scholarly journals Effects of the COVID-19 Mitigation Measures on Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in College Students: A Longitudinal Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9822
Author(s):  
Margarida Vasconcelos ◽  
Alberto Crego ◽  
Rui Rodrigues ◽  
Natália Almeida-Antunes ◽  
Eduardo López-Caneda
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Craving ◽  
Binge Drinkers ◽  
The Impact

To “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 contagion, several countries ordered lockdowns amid the pandemic along with indications on social distancing. These social isolation measures could potentially bring alterations to healthy behavior, including to alcohol consumption. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence of the impact of such measures on alcohol consumption and binge drinking (BD) among young adults, and how they relate to alcohol craving, stress, anxiety, and depression levels. We addressed these questions by conducting a longitudinal study with 146 Portuguese college students—regular binge drinkers (regular BDs), infrequent binge drinkers (infrequent BDs) and non-binge drinkers (non-BDs)—in three moments: before the pandemic (Pre-Lockdown), during lockdown (Lockdown) and 6 months after (Post-Lockdown). Results revealed that regular BDs decreased alcohol use during Lockdown, a change in behavior that was even greater during Post-Lockdown, when regular BDs displayed similar levels of consumption to infrequent/non-BDs. Additionally, alcohol craving and living with friends were predictive of alcohol use during Lockdown, whereas stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms did not contribute to explain changes in drinking behavior. Collectively, the results suggest that BD in young Portuguese college students can be stopped when the contexts in which alcohol intake usually takes place are suppressed, which may have important implications for future prevention and intervention strategies.

scholarly journals Effects of varenicline on alcohol self-administration and craving in drinkers with depressive symptoms

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 906-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Roberts ◽  
Terril L Verplaetse ◽  
Kelly Moore ◽  
Lindsay Oberleitner ◽  
Marina R Picciotto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Alcohol Craving ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Alcohol Users

Varenicline (VAR) is approved to aid in smoking cessation and has been shown to be effective for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers. Little is known, however, about treatment moderators that may influence efficacy. The current study reanalyzed data from a human laboratory study (Verplaetse et al., 2016) to determine whether VAR was more effective at reducing alcohol use among drinkers reporting symptoms of depression. Participants were 60 adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol use disorders ( n = 60) who were randomly assigned to receive VAR (1 mg/day, 2 mg/day) or placebo. Following 7 days of medication pretreatment, participants attended a laboratory testing session. They provided self-reported ratings of alcohol craving and performed an ad libitum alcohol consumption task after receiving a priming dose of alcohol (target blood alcohol concentration = 0.030 g/dL). Higher blood VAR plasma levels were associated with less alcohol craving and less drinking among participants with more depressive symptoms. Among participants with fewer depressive symptoms, VAR was associated with more drinking during the ad libitum drinking task. These findings show that depression symptoms may be a moderator of VAR efficacy in alcohol users and provides evidence for the role of nAChRs in depression and alcohol use.

Impact of Perceived Second-Hand Consequences Related to Alcohol Use on College Students' Drinking Behavior Intent: A Test of Feasibility

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mickey Trockel ◽  
Andrew Wall ◽  
Janet Reis
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
The Impact

This article presents the results of an experiment designed to determine the impact of a group discussion about second-hand consequences of alcohol use on college students' intentions to consume alcohol. Participants were students enrolled in two large Community Health courses at a large Midwestern university ( n = 184). After randomization of class sections into an intervention or a control group, intervention group students participated in a class discussion on the negative consequences college students experience as a result of other students' drinking behavior, prior to answering survey questions regarding their drinking behavior intent. Compared to controls who completed the questionnaire only, intervention group participants reported intent to limit themselves to fewer drinks per drinking occasion ( p = .003) and fewer drinks per week ( p = .004). The effects of the brief educational intervention were analyzed using structural equation modeling, to test the feasibility of a hypothesized intervention mechanism.

scholarly journals Psychological Inflexibility and Loneliness Mediate the Impact of Stress on Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Healthcare Students and Early-Career Professionals During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Bonilla-Sierra ◽  
Alexis Manrique-G ◽  
Paula Hidalgo-Andrade ◽  
Pablo Ruisoto
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Inflexibility ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
The Impact

Background: The current mental health state of healthcare professionals and students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador remains understudied and how to improve their mental health is a challenge.Objective: This study aimed to explore the anxiety and depressive symptomatology among healthcare students and professionals in Ecuador and to examine the role of psychological inflexibility, loneliness, and psychological stress as predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms.Methods: A total of 191 undergraduate and graduate healthcare students in clinical practice (early-career healthcare professionals) in Ecuador were surveyed between January and March 2021 using standardized measures of psychological stress (PSS), psychological inflexibility (AAQ), loneliness (UCLA), alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C), and anxiety and depressive symptomatology (PHQ). Macro Process for SPSS (models 4 and 7) were used to test mediation effects.Results: Alcohol consumption varied between men and women and anxiety and depression symptomatology was generally low among the sample. Psychological inflexibility and loneliness mediated the impact of stress on anxiety and depressive mood in participants, regardless of gender and previous personal history of COVID-19.Discussion: Implications of psychological inflexibility and the prevention and coping with stress in healthcare professionals during COVID-19 are further discussed.

scholarly journals Alcohol Use and COVID-19: Can we Predict the Impact of the Pandemic on Alcohol Use Based on the Previous Crises in the 21st Century? A Brief Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Dib Gonçalves ◽  
Helena Ferreira Moura ◽  
Ricardo Abrantes do Amaral ◽  
João Maurício Castaldelli-Maia ◽  
André Malbergier
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Drinking To Cope ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

The enormous health and economic challenges precipitated by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic are comparable or even greater than those associated with previous historical world crises. Alcohol use, especially drinking to cope with stress, is a concern, as an increase in its sales has been reported in some countries during the quarantine. This study aims to provide a better understanding of what to expect in terms of alcohol consumption, risk factors for excessive use, and its potential consequences during this pandemic based on previous experiences. We investigated how traumatic events related to alcohol consumption. Studies on mass traumatic events (i.e., terrorism as 9/11), epidemic outbreaks (i.e., severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] in 2003), economic crises (such as 2008's Great Recession), and COVID-19 were selected. The main keywords used to select the studies were alcohol use, drinking patterns, alcohol use disorders, and alcohol-related consequences. Previous studies reported increases in alcohol use associated with those events mediated, at least partially, by anxiety and depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Being male, young, and single also seems to be associated with a higher vulnerability to develop risky drinking behavior after those tragic events. The discussion of previous risk and protective factors can contribute to elaborate more specific public health policies to mitigate the impact of the current pandemic on people's mental health, especially alcohol-related problems.

scholarly journals Factors associated with different forms of alcohol use behaviors among college students in Bhutan: a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tandin Dorji ◽  
Peeradone Srichan ◽  
Tawatchai Apidechkul ◽  
Rachanee Sunsern ◽  
Wipob Suttana
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Low Income ◽  
High Income ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Binge Drinkers

Abstract Background Alcohol use has impacts on several dimensions of health, including physical health and mental health, particularly in college-age populations. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence and to determine factors associated with alcohol use behaviors among college students in Bhutan. Methods A cross-sectional design was applied to collect data from the participants. A simple random method was used to select the participants from the lists of students who were attending the four selected colleges in Bhutan in the academic year of 2019. A questionnaire was developed, and validity and reliability were verified before use. Descriptive statistics were applied to describe the general characteristics of participants, while logistic regression was used to detect the associations between variables at the significance level of α = 0.05. Results A total of 432 college students were recruited into the study, of whom 62.0% were females. The average age was 20.0 years, 40.7% were the third-year students, and 79.9% lived in college dormitories. The prevalence of current drinking was 51.6% and that of binge drinking was 19.4%. After controlling for all potential confounder factors, three variables were found to be associated with current drinking: students who had low income were more likely to be current drinkers than those who had high income (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.29–5.21); students who did not use tobacco were more likely to be current drinkers than those students who used tobacco (AOR = 6.99, 95% CI = 2.90–16.81); and students who had close friends who did not use alcohol were more likely to be current drinkers than those who had close friends who used alcohol (AOR = 5.14, 95% CI = 3.04–8.69). Four factors were found to be associated with binge drinking after controlling for all possible confounder factors: students who had high income were more likely to be binge drinkers than those who had low income (AOR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.72–5.31); students who used tobacco were more likely to be binge drinkers than those students who did not use tobacco (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.35–3.87); students whose parents used alcohol were more likely to be binge drinkers than those students whose parents did not use alcohol (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.02–3.01); and students whose close friends used alcohol were more likely to be binge drinkers than those who had close friends who did not use alcohol (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.05–4.87). Conclusions There is a high prevalence in alcohol use among the college students in Bhutan. Effective health promotion programs should be implemented by focusing on reducing the alcohol consumption among college students.

scholarly journals Components of alcohol use and all-cause mortality

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Hartz ◽  
Mary Oehlert ◽  
Amy C. Horton ◽  
Richard Grucza ◽  
Sherri L. Fisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Typical Day ◽  
Drinking Frequency ◽  
The Impact

AbstractImportanceCurrent recommendations for low-risk drinking are based on drinking quantity: up to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men. Drinking frequency has not been independently examined for its contribution to mortality.ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of drinking frequency on all-cause mortality after adjusting for drinks per day and binge drinking behavior.DesignTwo independent observational studies with self-reported alcohol use and subsequent all-cause mortality: the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and data from Veteran’s Health Administration clinics (VA).SettingEpidemiological sample (NHIS) and VA outpatient database (VA Corporate Data Warehouse).Participants208,661 individuals from the NHIS interviewed between 1997 and 2009 at the age of 30 to 70 with mortality follow-up in the last quarter of 2011; 75,515 VA outpatients born between 1948 and 1968 who completed an alcohol survey in 2008 with mortality follow-up in June 2016.ExposuresQuantity of alcohol use when not binging (1-2 drinks on typical day, 3-4 drinks on typical day), frequency of non-binge drinking (never, weekly or less, 2-3 times weekly, 4 or more times weekly), and frequency of binge drinking (never, less than weekly, 1-3 times weekly, 4 or more times weekly). Covariates included age, sex, race, and comorbidity.Main Outcomes and MeasuresAll-cause mortality.ResultsAfter adjusting for binge drinking behavior, survival analysis showed an increased risk for all-cause mortality among people who typically drink 1-2 drinks four or more times weekly, relative to people who typically drink 1-2 drinks at a time weekly or less (NHIS dataset HR=1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.26; VA dataset HR=1.31, 95% CI 1.15-1.49).Conclusions and RelevanceDrinking four or more times weekly increased risk of all-cause mortality, even among those who drank only 1 or 2 drinks daily. This was seen in both a large epidemiological database and a large hospital-based database, suggesting that the results can be generalized.

scholarly journals Photography-based mobile assessment of alcohol use in young adults: Feasibility and comparison to standard assessment methodology (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tera L Fazzino ◽  
Corby Martin ◽  
Kelsie Forbush
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Standard Assessment ◽  
Heavy Alcohol Use ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol use is prevalent among young adults and may contribute to obesity. However, measurement tools for assessing caloric intake from alcohol are limited and rely on self-report, which is prone to biases. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the pilot study was to conduct feasibility testing of SmartIntake®, a photo-based smartphone app, to assess alcohol use among young adults. Aims consisted of 1) quantifying the ability of SmartIntake® to capture drinking behavior; 2) assessing app usability with the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ); 3) conducting a qualitative interview; and 4) comparing preference, compliance, and alcohol use estimates (calories, grams per drinking episode) between SmartIntake® and online diet recalls that participants completed for a parent study. METHODS College students (N=15) who endorsed a pattern of heavy drinking were recruited from a larger study examining the impact of drinking on weight. Participants used SmartIntake® to send photographs of all alcohol and food intake over a three-day period, and then completed a follow up interview and the CSUQ. CSUQ items range from 1-7, with lower scores indicating greater usability. Total number of drinking occasions was determined by adding the number of drinking occasions captured by SmartIntake® plus the number of drinking occasions participants reported that they missed capturing. Compliance was defined by the number of days participants provided food/beverage photo data through the app, or the number of diet recalls completed. RESULTS The SmartIntake® app captured 13 of 15 (87%) drinking occasions. Participants rated the app as highly usable in the CSUQ (M= 2.28). Most participants (93%) preferred using SmartIntake® vs. recalls and compliance was significantly higher with SmartIntake® than recalls (93% vs 78%; P= .04). Alcohol grams and calories per drinking occasion were not significantly different between the two methods (P values range .25-.99); however triple the number of participants submitted alcohol reports with SmartIntake® compared to the diet recalls (SmartIntake® 9/15 vs recalls 3/15; P=.06). CONCLUSIONS SmartIntake® was well accepted by college students who drink heavily and captured most drinking occasions. Participants had higher compliance with SmartIntake® compared to diet recalls and triple the number of participants reported alcohol use with SmartIntake®, suggesting this method may be well suited to assessing alcohol use in young adults.

scholarly journals Examining Daily-Level Associations Between Nightly Alcohol Use and Next-Day Valued Behavior in College Students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Michael Pavlacic ◽  
Laura Dixon ◽  
Stefan E. Schulenberg ◽  
Erin Michelle Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Daily Diary Methodology ◽  
Valued Living ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Adverse consequences of binge drinking episodes are well-established, but fewer studies have investigated how incremental changes in daily alcohol use relate to well-being. We examined within- and between-person associations in alcohol use and next-day valued living to enhance our understanding of the impact of alcohol use on following-day outcomes in college students.Participants. During November 2018, 73 undergraduate participants (65.7% female) completed surveys through Qualtrics.Method: Using daily diary methodology, participants completed nightly surveys (N = 784) on their cellular devices over a two-week period.Results: Within-participant variations in evening alcohol use demonstrated a negative linear association with next-day valued living, controlling for relevant variables.Conclusions: Findings supplement other studies demonstrating the impact of individual variability in alcohol use on engagement in valued behaviors. Knowledge of the hazards of alcohol use within the context of valued living has the potential to inform alcohol use prevention and intervention programs.

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