scholarly journals Online Sobriety Communities for Women's Problematic Alcohol Use: A Mini Review of Existing Qualitative and Quantitative Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Davey
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Treatment Pathways ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
The Uk

The increase in women's drinking is one of the most prominent trends in alcohol consumption in the UK in recent history, possibly exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdown measures. Higher rates of drinking are associated with substantial economic, health, and social costs. However, women are less likely to seek treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) than men and have less successful treatment outcomes from traditional treatment paths, such as 12-step programs and in-patient care. Female heavy drinkers may also experience particular forms of gendered stigma that affect their experiences of addiction and recovery and their desire or ability to access these more “traditional” services. This review provides an overview of existing qualitative and quantitative research regarding online sobriety communities that are predominantly utilised by women, such as non-12-step alcohol online support groups (AOSGs) and temporary abstinence initiatives (TAIs). This is a small—but expanding—body of literature emerging as “sober curiosity” and “mindful drinking” are trending in Western contexts such as the UK, particularly amongst young women who do not identify with traditional, binary recovery language such as “alcoholic” and “addict.” This review highlights the gaps in research and concludes that further research regarding these new treatment pathways, and women's experiences when utilising them, must be conducted to provide more evidence-based options for women who want to address problematic drinking. Public health bodies could also learn more effective strategies from these innovative solutions to reduce alcohol consumption generally.

scholarly journals Supporting the survivors: Experiences and perceptions of peer support offered to UK terrorist survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Nichola Emma Jalfon Rew
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Support Networks ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
The Uk

Recent terror incidents in the UK, including the targeting of concert attendees in Manchester, to individuals socialising and working in central London, highlight the public’s vulnerability and that attacks can be indiscriminate, resulting in any individual becoming a victim to this fearful crime. As a consequence of these and other attacks, including those overseas, media reporting within the UK has increasingly focused on the inadequate levels of support offered to survivors from official agencies. However, little evaluation has been conducted regarding the benefits of support networks and online support groups created directly by those individuals affected by terror attacks. Quantitative research findings obtained through a self-administered online questionnaire, completed by 81 survivors of terrorist attacks who are members of different peer support networks in the UK, endorsed that while victims feel that adequate professional support is lacking, significant positive experiences have been achieved through peer support, particularly through the internet. This first independent academic study found that it was these methods of support that had the most resonance with individuals and offers several recommendations, based on findings, which could enhance and improve support for survivors of terrorism in the future.

scholarly journals Alcohol Use Disorder among Patients Suffered from Road Collisions in a Vietnamese Delta Province

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 2423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Minh Vu ◽  
Tung Thanh Tran ◽  
Giang Thu Vu ◽  
Cuong Tat Nguyen ◽  
Chau Minh Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Current Context ◽  
Educational Campaign ◽  
Causes Of Deaths ◽  
The Relationship

Traffic collisions have continuously been ranked amongst the top causes of deaths in Vietnam. In particular, drinking has been recognized as a major factor amplifying the likelihood of traffic collisions in various settings. This study aims to examine the relationship between alcohol use and traffic collisions in the current context of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 413 traffic collisions patients in six health facilities in the Thai Binh Province to investigate the level of alcohol consumption and identify factors influencing alcohol use among these patients. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scale was used to determine the problematic drinking behavior of the participants. The percentage of patients having problematic drinking was more than 30%. Being male, having a high household income, and working as farmer/worker were risk factors for alcohol abuse. People causing accidents and patients with a traumatic brain injury had a higher likelihood of drinking alcohol before the accidents. This study highlights the necessity of more stringent laws on reducing drink-driving in Vietnam. In addition, more interventions, especially those utilizing mass media like educational campaign of good behavior on social networks, are necessary to reduce alcohol consumption in targeted populations in order to decrease the prevalence and burden of road injuries.

scholarly journals The prevalence of hazardous and harmful drinking in the UK Police Service, and their co-occurrence with job strain and mental health problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Irizar ◽  
S. H. Gage ◽  
M. Field ◽  
V. Fallon ◽  
L. Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Police Service ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Aims Due to the stressful nature of policing, police employees are at risk of mental health problems and problematic alcohol use. We aim to determine the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol use in the UK Police Service, and to explore the associations with job strain and mental health problems. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Airwave Health Monitoring Study (N = 40 986) included measures of alcohol consumption (total units in past week), mental health (depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and job strain. The associations between mental health and job strain with alcohol consumption (i.e. abstinence, low-risk [<14 units per week, reference group], hazardous [>14 to 35 units for women, >14 to 50 units for men], harmful [>35 units for women, >50 units for men]), were analysed using multinomial logistic regressions, adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, children under 18, income and smoking status). Results A total of 32.6% of police employees reported hazardous drinking, with 3.0% drinking at harmful levels. Compared to those without a mental health problem, police employees with depression, anxiety or PTSD were twice as likely to be harmful drinkers and were also 1.3 times more likely to report abstinence. Those reporting low strain (reference group) were more likely to drink hazardously compared to those reporting high strain, which was statistically moderated by mental health. When the sample was stratified by mental health status, the association between low strain (compared to all other categories) and hazardous drinking, was significant only in those without a mental health problem. Conclusions These findings indicate that police employees may be an occupational group at risk of alcohol harm, with one-third drinking hazardously. The J-shaped relationship between mental health and alcohol use highlights a need for an integration of mental health and alcohol services, tailored for the UK Police Service.

scholarly journals Alcohol Drinking Patterns and Contributing Factors among Medical Students, a Systematic Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-03
Author(s):  
Sheehama J A ◽  
Mbangula H J ◽  
Lukolo L N
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Multiple Factors

Background:The use of Alcohol has become an important public health concern with a variety of negative consequences, it is important to understand the variables that may be risk factors for this phenomenon. Further, university students represent a group of individuals who have unique drinking patterns and different risk factors and concerns related to problematic drinking than the population in general. Legal substances like alcohol accounts for the vast majority of negative medical, economic, and social impact. Although alcohol use occurs across many age groups, young adults aged 18–24 years show the highest rates of alcohol use and have the greatest percentage of problems drinkers (Kandel & Logan, 1984). Namibia is ranked fifth on the African continent in terms of annual alcohol consumption with the average Namibian consuming 9.62 liters of alcohol per year (WHO 2011). This review addresses problematic drinking and the variables associated with it for medical students. The purpose of this systematic review is to compare the perception and attitude of alcohol consumption among medical students and weigh the factors associated with drinking habits. Methods:A qualitative and quantitative systematic review of article from multiple search engines. Five articles were within the inclusion criteria thus appraised and reviewed for this paper. The common study method used was cross sectional, with varying sample sizes. Commonly, the use of self-assessment questionnaires and objective AUDIT C and CAGE score evaluation were used frequently between these articles. Results:The review showed that there are multiple factors that influence the use of alcohol among medical students. Personal factors such as a new found sense of independence, peer pressure, inability to handle academic stressors. Socio-economic factors include high tolerance of alcohol use in the communities and monthly expenses. It was also noted that the use of alcohol in medical students is higher than the average university student. A highlighted noted is that the use of alcohol is much higher among male than female medical students. Conclusion:Findings suggested that the perceptions of alcohol use is depended on multiple factors majority being academic perceived stress. It is also noted that continuation of these maladaptive coping mechanisms may lead to dysfunction in the future. The findings of systematic review are limited by the number of articles appraised and reliant on the information provided by the authors.

scholarly journals Alcohol consumption and mate choice in UK Biobank: comparing observational and Mendelian randomization estimates

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence J Howe ◽  
Daniel J Lawson ◽  
Neil M Davies ◽  
Beate St. Pourcain ◽  
Sarah J Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Relationship Length ◽  
Spousal Concordance ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
Related Variant ◽  
The Uk

AbstractAlcohol use is correlated within spouse-pairs, but it is difficult to disentangle the effects of alcohol consumption on mate-selection from social factors or cohabitation leading to spouses becoming more similar over time. We hypothesised that genetic variants related to alcohol consumption may, via their effect on alcohol behaviour, influence mate selection.Therefore, in a sample of over 47,000 spouse-pairs in the UK Biobank we utilised a well-characterised alcohol related variant, rs1229984 in ADH1B, as a genetic proxy for alcohol use. We compared the phenotypic concordance between spouses for self-reported alcohol use with the association between an individual’s self-reported alcohol use and their partner’s rs1229984 genotype using Mendelian randomization. This was followed up by an exploration of the spousal genotypic concordance for the variant and an analysis determining if relationship length may be related to spousal alcohol behaviour similarities.We found strong evidence that both an individual’s self-reported alcohol consumption and rs1229984 genotype are associated with their partner’s self-reported alcohol use. The Mendelian randomization analysis found that each unit increase in an individual’s weekly alcohol consumption increased their partner’s alcohol consumption by 0.26 units (95% C.I. 0.15, 0.38; P=1.10×10-5). Furthermore, the rs1229984 genotype was concordant within spouse-pairs, suggesting that some spousal concordance for alcohol consumption existed prior to cohabitation. Although the SNP is strongly associated with ancestry, our results suggest that this concordance is unlikely to be explained by population stratification. Overall, our findings suggest that alcohol behaviour directly influences mate selection.

scholarly journals Alcohol use and cardiometabolic risk in the UK Biobank: a Mendelian randomization study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Lankester ◽  
Daniela Zanetti ◽  
Erik Ingelsson ◽  
Themistocles L. Assimes
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Lower Amount ◽  
Cardiometabolic Health ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Cardiometabolic Traits

AbstractObservational studies suggest alcohol use promotes the development of some adverse cardiometabolic traits but protects against others including outcomes related to coronary artery disease. We used Mendelian randomization to explore causal relationships between the degree of alcohol consumption and several cardiometabolic traits in the UK Biobank. We found carriers of the ADH1B Arg47His variant (rs1229984) reported a 26% lower amount of alcohol consumption compared to non-carriers. In our one-sample, two-stage least squares analyses of the UK Biobank using rs1229984 as an instrument, one additional drink/day was associated with statistically significant elevated level of systolic blood pressure (3.0 mmHg), body mass index (0.87 kg/m^2), waist circumference (1.3 cm), body fat percentage (1.7%), low-density lipoprotein levels in blood (0.16 mmol/L), and the risk of myocardial infarction (OR=1.50), stroke (OR=1.52), any cardiovascular disease (OR=1.43), and all-cause mortality (OR=1.41). Conversely, increasing use of alcohol was associated with reduced levels of triglycerides (−0.059 mmol/L) and HbA1C (−0.42 mmol/mol) in the blood, the latter possibly a consequence of a statistically elevated mean corpuscular volume among ADH1B Arg47His carriers. Stratifications by sex and smoking revealed a pattern of more harm of alcohol use among men compared to women, but no consistent difference by smoking status. Men had an increased risk of heart failure (OR = 1.76), atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.35), and type 2 diabetes (OR = 1.31) per additional drink/day. Using summary statistics from external datasets in 2-sample analyses for replication, we found causal associations between alcohol and obesity, stroke, ischemic stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Our results are consistent with an overall harmful effect of alcohol on cardiometabolic health at all levels of use and suggest that even moderate alcohol use should not be promoted as a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

An Evaluation of a UK Energy Conservation Programme

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnar E. Löfstedt
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Ozone Hole ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Uk

This paper evaluates the Department of the Environment's Helping the Earth Begins at Home Campaign that was carried out in the early 1990s from a global warming perception perspective. The study is based on both qualitative and quantitative research in the UK including random telephone surveys and interviews with policy makers. The study shows that the campaign largely failed for two reasons: a) the majority of the respondents did not make a link between their own energy consumption and global warming and b) the respondent's still confused global warming with the ozone hole.

scholarly journals Tobacco and alcohol content in soap operas broadcast on UK television: a content analysis and population exposure

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B Barker ◽  
John Britton ◽  
Emily Thomson ◽  
Rachael L Murray
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Young People ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Soap Operas ◽  
Alcohol Content ◽  
Minute Interval ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACT Background Exposure to tobacco and alcohol content in media is a risk factor for smoking and alcohol use in young people. Our previous research suggested that tobacco and alcohol imagery is common in soap operas. We now report an analysis of tobacco and alcohol content in a sample of soap operas broadcast in the UK. Methods We used 1-minute interval coding to quantify tobacco and alcohol content in all episodes (including advertisement breaks) of six soap operas broadcast on UK television during three separate weeks in November and December 2018 and January 2019. Results We coded 2222 intervals from 87 episodes and 360 intervals from 77 advertisement breaks. Tobacco content was rare, occurring in 4% of all intervals across 30% of episodes, the only tobacco appearances in adverts appeared in anti-smoking advertising. Alcohol occurred in 24% of intervals across 95% of episodes and in 13% of advertisement intervals. The programmes delivered ~381.28 million tobacco and 2.1 billion alcohol gross impressions to the UK population, including 18.91 million tobacco and 113 million alcohol gross impressions to children. Conclusion Whilst tobacco was rare, alcohol content was common, resulting in billions of viewer impressions. Soap operas represent a potential driver of alcohol consumption in young people.

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