of Hispanic ethnicity (89.6). Analyses showed that social support had a significant positive association with PBS and a significant negative association with alcohol-related problems. When self-regulation was added to the models, these associations were no longer significant, and self-regulation had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between social support and both PBS and alcohol-related problems. The results of the current cross-sectional study suggest that a viable hypothesis in future longitudinal studies is that self-regulation is a mechanism by which social support increases PBS and reduces alcohol problems. Future research should assess longitudinally both the mediating effects of self-regulation between social support and drinking outcomes and potential moderators, such as ethnicity.

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in the United States and Sweden: Measurement Invariance of the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index.

Commensurate measures of alcohol-related consequences across countries and cultures are critical for addressing the global burden of hazardous alcohol use. The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), developed and validated in the United States, is a popular measure of alcohol problems. This study examined measurement invariance of the RAPI across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors. Latent mean differences in alcohol problems across countries and differences in associations between alcohol problems with alcohol use and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) were also examined. The RAPI was scalar invariant. Swedish students reported fewer problems than U.S. students (latent mean difference = -0.19, p = .047). In both samples, the RAPI was positively correlated with alcohol use frequency and quantity (ps < .001), and negatively correlated with PBS use (ps < .05). Overall, the RAPI demonstrated measurement invariance, and we found evidence for its validity across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors.

Associations of broad eating disorder symptoms with later alcohol problems in Finnish adult twins: A nationwide 10-year follow-up.

Eating disorders are associated with subsequent alcohol problems, but it is not known whether this association also extends to broader eating disorder symptoms not captured by clinical diagnoses. We assessed the longitudinal association of broad eating disorder symptoms with alcohol problems in a nationwide twin sample (FinnTwin16). Finnish women (N = 1905) and men (N = 1449) self-reported their eating disorder symptoms using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, and Body Dissatisfaction subscales at the mean age of 24.4 years in 2000-2003. A subsample of participants also completed items on drive for muscularity, height dissatisfaction, and muscle-enhancing supplement use. Alcohol problems were assessed 10 years later at the age of 34.1 in 2010-2012 with the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index. Eating disorder symptoms were associated with later alcohol problems (odds ratio per point increase 1.02-1.18). Bulimia showed stronger associations among men than women (p for interaction .012). Drive for muscularity and height dissatisfaction were also associated with later alcohol problems, but supplement use was not. When accounting for baseline alcohol problems, only Bulimia (among women and men) and Drive for Thinness (among men) were significantly associated with later alcohol problems. Bulimia was also significantly associated with later alcohol problems in within-twin-pair analyses among dizygotic twins, but not among monozygotic twins. In a longitudinal setting, eating disorder symptoms were associated with later alcohol problems. Bulimic symptoms were a stronger risk factor for men than women. These associations may be attributable to baseline alcohol problems, childhood environment and genetic liability. This study found that both young adult women and men with broad eating disorder symptoms are at a higher risk of alcohol-related problems than those without such symptoms. Men with bulimic symptoms were at a particularly high risk. These findings emphasize the need for better prevention and treatment of disordered eating, body image concerns and alcohol problems for both young adult women and men.

New Validity Evidence of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener for Evaluating Internalizing/Externalizing Behaviors in Spanish Adolescents.

The Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN-SS) is a screening instrument evaluating internalizing/externalizing behaviors. This study examines the validity evidence of the GAIN-SS in Spanish adolescents and explores sex differences in its performance. Participants were 1,547 Spanish adolescents from the community (females = 48.2%, mean [SD] age = 15.20 [0.74]). A cross-sectional online assessment was used to evaluate past-month substance use and gambling involvement. Problems associated to these behaviors were assessed using the GAIN-SS, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Factor analyses were conducted to examine the internal structure of the GAIN-SS. Results revealed four subscales accounting for 47.03% of the variance related to externalizing (EDScr), internalizing (IDScr), substance use disorders (SDScr), and crime/violence problems (CVScr). Concurrent validity was supported through significant correlations between the GAIN-SS subscales, alcohol-related problems, and gambling behavior, with the exception of the IDScr. Past-month gamblers or substance users evidenced higher scores in the CVScr. Females reported more internalizing symptoms, whereas males reported higher scores in CVScr. The GAIN-SS is a valid screener for substance use and gambling in Spanish adolescents. Sensitivity of the GAIN-SS to sex differences suggests that it may be useful to design gender-sensitive interventions.

0102 Are there associations between intraindividual variability in sleep and mental health among adolescents reporting alcohol use?

Abstract Introduction Considering the increasing number of studies that report on ecological momentary assessment by uses of sleep diary and actigraphy, it may also be valuable to consider the relationship between fluctuations that exists in sleep measures on adolescent health outcomes. Above the impact of mean sleep measures, intraindividual variability (IIV) in sleep provides information on the degree to which daily variations or fluctuations in sleep/wake patterns are occurring and may prompt important cues to adolescents’ health outcome. The present study examined the objective IIV in sleep and its relationship to their sleep and mental health outcomes among adolescents with history of alcohol use. Methods The study analyzed 8 days of wrist actigraphy data from 72 high school students reporting prior alcohol use (58.3% female; mean age 17.0 years). Bayesian variability method using varian (R package) was performed to calculate IIV in total sleep time (TST), time in bed (TIB), midpoint sleep, bedtime, and risetime. Participants also completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ), Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR-30), Chapman’s Inventories – Social Anhedonia (CHAPSAS), and Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Multiple linear regression models were adjusted for biological sex, age, and the sum of alcohol drinks in the past 3 months. Results Participants reported average of 18.52 (SD=23.10) total drinks consumed over the past 3 months. IIV in TST, TIB, and risetime were associated with lower sleep quality (B=3.04, 95% CI, 0.02, 7.39, p&amp;lt; 0.05 for IIV in TST; B=2.87, 95% CI, 0.39, 5.88, p&amp;lt; 0.05 for IIV in TIB; and B=2.74, 95% CI, 0.57, 6.19, p&amp;lt; 0.05 for IIV in risetime, respectively). There was no statistically significant association between IIV of sleep measures and excessive daytime sleepiness or mental health outcomes such as social anhedonia, depressive symptoms, and problematic alcohol use. Conclusion Greater fluctuation in TST, TIB, and risetime were negatively associated with overall sleep quality. Our findings add to a growing body of research on IIV in sleep/wake patterns and clinical implications. Future studies should explore the prospective relationship between variability in sleep and other various health outcomes. Support (if any) NIH/NIAAA R01AA025626 (Hasler); Sleep Research Society Foundation Mentor-Mentee Award (Kwon)

EFFECTIVENESS OF BRIEF INTERVENTION IN REDUCING THE RISK OF RELAPSE IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL INDUCED LIVER DISEASE – A NATURALISTIC FOLLOW UP COMPARATIVE STUDY

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) comprises of simple steatosis to frank cirrhosis. Early identication and treatment of alcohol problems with the use of screening and brief interventions (BI) has been advocated as the way forward and is seen as the focus of a great deal of research. The objective of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of brief intervention (BI) on the risk of relapse in patients with Alcohol induced Liver Disease (ALD) compared with simple advice (SA). METHODOLOGY:A12-week interventional naturalistic follow-up study in a tertiary care centre with baseline assessments using standardized study instruments including Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index, ASSIST, Readiness to change questionnaire, and Big Five Factor Personality Test. Intervention given at baseline, one and three weeks. Relapse rate along with the time to relapse, quantity and frequency of drinking at the end of three months were recorded as primary outcome measures. RESULTS: 120 participants were recruited in the study and were alternatively included into the two groups using purposive sampling. There was a signicant decrease in the post RAPI and ASSIST score in BI group from baseline compared with the SAgroup. The time taken to relapse in BI group was found to be longer. CONCLUSION: Patients who relapsed at the end of the three months study period were less in BI than SAgroup. Time taken to relapse proved the effectiveness of BI.

Exploring the relationships between adolescent alcohol misuse and later life health outcomes.

We sought to clarify the impact of adolescent alcohol misuse on adult physical health and subjective well-being. To do so, we investigated both the direct associations between adolescent alcohol misuse and early midlife physical health and life satisfaction and the indirect effects on these outcomes attributable to subsequent alcohol problems. The sample included 2733 twin pairs (32% monozygotic; 52% female) from the FinnTwin16 study. Adolescent alcohol misuse was a composite of frequency of drunkenness, frequency of alcohol use, and alcohol problems at ages 16, 17, and 18.5. The early midlife outcomes included somatic symptoms, self-rated health, and life satisfaction at age 34. The mediators examined as part of the indirect effect analyses included alcohol problems from the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index at ages 24 and 34. Serial mediation and co-twin comparison models were applied and included covariates from adolescence and early midlife. There were weak direct associations between adolescent alcohol misuse and early midlife physical health and life satisfaction. However, there was stronger evidence for indirect effects, whereby young adult and early midlife alcohol problems serially mediated the relationship between adolescent alcohol misuse and early midlife somatic symptoms (β=0.03, 95% CI [0.03, 0.04]), self-rated health (β=-0.02, 95% CI [-0.03, -0.01]), and life satisfaction (β=-0.03, CI [-0.04, -0.02]). These serial mediation effects were robust in co-twin comparison analyses. These results provide evidence that alcohol problems are a primary driver linking adolescent alcohol misuse and poor health outcomes across the lifespan.

Protective and risk factors for increased alcohol use in Latinx college students on the U.S./Mexico border

Alcohol use is prevalent among undergraduates, however, limited research on drinking among Latinx college students exists. This study examined potential risk and protective factors of alcohol use and consequences. Participants (n = 382) completed multiple measures including alcohol use frequency and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Linear regression models identified predictors of monthly and yearly drinking days and RAPI. Findings indicated that alcohol use frequency was associated with increasing age, parental alcohol use disorder, greater anger, and lower self-efficacy. Alcohol-related consequences were positively associated with anxiety and adverse childhood experiences. Early alcohol prevention and intervention efforts appear warranted.

Joint risk prediction for hazardous use of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco among adolescents: A preliminary study using statistical and machine learning

For some, substance use during adolescence may be a stepping stone on the way to substance use disorders in adulthood. Risk prediction models may help identify adolescent users at elevated risk for hazardous substance use. This preliminary analysis used cross-sectional data (n = 270, ages 13–18) from the baseline dataset of a randomized controlled trial intervening with adolescent alcohol and/or cannabis use. Models were developed for jointly predicting quantitative scores on three measures of hazardous substance use (Rutgers Alcohol Problems Index, Adolescent Cannabis Problem Questionnaire, and Hooked on Nicotine Checklist) based on personal risk factors using two statistical and machine learning methods: multivariate covariance generalized linear models (MCGLM) and penalized multivariate regression with a lasso penalty. The predictive accuracy of a model was evaluated using root mean squared error computed via leave-one-out cross-validation. The final proposed model was an MCGLM model. It has eleven risk factors: age, early life stress, age of first tobacco use, age of first cannabis use, lifetime use of other substances, age of first use of other substances, maternal education, parental attachment, family cigarette use, family history of hazardous alcohol use, and family history of hazardous cannabis use. Different subsets of these risk factors feature in the three outcome-specific components of this joint model. The quantitative risk estimate provided by the proposed model may help identify adolescent substance users of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco who may be at an elevated risk of developing hazardous substance use.

Sex Differences in Comorbidity Between Substance Use and Mental Health in Adolescents: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

This study aims to evaluate sex differences in alcohol and cannabis use and mental health disorders (MHD) in adolescents, and to evaluate the predictive role of mental health disorders for alcohol and cannabis use disorders (AUD and CUD respectively). A sample of 863 adolescents from the general population (53.7% girls, Mage = 16.62, SD = 0.85) completed a computerized battery including questions on substance use frequency, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Cannabis Problems Questionnaire for Adolescents - Short version, the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index and the DSM-IV-TR criteria for AUD and CUD. Bivariate analyses and binary logistic regressions were performed. Girls presented significantly more mental health problems and a higher prevalence of comorbidity between SUD and MHD. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and phobic anxiety indicated a higher risk of AUD, whereas depression and interaction between hostility and obsessive-compulsive disorder indicated a higher risk of CUD. Comorbidity between SUD and MHD is high among adolescents, and significantly higher among girls.

Childhood maltreatment, motives to drink and alcohol-related problems in young adulthood

BackgroundYoung adults with a history of child maltreatment (CM) are often vulnerable to alcohol-related problems. Drinking motives have been widely studied to explain alcohol-related problems in young adulthood. ObjectivesThe aims of the current study were to examine the link between CM and alcohol-related problems and to test whether CM is indirectly related to alcohol-related problems via different types of drinking motives. Participants and settingTwo hundred eight participants were recruited in a mid-Atlantic urban area (M age = 19.7, 78.4 % female) via advertisements placed throughout the community. MethodsParticipants completed self-report measures of CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), types of drinking motives (the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form), and alcohol-related problems (Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test whether CM was associated with alcohol use, both directly and indirectly, through drinking motives. ResultsWe found that both coping (β = 0.53,p < 0.001) and enhancement drinking motives (β = 0.15, p = 0.031) were associated with alcohol-related problems. Additionally, CM was related to alcohol-related problems indirectly via coping motive (β = 0.11, p = 0.028). ConclusionYoung adults with a history of CM may use alcohol to cope with trauma-related negative emotionality. Targeting emotional distress in CM-exposed individuals may be helpful in preventing and treating alcohol-related problems in this vulnerable population.

Telephone-based motivational interviewing enhanced with individualised personality-specific coping skills training for young people with alcohol-related injuries and illnesses accessing emergency or rest/recovery services: a randomized controlled trial (QuikFix).

Recent meta-analyses of motivational interviewing (MI) for reducing risky alcohol use in young people have reported modest effects. Few studies have targeted individual patient factors to increase MI effectiveness. This study determined if MI enhanced with individualised personality-specific coping skills training (QuikFix) was more efficacious than standard MI or an assessment feedback/information (AF/I) control among young people with alcohol-related injuries or illnesses. Single-centre, single-blind, three-group superiority randomized controlled trial with 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months follow-ups. Telephone intervention, Brisbane, Australia. A total of 398 young people (16-25years; M age=20.30years, SD=2.12; 54% female) with alcohol-related injuries and/or illnesses were recruited from an emergency department (ED) or rest/recovery service (RRS). The primary outcome was total standard (10 g ethanol) drinks in the past month (Timeline Follow back [TLFB]) at 12months (primary time point). Secondary outcomes were total drinking days and standard drinks per drinking day (TLFB) in the past month and the frequency of alcohol-related problems in the past 3months (Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index). Young people were randomized to two sessions of QuikFix enhanced with individualised personality-specific coping skills training (n=132), two sessions of MI (n=136) or one session of AF/I (n=130), all delivered by telehealth. QuikFix resulted in greater reductions (all P<0.0017) in the primary outcome of total standard drinks (M=19.50, CI 99.75%=[11.31, 27.68]) than both MI (M=32.61, CI 99.75%=[24.82, 40.40]; Cohen's D=0.40) and AF/I (M=34.12, CI 99.75%=[26.59, 41.65]; D=0.45) at 12months (retention n=324/398, 81%). QuikFix had greater reductions on drinking days (M=3.16, CI 99.75%=[2.37, 3.96]) than both MI (M=4.53, CI 99.75%=[3.57, 5.48];D=0.38) and AF/I (M=4.69, CI 99.75%=[3.73, 5.65];D=0.42) and fewer drinks per drinking day (M=5.02, CI 99.75%=[3.71, 6.33]) than AF/I (M=7.15, CI 99.75%=[5.93, 8.38;D=0.47) at 12months. Young people with alcohol-related injuries and/or illnesses who attended ED and rest/recovery services and received an individualised personality-specific coping skills training intervention (QuikFix) had greater reductions in the amount of alcohol consumed at 12months compared with those who received motivational interviewing or an assessment feedback/information intervention.

Baseline cortisol predicts drunkorexia in female but not male college students

Objective “Drunkorexia” or compensatory eating behaviors in response to alcohol consumption, resembles a subclinical eating disorder, and is a current public health concern. Eating disorders and alcohol abuse are associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). One index of HPA function is cortisol. As causes of drunkorexia remain elusive, the present study examined cortisol function as it relates to drunkorexia. Participants: n = 73 (49 women) college students. Method: Participants provided daytime saliva samples for cortisol analyses prior to completing an online survey measuring alcohol consumption, drunkorexia, and alcohol problems as measured by the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Results: Multiple regressions indicated that baseline cortisol significantly positively correlated with drunkorexia behaviors in women but not men. Higher baseline cortisol and aspects of drunkorexia related to alcohol problems. Conclusion: Programs educating about stress management and health risks of drunkorexia may decrease engagement in drunkorexia behaviors among college students.

Cannabis as a factor in the moderating relationship between alcohol, sleep, and adverse drinking consequences

ABSTRACTBackground: Drinking and poor sleep quality combine to produce adverse consequences. As alcohol use may occur in combination with cannabis, and the combination of alcohol consumption, poor sleep quality, and cannabis use was examined with a goal of (1) replicating previous findings in which sleep moderated between drinking and adverse consequences, and (2) expanding this model by examining cannabis as a moderator of the interaction between sleep and alcohol use on adverse substance use consequences.Method: Seventy-five alcohol-using first-year undergraduate students (44 women; 58.7%) completed questionnaires about sleep quality, alcohol and cannabis use, and adverse substance use consequences (Rutgers Alcohol Problems Index; RAPI).Results: Alcohol use was measured as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), Days Drinking (Days), or Drinks per Drinking Day (DDD). Hierarchical regression models that used BAC to predict RAPI replicated prior interaction between alcohol use and sleep; the other models did not. Triple interactions between cannabis, sleep quality, and alcohol (measured as BAC or DDD, but not Days) predicted adverse consequences.Conclusion/Importance: The triple interactions supported the hypothesis that cannabis use increased the deleterious combination of alcohol and poor sleep quality on adverse consequence.

Substance Use and Gambling Patterns Among Adolescents: Differences According to Gender and Impulsivity.

Although alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are the most prevalent drugs used by adolescents, gambling is a growing concern due to its increasing popularity. To date there have been few studies exploring the existing patterns of concurrent use of drugs and gambling in adolescents. This study aims to identify subpopulations of adolescents using different substances and gambling activities, to explore gender differences and to examine impulsivity as a predictor of class membership. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 22 high-schools, and 1644 adolescents were assessed (54.1% males; mean age = 15.21years, SD=.75). Participants reported their last-year frequency of using alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, as well as bingo, poker, other casino games, sports betting, lottery, scratch tickets and electronic gaming machines. Problem drinking was evaluated with the Rutgers Alcohol Problems Index, and gambling severity with the South Oaks Gambling Scale for Adolescents. Impulsivity was assessed using a Delay Discounting task, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the Impulsive Sensation-Seeking Scale. Based on a latent class model of drugs and gambling activities, four subpopulations of males and five of females were found. General impulsivity and sensation seeking were the most consistent predictors of class membership. These novel findings support the need to consider specific groups of adolescents engaging in different patterns of addictive behaviors when implementing selective prevention strategies.

The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index: Measurement equivalence among college students in the U.S. and Mexico.

The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) is widely used to assess alcohol-related problems among college students within the U.S. and internationally. Despite its wide usage, whether the RAPI similarly assesses alcohol-related problems among students in different countries has not been established. We begin to address this issue by evaluating responses to the RAPI for measurement equivalence across college students in the U.S. (European Americans and Mexican Americans, treated as separate groups) and Mexico (Mexicans). Toward this end, we evaluated the RAPI for Differential Item Functioning (DIF) within an item response theory framework. Our results showed DIF for 6 item severities, all but one of which differed as a function of country (U.S. vs. Mexico). Additional analyses showed that using a latent RAPI variable with no DIF assumed had no substantive consequences in terms of group mean differences and zero-order correlations with self-reported drinking behaviors. Similarly, when using observed RAPI scale scores, there were no substantive differences in terms of correlations. The observed scale scores, however, led to inaccurate mean comparisons. Based on our results, we recommend that scholars model the RAPI as a latent variable when conducting analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationship between General and Sport-Related Drinking Motives and Athlete Alcohol Use and Problems

Objective: Alcohol use (and adverse consequences due to alcohol use) among college student-athletes is a common occurrence and consequently garners attention as a health concern within athletic departments and the NCAA. One of the strongest predictors of alcohol use in athletes is motivation to drink. However, not much is known about the influence of alcohol use motivations on drinking in collegiate athletes. Therefore, this study examined the influence of sport-related and general drinking motives on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Method: Participants were female collegiate softball players (N = 721) from 62 NCAA teams. Athletes completed the Athlete Drinking Scale (Martens et al., 2005), the Drinking Motives Questionnaire, revised (Cooper, 1994; Cooper et al., 1992), alcohol consumption measures, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problems Index (White & Labouvie, 1989). Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the data. Results: Higher scores on Positive Reinforcement motives were associated with greater alcohol consumption, heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol-related problems. Enhancement motives were positively associated with heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems, while Coping motives were positively associated with alcohol-related problems. Lower scores on Conformity motives were related to higher alcohol consumption, whereas higher scores were related to more alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: These results assist in understanding salient drinking motives among athletes while accounting for nesting effects of athletes within teams. Results demonstrate alcohol use as a perceived means of reward for hard work or good athletic performance, thus attempts to control alcohol use in college athletics should emphasize alternative methods to positively reinforce efforts or celebrate victories.

What Predicts What? Self-Reported and Behavioral Impulsivity and High-Risk Patterns of Alcohol Use in Spanish Early Adolescents: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study.

The directionality of the relationship between impulsivity and heavy drinking patterns remains unclear. Recent research suggests it could be reciprocal and depends on different facets of impulsivity and different patterns of drinking. The aim of this study was to analyze this potential reciprocal relationship between self-reported and behavioral measures of impulsivity and sensation seeking with specific patterns of heavy drinking in a sample of Spanish adolescents across 2years. The study has a cross-lagged prospective design in which participants were evaluated 3 times over 2years (once a year). Participants were 1,430 adolescents (53.9% male; mean age at study commencement=13.02, SD=0.51) from 22 secondary schools in Spain. Computerized versions of the following instruments were used: 2 subscales of Impulsive Sensation Seeking, 2 behavioral measures (Stroop Test and Delay Discounting [DD] task), frequency of intoxication episodes (IE), and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index to evaluate alcohol-related problems (ARP). Random intercepts cross-lagged panel models of reciprocal relationships between impulsivity measures and alcohol use outcomes were used. Individual levels of self-reported impulsivity and sensation seeking significantly predicted prospective involvement in IE and ARP. Performance in behavioral measures (Stroop Test and DD) did not predict subsequent heavy drinking or alcohol problems. No measure of drinking was found to be a significant predictor of prospective changes in impulsivity. Within-person levels of self-reported impulsivity and sensation seeking significantly predicted further heavy drinking from as early as 13years old, whereas behavioral measures were not predictive. In our study, neither IE nor ARP predicted prospective changes in impulsivity. Further studies should address additional specific relationships between facets of impulsivity and specific outcomes of heavy drinking.

Padrões e consumo de álcool entre estudantes universitários

O presente artigo tem como objetivo determinar e analisar a prevalência do uso de álcool entre estudantes universitários e possíveis problemas relacionados a esse consumo. Trata-se de estudo transversal com a utilização de amostra representativa de estudantes universitários. Para colher as informações foram utilizados o Questionário multidimensional, fechado, de autopreenchimento sobre o uso de álcool e o Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Os dados foram analisados por meio de medidas descritivas e comparações entre médias. Foi detectado um consumo de álcool cada vez mais precoce entre a população universitária e um significativo percentual de jovens expostos a diversos riscos como acidentes de trânsito, intoxicação, abuso sexual e atos de violência sob influência do álcool. Torna-se imprescindível que haja uma maior promoção da saúde entre a população universitária concomitantemente a uma incisiva aproximação com o contexto universitário, visando a elaboração de programas de prevenção direcionados a essa população.