Characteristics of binge drinkers in Europe

Cannabis use patterns at the dawn of US cannabis reform

In the United States (US), three in 10 cannabis users develop cannabis use disorder (CUD). Usage patterns in line with CUD may be associated with socio-economic disadvantage, and other negative effects. Thus, research on CUD is paramount. To provide understanding around CUD, it is necessary to detail granular cannabis usage preferences, as some risk from cannabis use may be mitigated through informed behavioral choices by users. We describe cannabis usage preferences among US Global Drug Survey (GDS) respondents, primarily young men. The cross-sectional web-based GDS (2017) was completed by 8345 US-resident respondents (median age = 23, Interquartile Range 19–32; % male = 75.48) who reported cannabis use. Of those who reported cannabis use in the past year, most (78%) reported consuming their first joint more than an hour after waking, and about half the sample (49%) had their last joint 1–2 h before bed. Cannabis was used for a median of 250 days in the last year (almost daily). Respondents spent a median of four hours a day stoned when cannabis was used. High potency herbal cannabis was the preferred variant by 62% of participants. We suggest that frequent use of cannabis may increase risk of health harms, and highlight the need to mitigate problematic use. With the rapidly developing US cannabis market, possibly problematic usage patterns may indicate potential for CUD especially within young men.

Alcohol control policies and socioeconomic inequalities in hazardous alcohol consumption: a 22-year cross-sectional study in a Swiss urban population

OBJECTIVE

Harmful use of alcohol represents a large socioeconomic and disease burden and displays a socioeconomic status (SES) gradient. Several alcohol control laws were devised and implemented, but their equity impact remains undetermined.We ascertained if an SES gradient in hazardous alcohol consumption exists in Geneva (Switzerland) and assessed the equity impact of the alcohol control laws implemented during the last two decades.

DESIGN

Repeated cross-sectional survey study.

SETTING

We used data from non-abstinent participants, aged 35-74 years, from the population-based cross-sectional Bus Santé study (n=16 725), between 1993 and 2014.

METHODS

SES indicators included educational attainment (primary, secondary and tertiary) and occupational level (high, medium and low). We defined four survey periods according to the implemented alcohol control laws and hazardous alcohol consumption (outcome variable) as >30 g/day for men and >20 g/day for women.The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were used to quantify absolute and relative inequalities, respectively, and were compared between legislative periods.

RESULTS

Lower educated men had a higher frequency of hazardous alcohol consumption (RII=1.87 (1.57; 2.22) and SII=0.14 (0.11; 0.17)). Lower educated women had less hazardous consumption ((RII=0.76 (0.60; 0.97)and SII=-0.04 (-0.07;-0.01]). Over time, hazardous alcohol consumption decreased, except in lower educated men.Education-related inequalities were observed in men in all legislative periods and did not vary between them. Similar results were observed using the occupational level as SES indicator. In women, significant inverse SES gradients were observed using educational attainment but not for occupational level.

CONCLUSIONS

Population-wide alcohol control laws did not have a positive equity impact on hazardous alcohol consumption. Targeted interventions to disadvantaged groups may be needed to address the hazardous alcohol consumption inequality gap.

Drinking motives supporting binge drinking of Inuit adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Binge drinking has been identified as a public health concern among several Indigenous communities in Canada. Drinking motives have been shown to significantly influence drinking patterns among youth, but no research has been conducted among Inuit populations. This article assesses whether specific drinking motives are related to the number of binge drinking episodes among Inuit adolescents from Nunavik.

METHODS

The data are drawn from the Nunavik Child Development Study, a longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic. Questions on alcohol use, binge drinking and drinking motives were asked to 174 adolescents (mean age of 18.5 years). Analyses of variance were used to test the relation between drinking motives and number of binge drinking episodes over the last year.

RESULTS

Most Inuit participants mentioned drinking for enhancement reasons. A higher number of binge drinking episodes were reported among both adolescent males and adolescent females who frequently endorse enhancement motives, while social and coping motives have been exclusively related to binge drinking episodes among males.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight that motivational aspects supporting binge drinking among Inuit adolescents vary across sex and slightly contrast with studies conducted in non-Indigenous populations. Culturally relevant preventive interventions that target motivational aspects and take into account sex differences are needed.

Altered oscillatory brain dynamics of emotional processing in young binge drinkers

Heavy episodic drinking, also termed binge drinking, is commonly practiced by young adults. It is accompanied by a range of cognitive, affective, and social problems, but the neural dynamics underlying changes in emotional functions is poorly understood. To investigate the behavioral and brain indices of affective processing as a function of binge drinking, young, healthy participants (23.3 ± 3.3 years) were assigned to two groups (n = 32 each) based on their drinking habits. Binge drinking (BD) participants reported drinking heavily with at least five binge episodes in the last 6 months, whereas light drinkers (LD) reported no more than one binge episode in the last 6 months. Participants provided subjective ratings of emotionally evocative images with negative, positive, erotic, and neutral themes mostly selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Electroencephalography (EEG) signal was recorded with a 64-channel system and analyzed in theta frequency band (4-7 Hz) with Morlet wavelets. Subjective ratings of the IAPS pictures were equivalent across both groups. However, affective modulation of event-related theta power both during early appraisal and later integrative processing stages was attenuated in BD, particularly those engaging in high-intensity drinking. These findings suggest that binge drinking is associated with altered neurophysiological indices of affective functions that are reflected in lower theta responsivity to emotions. The blunted long-range cortico-cortical and corticolimbic integration is consistent with compromised affective functions in alcohol use disorder. These findings may have implications for diagnostic and intervention strategies in heavy alcohol users.

Impact of Exchange Stay on Alcohol Consumption: Longitudinal Exploration in a Large Sample of European Students

BACKGROUND

Each year, more than 300,000 university students take part in European exchange programs. Besides their positive educational and cultural impacts, these programs are also reputed to immerse students in a high-risk festive context where excessive alcohol consumption is strongly present. There is thus a crucial need to evaluate the actual impact of those exchange stays on alcohol consumption.

METHODS

Study abroad (n = 3,950) and local (n = 3,950) European students completed a 2-part longitudinal survey and reported their alcohol consumption before (T1) and during (T2) their exchange stay (or at the beginning of the academic year and 6 months later for local students, constituting the control group).

RESULTS

During their exchange stay, individuals studying abroad showed more excessive and harmful alcohol consumption behaviors than local students, as measured by increased general alcohol consumption and binge drinking (BD) scores at T2. In particular, study abroad students under 20 years of age and performing their exchange stay in eastern Europe were the most exposed to excessive alcohol consumption and BD.

CONCLUSIONS

These results constitute the first large-scale longitudinal confirmation that exchange stays indeed constitute risky contexts in which students significantly increase their consumption and present stronger alcohol-related problems. In view of the rapid and deleterious effects of alcohol consumption in young people, it is essential to promote prevention campaigns targeting this population to limit public health consequences and possible evolution toward severe alcohol use disorders.

Assessing Heavy Episodic Drinking: A Random Survey of 18 to 34-Year-Olds in Four Cities in Four Different Continents

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) can have health and social consequences. This study assesses the associations between HED and demographic, socioeconomic, motivation and effects indicators for people aged 18–34 years old living in four cities in different regions of the world. Method: Multistage random sampling was consistent across the four cities (Ilorin (Nigeria), Wuhan (China), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Moscow (Russia)). The questionnaire was forward/back translated and face-to-face interviewing was undertaken. A total of 6235 interviews were undertaken in 2014. Separate univariable and multivariable modelling was undertaken to determine the best predictors of HED. Results: HED prevalence was 9.0%. The best predictors differed for each city. The higher probability of HED in the final models included beliefs that they have reached adulthood, feeling relaxed as an effect of drinking alcohol, and forgetting problems as an effect of drinking alcohol. Lower probability of HED was associated with not being interested in alcohol as a reason for limiting alcohol, and the belief that drinking alcohol is too expensive or a waste of money. Conclusion: Although some indicators were common across the four cities, the variables included in the final models predominantly differed from city to city. The need for country-specific prevention and early intervention programs are warranted.

The association between social characteristics, alcoholic beverage preferences, and binge drinking in a Serbian adult population

Aim

To determine the association of sociodemographic characteristics and type of alcoholic beverage consumed during binge drinking in Serbia.

Method

We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2014 national survey on Serbian lifestyles focusing on substance abuse and gambling. The sample consisted of 5385 individuals. The respondents were divided into non-binge drinkers and binge drinkers, according to the quantity of alcohol consumed during one occasion. Binge drinkers reported consuming more than 60 g of pure alcohol (7.5 units of alcohol) during one occasion at least once during the previous year.

Results

The prevalence of binge drinking in the past year among 2676 female and 2709 male participants aged 18-64 years was 28.4%. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that binge drinkers were more likely to be male (95% CI 3.58-4.94), single (95% CI 1.01-1.53), to be former (95% CI 1.06-1.62) or current smokers (95% CI 1.57-2.19), and to consume more than one type of alcoholic beverage (95% CI 2.04-3.44). There was a negative association of binge drinking with age (95% CI 0.98-0.99), living outside Northern Serbia-Vojvodina region, and drinking only spirits (95% CI 0.39-0.93).

Conclusion

Focusing on the positive association of sociodemographic factors and binge drinking could help policy makers create public health interventions against alcohol misuse. These interventions should be directed to males, smokers, and those who consume more than one type of alcoholic beverage.

Enhancement motivation to drink predicts binge drinking in adolescence: a longitudinal study in a community sample

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking, characterized by alternations between intense alcohol intakes and abstinence periods, is the most frequent alcohol-consumption pattern among adolescents and is associated with cognitive impairments.

OBJECTIVES

It appears crucial to disentangle the psychological factors involved in the emergence of binge drinking in adolescence, and centrally the role played by drinking motives, which are related to binge drinking.

METHODS

This longitudinal study explored the role of drinking motives (i.e., social order, conformity, enhancement, coping) in the emergence of binge drinking among 144 adolescents (56.3% girls) from the community, who were assessed for alcohol consumption and drinking motives at two times (T1/T2), with a 1-year interval. After data checking, 101 adolescents (12-15 years old; 56.4% girls) constituted the final sample.

RESULTS

Strong relationships were found between drinking motives and binge drinking. Regression analyses were computed to determine how drinking motives at T1 predicted binge drinking at T2, while controlling for global alcohol use. The statistical model explained 60% of the binge-drinking variance. In particular, enhancement motivation (i.e., the search for the enjoyable sensations felt when drinking) constituted the unique predictor of future binge drinking. Conversely, social motives did not predict binge drinking.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the central role of enhancement motivation (e.g., focusing on the positive expectancies towards alcohol) in youths' alcohol consumption and call for the development of preventive interventions. The previously reported relationship between social motives and college drinking does not seem to play a key role in the early steps of binge drinking.

Binge drinking is associated with reduced quality of life in young students: A pan-European study

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking (BD) is frequently observed in youth, with psychological and cognitive consequences, but its link with quality of life has been scarcely explored.

METHODS

Sociodemographic and alcohol consumption characteristics were collected in a cross-sectional survey including 15,020 European students. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Alcohol Quality of Life Scale (AQoLS) measuring the self-reported negative impact of alcohol consumption. A flexible link function, using Bayesian P-splines, was used to study the relationship between alcohol-related quality of life and alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

A non-linear relationship between BD and AQoLS scores was identified, showing that: (1) For students presenting moderate BD pattern, alcohol consumption is related to a robust reduction in quality of life, this link remaining stable for students with more intense BD patterns; (2) BD are not strongly associated with social, personal, and work activities, but are linked to an increase in perceived loss of control over consumption; (3) Harmful or hazardous consumption is also related with a massive decrease in quality of life; (4) The strongest relationship between BD and impacted quality of life is found among males and Eastern European students.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate the importance of measuring the perceived relation between alcohol and quality of life, beyond the classically assessed consequences, as this relation is strong among young students. Prevention programs should take this into account, notably regarding the perceived loss of control over alcohol consumption, which constitutes a key factor for the emergence of severe alcohol-use disorders.

Understanding adolescent binge drinking in Spain: how school information campaigns moderate the role of perceived parental and peer consumption

Despite its potentially harmful effects, adolescent binge drinking is becoming increasingly common worldwide. To enable the design of more effective school information campaigns, the underlying factors of heavy alcohol use must be carefully analysed. This study investigated how individual, social and contextual factors relate to adolescent binge drinking. It also explored whether adolescents' exposure to information campaigns at school moderates the relationships between perceived parental and peer alcohol consumption and adolescent binge drinking. We used data from a Spanish nationwide representative sample of 47 803 students aged 14-18 years, of whom 25 576 had engaged in binge drinking behaviours. Data were collected every 2 years between 2006 and 2012. For the multilevel estimation in 2012, the sample comprised 10 577 students. Whilst perceived problems associated with binge drinking and perceived difficulty in accessing alcohol were associated with low levels of binge drinking, adolescents' perceptions of parental and peer consumption were associated, to a greater degree, with high levels of binge drinking. School information campaigns moderated the relationship between parental consumption and adolescent binge drinking but not the relationship between peer consumption and adolescent binge drinking. We conclude by highlighting implications for policymakers and offering possible directions for future research.

Low digit ratio (2D:4D) and late pubertal onset indicate prenatal hyperandrogenziation in alcohol binge drinking

BACKGROUND

Alcohol binge drinking behavior is an important public health issue. Causal rodent and human associational studies show that reinforcement of prenatal androgen signaling increases alcohol consumption in adulthood. However, the effects of prenatal androgen exposure on adult binge drinking patterns have not been investigated yet.

METHOD

We analyzed data from 2225 participants of an online survey (conducted 06-07/2016) to evaluate biomarkers for prenatal androgen exposure (second-to-fourth finger length ratio [2D:4D], age at spermarche or menarche as hallmark for pubertal onset) in binge drinking (≥1 episode of 15+, 10+, and/or 5+ standard drinks of ~13 g of alcohol within 2 h during the 24 month- and 2 week-recall periods).

RESULTS

Men reported binge drinking more often than women (ORs > 1.4, P < .001). For the 24 month-recall period, binge drinkers showed lower 2D:4D (P = .006) and reported later pubertal onset (P = .022) than non-binge drinkers. These findings consistently suggest excess prenatal androgen exposure in adult binge drinkers. Moreover, 2D:4D was negatively associated with severity (15+/10+/5+/non-binge drinking, P = .005) and frequency of binge drinking episodes (P = .044). All of these effects were stronger in men than in women. For the 2 week-recall period, the biomarkers were not significantly related to binge drinking behavior.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that increased prenatal androgen exposure is involved in the development of alcohol binge drinking behavior in adults.

Drinking Motives, Perceived Norms, and Adolescents’ Drinking

Various cognitive and social factors influence the consumption of alcohol during adolescence. Accurate assessment of the relative importance of these variables is crucial for planning interventions against alcohol-related problems. This study compared the effects of drinking motives, perceived parent, and peer alcohol consumption on alcohol use in Italian adolescents. We collected the data by means of a self-report questionnaire on a sample of 229 secondary school students who were 15 to 20 years old. To test the influence of different groups of predictors, we performed three hierarchical regression and one binary logistic regression analyses. We found that perceived norms about drinking influenced adolescents’ alcohol consumption: Perception of friends’ alcohol use was of particular significance, whereas perceived parental norms had an influence only concerning alcoholic beverages with low alcohol content, such as beer. Regarding drinking motives, internal motivations were related to risky drinking, whereas external motivations were not associated with problematic alcohol consumption.

Social relationships in adolescence and heavy episodic drinking from youth to midlife in Finland and Sweden - examining the role of individual, contextual and temporal factors

Background

Applying the Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model of the bioecological theory, this study considers whether proximal processes between the individual and the microsystem (social relationships within family, peer group and school) during adolescence are associated with heavy episodic drinking (HED), from youth to midlife, and whether the macro level context (country) plays a role in these associations.

Methods

Participants of two prospective cohort studies from Finland and Sweden, recruited in 1983/1981 at age 16 (n = 2194/1080), were followed-up until their forties using postal questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between social relationships at age 16 and HED (at least monthly intoxication or having six or more units of alcohol in one occasion) at ages 22/21, 32/30 and 42/43. Additive interactions between microsystem settings, as well as between settings and country, were also considered.

Results

Consistent with the PPCT model, we found individual, contextual and temporal aspects to be associated with drinking habits. Higher levels of poor family relationships were associated with an increased likelihood of HED (ages 22/21 and 32/30) in both Finnish women and men and Swedish men. Higher levels of peer contact were associated with an increased likelihood of HED in both Finnish women (ages 32 and 42) and men (ages 22 and 32), and Swedish men (age 21). In contrast with the other groups, poorer relationships with classmates were associated with an increased likelihood of HED (age 30) for Swedish women only. For women, the combined effect of having both daily peer contact and living in Finland for HED at age 42/43 was statistically distinguishable from a pure additive effect.

Conclusions

Micro and to a lesser extent macro level contexts are associated with heavy episodic drinking well into adulthood. The most relevant processes in the adolescent microsystem occur in family and peer settings. However, long-lasting protective or risk-raising effects between different settings and later HED were not found. Promoting good relationships across different contexts during adolescence may reduce the incidence of HED in adulthood.

Drinking patterns vary by gender, age and country-level income: Cross-country analysis of the International Alcohol Control Study

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Gender and age patterns of drinking are important in guiding country responses to harmful use of alcohol. This study undertook cross-country analysis of drinking across gender, age groups in some high-and middle-income countries.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Surveys of drinkers were conducted in Australia, England, Scotland, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis (high-income), Thailand, South Africa, Mongolia and Vietnam (middle-income) as part of the International Alcohol Control Study. Drinking pattern measures were high-frequency, heavier-typical quantity and higher-risk drinking. Differences in the drinking patterns across age and gender groups were calculated. Logistic regression models were applied including a measure of country-level income.

RESULTS

Percentages of high-frequency, heavier-typical quantity and higher-risk drinking were greater among men than in women in all countries. Older age was associated with drinking more frequently but smaller typical quantities especially in high-income countries. Middle-income countries overall showed less frequent but heavier typical quantities; however, the lower frequencies meant the percentages of higher risk drinkers were lower overall compared with high-income countries (with the exception of South Africa).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

High-frequency drinking was greater in high-income countries, particularly in older age groups. Middle-income countries overall showed less frequent drinking but heavier typical quantities. As alcohol use becomes more normalised as a result of the expansion of commercial alcohol it is likely frequency of drinking will increase with a likelihood of greater numbers drinking at higher risk levels.

Sickness absence diagnoses among abstainers, low-risk drinkers and at-risk drinkers: consideration of the U-shaped association between alcohol use and sickness absence in four cohort studies

AIMS

To estimate differences in the strength and shape of associations between alcohol use and diagnosis-specific sickness absence.

DESIGN

A multi-cohort study. Participants (n = 47 520) responded to a survey on alcohol use at two time-points, and were linked to records of sickness absence. Diagnosis-specific sickness absence was followed for 4-7 years from the latter survey.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

From Finland, we had population cohort survey data from 1998 and 2003 and employee cohort survey data from 2000-02 and 2004. From France and the United Kingdom, we had employee cohort survey data from 1993 and 1997, and 1985-88 and 1991-94, respectively.

MEASUREMENTS

We used standard questionnaires to assess alcohol intake categorized into 0, 1-11 and > 11 units per week in women and 0, 1-34 and > 34 units per week in men. We identified groups with stable and changing alcohol use over time. We linked participants to records from sickness absence registers. Diagnoses of sickness absence were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases. Estimates were adjusted for sex, age, socio-economic status, smoking and body mass index.

FINDINGS

Women who reported drinking 1-11 units and men who reported drinking 1-34 units of alcohol per week in both surveys were the reference group. Compared with them, women and men who reported no alcohol use in either survey had a higher risk of sickness absence due to mental disorders [rate ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22-1.88], musculoskeletal disorders (1.22, 95% CI = 1.06-1.41), diseases of the digestive system (1.35, 95% CI = 1.02-1.77) and diseases of the respiratory system (1.49, 95% CI = 1.29-1.72). Women who reported alcohol consumption of > 11 weekly units and men who reported alcohol consumption of > 34 units per week in both surveys were at increased risk of absence due to injury or poisoning (1.44, 95% CI = 1.13-1.83).

CONCLUSIONS

In Finland, France and the United Kingdom, people who report not drinking any alcohol on two occasions several years apart appear to have a higher prevalence of sickness absence from work with chronic somatic and mental illness diagnoses than those drinking below a risk threshold of 11 units per week for women and 34 units per week for men. Persistent at-risk drinking in Finland, France and the United Kingdom appears to be related to increased absence due to injury or poisoning.

Affective impairments in binge drinking: Investigation through emotional facial expression decoding

OBJECTIVE

Binge drinking, an excessive alcohol consumption pattern frequently observed in young people, is known to be associated with psychological and cerebral deficits. While cognitive dysfunctions have been widely investigated, emotional abilities have scarcely been explored. Such an exploration would however offer a more exhaustive understanding of the deficits associated with binge drinking, as well as of the possible transition towards alcohol-dependence.

METHODS

46 young adults (23 binge drinkers, 12 women; 23 control participants, 12 women) were recruited among university students. They performed an emotional recognition task consisting of the visual decoding of six basic emotions (i.e. anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness). Accuracy scores and detection thresholds were collected for each emotion.

RESULTS

Binge drinkers showed lower performance than control participants for the decoding of all emotions and increased detection threshold, this later reflecting less ability to capture an emotion. Binge drinking is thus associated with a need for higher emotional intensity to perform correct detection. Moreover, these emotional difficulties appear specifically related to alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSION

These findings reinforce previous experimental evidence of altered emotional processing among binge drinkers, and extend these results for various emotional contents. They support the hypothesis of a continuum between binge drinking and alcohol-dependence, in which massive emotional impairments have been documented. Indeed, these impairments could be involved in the onset and maintenance of excessive alcohol consumption, notably through the established relationship between emotional deficits and social distress.

Longitudinal prospective associations between psychological symptoms and heavy episodic drinking from adolescence to midlife

AIM

This study examined whether development of psychological symptoms (PS) differed between persons with different longitudinal profiles of heavy episodic drinking (HED) from adolescence to midlife. In addition, the reciprocal associations between PS and HED were studied.

METHODS

Participants of a Finnish cohort study in 1983 at age 16 ( N = 2194) were followed up at ages 22 ( N = 1656), 32 ( N = 1471), and 42 ( N = 1334). HED was assessed with frequency of intoxication (16-22 years) and having six or more drinks in a session (32-42 years). Using latent class analysis, the participants were allocated to steady high, increased, moderate, and steady low groups according to their longitudinal profiles of HED. The PS scale (16-42 years) covered five mental complaints. The latent growth curve of PS was estimated in the HED groups for comparisons. In addition, the prospective associations between symptoms and HED were examined using cross-lagged autoregressive models.

RESULTS

PS grew from 16 to 32 years, but declined after that, with women having higher level of PS than men. PS trajectory followed a path at highest and lowest level in the steady high and steady low HED groups, respectively. Symptoms predicted later HED, but the association in the opposite direction was not found.

CONCLUSIONS

The more the HED trajectory indicated frequent HED, the higher was the level of PS throughout the follow-up. Results support the self-medication hypothesis, suggesting that alcohol is used to ease the burden of PS. More attention should be paid to alcohol use of people with mental symptoms in health services.

Trends in alcohol use among young people according to the pattern of consumption on starting university: A 9-year follow-up study

AIM

To identify differences in Risky Consumption (RC) and Binge drinking (BD) trends in students who already followed these patterns of alcohol consumption on starting university and those who did not, and also to try to understand what leads students to engage in these types of behaviour at university.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cohort study among university students in Spain (n = 1382). BD and RC were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test at ages 18, 20, 22, 24 and 27 years. Multilevel logistic regression for repeated measures was used to calculate the adjusted Odds Ratios (ORs).

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of RC and BD were lower throughout the study in students who did not follow these patterns of consumption at age 18. For RC and BD, the differences at age 27 years, expressed as percentage points (pp), were respectively 24 pp and 15 pp in women and 29 pp and 25 pp in men. Early age of onset of alcohol use increased the risk of engaging in RC and BD patterns at university, for men (OR = 2.91 & 2.80) and women (OR = 8.14 & 5.53). The same was observed in students living away from the parental home for BD (OR = 3.43 for men & 1.77 for women). Only women were influenced by having positive expectancies for engaging in RC (OR = 1.82) and BD (OR = 1.96).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence rates of both RC and BD at age 27 years were much higher among university students who already followed these patterns of consumption at age 18 years, with the differences being proportionally higher among women. Focusing on the age of onset of alcohol consumption and hindering access to alcohol by minors should be priority objectives aimed at preventing students from engaging in these patterns of alcohol consumption at university.

Policy-relevant behaviours predict heavier drinking and mediate the relationship with age, gender and education status: Analysis from the International Alcohol Control Study

Introduction and Aims

To investigate behaviours related to four alcohol policy variables (policy‐relevant behaviours) and demographic variables in relation to typical quantities of alcohol consumed on‐premise in six International Alcohol Control study countries.

Design and Methods

General population surveys with drinkers using a comparable survey instrument and data analysed using path analysis in an overall model and for each country. Measures: typical quantities per occasion consumed on‐premise; gender, age; years of education, prices paid, time of purchase, time to access alcohol and liking for alcohol advertisements.

Results

In the overall model younger people, males and those with fewer years of education consumed larger typical quantities. Overall lower prices paid, later time of purchase and liking for alcohol ads predicted consuming larger typical quantities; this was found in the high‐income countries, less consistently in the high‐middle‐income countries and not in the low middle‐income country. Three policy‐relevant behaviours (prices paid, time of purchase, liking for alcohol ads) mediated the relationships between age, gender, education and consumption in high‐income countries.

Discussion and Conclusions

International Alcohol Control survey data showed a relationship between policy‐relevant behaviours and typical quantities consumed and support the likely effect of policy change (trading hours, price and restrictions on marketing) on heavier drinking. The path analysis also revealed policy‐relevant behaviours were significant mediating variables between the effect of age, gender and educational status on consumption. However, this relationship is clearest in high‐income countries. Further research is required to understand better how circumstances in low‐middle‐income countries impact effects of policies.

Problem drinking among Flemish students: beverage type, early drinking onset and negative personal & social consequences

Background

Although alcohol is socially accepted in most Western societies, studies are clear about its associated negative consequences, especially among university and college students. Studies on the relationship between alcohol-related consequences and both beverage type and drinking onset, however, are scarce, especially in a European context. The aim of this research was, therefore, twofold: (1) What is the relationship between beverage type and the negative consequences experienced by students? and (2) Are these consequences determined by early drinking onset? We will examine these questions within the context of a wide range of alcohol-related consequences.

Methods

The analyses are based on data collected by the inter-university project ‘Head in the clouds?’, measuring alcohol use among students in Flanders (Belgium). In total, a large dataset consisting of information from 19,253 anonymously participating students was available. Negative consequences were measured using a shortened version of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CADS_D). Data were analysed using negative binomial regression.

Results

Results vary depending on the type of alcohol-related consequences: Personal negative consequences occur frequently among daily beer drinkers. However, a high rate of social negative consequences was recorded for both daily beer drinkers and daily spirits drinkers. Finally, early drinking onset was significantly associated with both personal and social negative consequences, and this association was especially strong between beer and spirits drinking onset and social negative consequences.

Conclusions

Numerous negative consequences, both personal and social, are related to frequent beer and spirits drinking. Our findings indicate a close association between drinking beer and personal negative consequences as well as between drinking beer and/or spirits and social negative consequences. Similarly, early drinking onset has a major influence on the rates of both personal and social negative consequences. The earlier students started drinking, the more negative consequences they experienced during college or university. Several (policy) interventions are discussed. This study is the first to incorporate detailed information on both beverage type and drinking onset, and its associated negative consequences, as measured by the CADS_D, in a large student population.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5120-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Socioeconomic position and occupational social class and their association with risky alcohol consumption among adolescents

OBJECTIVES

To compare different measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) and occupational social class (OSC) and to evaluate their association with risky alcohol consumption among adolescents attending the last mandatory secondary school (ages 15-17 years).

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. 1268 adolescents in Catalonia (Spain) participated in the study. Family affluence scale (FAS), parents' OSC, parents' level of education and monthly familiar income were used to compare socioeconomic indicators. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate socioeconomic variables and missing associated factors, and to observe the relation between each SEP variable and OSC adjusting by sociodemographic variables.

RESULTS

Familiar income had more than 30% of missing values. OSC had the fewest missing values associated factors. Being immigrant was associated with all SEP missing values. All SEP measures were positively associated with risky alcohol consumption, yet the strength of these associations diminished after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. Weekly available money was the variable with the strongest association with risky alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

OSC seems to be as good as the other indicators to assess adolescents' SEP. Adolescents with high SEP and those belonging to upper social classes reported higher levels of risky alcohol consumption.

Effects of a stand-alone web-based electronic screening and brief intervention targeting alcohol use in university students of legal drinking age: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Many intervention efforts targeting student drinking were developed to address US college students, which usually involves underage drinking. It remains unclear, if research evidence from these interventions is generalizable to university and college students of legal drinking age, e.g., in Europe.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of a translated and adapted version of the eCHECKUP TO GO, applied as stand-alone web-based electronic screening and brief intervention (e-SBI), in German university students at risk for hazardous drinking.

METHODS

A fully automated web-based two-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants were randomized to an e-SBI or assessment-only (AO) condition. The current paper analyzed students with baseline AUDIT-C scores ≥3 for women and ≥4 for men (sample at baseline: e-SBI [n=514], AO [n=467]; 3-month follow-up: e-SBI [n=194], AO [n=231]; 6-month follow-up: e-SBI [n=146], AO [n=200]). The primary outcome was prior four weeks' alcohol consumption. Secondary outcomes were frequency of heavy drinking occasions, peak blood alcohol concentration, and number of alcohol-related problems.

RESULTS

Mixed linear model analyses revealed significant interaction effects between groups and time points on the primary outcome after 3 and 6months. Compared to students in the AO condition, students in the e-SBI condition reported consuming 4.11 fewer standard drinks during the previous four weeks after 3months, and 4.78 fewer standard drinks after 6months. Mixed results were found on secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that evidence on and knowledge of web-based e-SBIs based on US college student samples is transferable to German university students of legal drinking age. However, knowledge of what motivates students to complete programs under voluntary conditions, although rare, is needed.

Alcohol-induced risk behaviors among Brazilian nightclub patrons: a latent class analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to identify risk behavior profiles associated with alcohol consumption among patrons during or just after departure from nightclubs in São Paulo, Brazil.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

The study used a two-stage cluster sampling survey design. Data were collected on a probabilistic sample of nightclub patrons. Overall, 2422 patrons were interviewed at the entrance of 31 nightclubs. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify risk behavior profiles with an emphasis on risky driving, fights, alcoholic blackouts, and harm and unsafe sex.

RESULTS

A 3-class LCA model was selected, with classes consisting of low (43%), medium (33%), and high (24%) risk patrons. Compared to patrons in the low-risk class, patrons in the medium- and high-risk classes were more likely to be men (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval {CI} [1.2-4.0] and OR = 3.2, 95% CI [1.8-5.8], respectively), to have engaged in binge drinking during the last year (OR = 15.0, 95% CI [7.2-31.3] and OR = 14.3, 95% CI [9.4-21.8]), to be in the highest socioeconomic stratum (OR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.3-5.1] and OR = 2.0, 95% CI [1.2-3.5]) and to have been interviewed at a hip-hop music nightclub (OR = 2.8, 95% CI [1.1-6.8] and OR = 3.7, 95% CI [1.5-9.1]).

CONCLUSIONS

Risk behaviors were not equally distributed among nightclubs. Individual- and environmental-level characteristics are associated with higher risk. Alcohol harm reduction, such as the implementation of a responsible drinking service, should be implemented in São Paulo nightclubs.

Binge drinking differentially affects cortical and subcortical microstructure

Young adult binge drinkers represent a model for endophenotypic risk factors for alcohol misuse and early exposure to repeated binge cycles. Chronic or harmful alcohol use leads to neurochemical, structural and morphological neuroplastic changes, particularly in regions associated with reward processing and motivation. We investigated neural microstructure in 28 binge drinkers compared with 38 matched healthy controls. We used a recently developed diffusion magnetic resonance imaging acquisition and analysis, which uses three‐compartment modelling (of intracellular, extracellular and cerebrospinal fluid) to determine brain tissue microstructure features including neurite density and orientation dispersion index (ODI). Binge drinkers had reduced ODI, a proxy of neurite complexity, in frontal cortical grey matter and increased ODI in parietal grey matter. Neurite density was higher in cortical white matter in adjacent regions of lower ODI in binge drinkers. Furthermore, binge drinkers had higher ventral striatal grey matter ODI that was positively correlated with binge score. Healthy volunteers showed no such relationships. We demonstrate disturbed dendritic complexity of higher‐order prefrontal and parietal regions, along with higher dendritic complexity of a subcortical region known to mediate reward‐related motivation. The findings illustrate novel microstructural abnormalities that may reflect an infnce of alcohol bingeing on critical neurodevelopmental processes in an at‐risk young adult group.

Increased suicides during new year, but not during Christmas in Sweden: analysis of cause of death data 2006-2015

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have investigated the impact of the Christmas and New Year holiday on suicide rates. However, no such data has yet been published on Swedish suicides.

AIMS

To examine the occurrence of suicides on these dates in Sweden between 2006 and 2015.

METHODS

The suicide count for each date between December 15th and January 15th was obtained from the Swedish cause of death registry. The observations were transformed to Z-scores to enable calculation of p-values.

RESULTS

A small but non-significant decrease in suicides was observed on Christmas and New Year's Eve. A significant spike was found on New Year's Day (NYD) (Z = 3.40; p < .001), and these excess suicide occurred mainly among men aged 15-24 and 45-64. However, the number of suicides were somewhat lower than expected on the 31st of December (Z = -1.58; p = .115).

DISCUSSION

The noted increase in suicide on NYD is in line with previous research from other countries. However, the decrease in suicides on the day before NYD suggests a delay rather than a spontaneous increase of suicides. Possible mechanisms to explain this phenomenon are discussed, such as the "broken promise effect", increased alcohol consumption, or lower help-seeking and accessibility to care.

The psychometric properties of a shortened Dutch version of the consequences scale used in the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey

BACKGROUND

Alcohol and drug misuse among college students has been studied extensively and has been clearly identified as a public health problem. Within more general populations alcohol misuse remains one of the leading causes of disease, disability and death worldwide. Conducting research on alcohol misuse requires valid and reliable instruments to measure its consequences. One scale that is often used is the consequences scale in the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CADS). However, psychometric studies on the CADS are rare and the ones that do exist report varying results. This article aims to address this imbalance by examining the psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the CADS in a large sample of Flemish university and college students.

METHODS

The analyses are based on data collected by the inter-university project 'Head in the clouds', measuring alcohol use among students. In total, 19,253 students participated (22.1% response rate). The CADS scale was measured using 19 consequences, and participants were asked how often they had experienced these on a 6-point scale. Firstly, the factor structure of the CADS was examined. Two models from literature were compared by performing confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and were adapted if necessary. Secondly, we assessed the composite reliability as well as the convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity.

RESULTS

The two-factor model, identifying personal consequences (had a hangover; got nauseated or vomited; missed a class) and social consequences (got into an argument or fight; been criticized by someone I know; done something I later regretted; been hurt or injured) was indicated to be the best model, having both a good model fit and an acceptable composite reliability. In addition, construct validity was evaluated to be acceptable, with good discriminant validity, although the convergent validity of the factor measuring 'social consequences' could be improved. Concurrent validity was evaluated as good.

CONCLUSIONS

In deciding which model best represents the data, it is crucial that not only the model fit is evaluated, but the importance of factor reliability and validity issues is also taken into account. The two-factor model, identifying personal consequences and social consequences, was concluded to be the best model. This shortened Dutch version of the CADS (CADS_D) is a useful tool to screen alcohol-related consequences among college students.

Perceived parental alcohol problems and drinking patterns in youth: A cross-sectional study of 69,030 secondary education students in Denmark

The aim of the study was to examine whether young people with parental alcohol problems have different drinking patterns than those without parental alcohol problems. Further, we examined whether the association between parental alcohol problems and young people's drinking patterns differed depending on the gender of the child and the parent, and whether more severe parental alcohol problems and cohabitation with the parent with alcohol problems was associated with earlier and heavier drinking patterns. Data came from the Danish National Youth Study 2014, a web-based national survey. 75,025 high school and vocational school students (15-25years) participated. Drinking patterns were investigated by the following outcomes: non-drinking, weekly alcohol consumption, frequent binge drinking, and early intoxication debut age. The main predictor variables were perceived parental alcohol problems, gender of the parent with alcohol problems, cohabitation with a parent with alcohol problems and severity of the parents' alcohol problems. Young people with parental alcohol problems had a higher weekly alcohol consumption (boys: 15.2 vs. 13.9 drinks per week; girls: 11.6 vs. 10.2 drinks per week), higher odds of early intoxication debut age (boys: OR=1.68 [95% CI 1.50-1.89]; girls: OR 1.95 [95% CI 1.79-2.14]), and more frequent binge drinking (boys, OR=1.16 [95% CI 1.04-1.29]; girls, OR=1.21 [95% CI 1.11-1.32]) compared to young people without parental alcohol problems. In conclusion, this study shows that young people with perceived parental alcohol problems have an earlier intoxication debut age, binge drink more frequently, and drink larger quantities per week than young people without perceived parental alcohol problems.

Neighborhood or School? Influences on Alcohol Consumption and Heavy Episodic Drinking Among Urban Adolescents

Little is known about the relative influences of neighborhood and school on the alcohol socialization process. Survey data from the Young in Oslo Study (N = 10,038, mean age 17.1 years, 52% girls) were used to investigate the details of such influences, using cross-classified multilevel models. School and neighborhood contexts were equally important for ordinary alcohol use; however, neighborhood influences were mainly explained by individual and family factors, whereas peer-based sociocultural processes played a key role in explaining school effects. Neither context had much impact on heavy episodic drinking. The study suggests that "privileged" youth may be at risk of high alcohol consumption. Parental influences and peer-based sociocultural aspects of the school milieu should be considered in prevention efforts.

Health-related quality of life in alcohol dependence: Similar cross-cultural impact beyond specific drinking habits

This study explores sociocultural differences in alcohol-related impact on quality of life between France and United Kingdom. We included 38 alcohol-dependent patients in France and United Kingdom in 10 focus groups. We used a text-mining approach. Three classes of each corpus regarded identical themes across the countries: (a) core impact on quality of life, (b) drinking habits, (c) sources of help. Core impact was similar between the two countries. Main differences were in drinking habits and referral to sources of help. Despite differences in drinking habits, the domains of life impacted by alcohol were non-country specific.

Adolescent alcohol use and parental and adolescent socioeconomic position in six European cities

Background

Many risk behaviours in adolescence are socially patterned. However, it is unclear to what extent socioeconomic position (SEP) influences adolescent drinking in various parts of Europe. We examined how alcohol consumption is associated with parental SEP and adolescents’ own SEP among students aged 14–17 years.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were collected in the 2013 SILNE study. Participants were 8705 students aged 14–17 years from 6 European cities. The dependent variable was weekly binge drinking. Main independent variables were parental SEP (parental education level and family affluence) and adolescents’ own SEP (student weekly income and academic achievement). Multilevel Poisson regression models with robust variance and random intercept were fitted to estimate the association between adolescent drinking and SEP.

Results

Prevalence of weekly binge drinking was 4.2% (95%CI = 3.8–4.6). Weekly binge drinking was not associated with parental education or family affluence. However, weekly binge drinking was less prevalent in adolescents with high academic achievement than those with low achievement (PR = 0.34; 95%CI = 0.14–0.87), and more prevalent in adolescents with >€50 weekly income compared to those with ≤€5/week (PR = 3.14; 95%CI = 2.23–4.42). These associations were found to vary according to country, but not according to gender or age group.

Conclusions

Across the six European cities, adolescent drinking was associated with adolescents’ own SEP, but not with parental SEP. Socio-economic inequalities in adolescent drinking seem to stem from adolescents’ own situation rather than that of their family.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4635-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Proneness to Boredom and Risk Behaviors During Adolescents' Free Time

As a clinical condition, boredom is an emotional state, widespread among young people, characterized by unpleasant feelings, lack of motivation, and low physiological arousal in which the level of stimulation is perceived as unsatisfactorily low. Boredom is an important emotional state due to its spread among young people. Recent research has mainly studied the complex connection between boredom and leisure-time experiences, which may be involved in adolescents' risk-taking behaviors. The current study aims to investigate boredom proneness, conceived as a personality trait, in adolescents' free time, and its involvement in more extreme behaviors, such as binge drinking and addictive Internet use, which may represent ways to cope with the search for additional stimuli. Data from a large sample of Italian adolescents ( n = 478, aged between 14 years and 19 years, M = 16.31, SD = 1.47) revealed significant differences between low-boredom and high-boredom subjects. Both girls and boys with high boredom proneness used technology more, engaged less in hobbies and activities such as sports, more frequently consumed strong drinks and binge drank, and were more at risk of Internet addiction than non-bored adolescents. These findings suggest a hypothetical risk profile linked to boredom proneness in adolescence. The results are discussed in light of the literature from a psychosocial and clinical perspective.

Correlates of alcohol consumption on heavy drinking occasions of young risky drinkers: event versus personal characteristics

AIMS

Risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) by young people is a serious public health issue, yet little is known about the specific circumstances of risky drinking occasions. This study examined the independent effects of event- and individual-specific variables on RSOD.

DESIGN

Longitudinal cohort study measuring self-reported RSOD and event- and individual-specific variables across two drinking occasions approximately 1 year apart.

SETTING

Metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 710 young risky drinkers aged between 18 and 25 years and defined as engaging in risky drinking practices (males: consumed alcohol in excess of 10 Australian Standard Drinks (ASD: 10 g ethanol) in a single occasion in the previous year; females: consumed alcohol in excess of seven ASD for females in a single occasion in the previous year).

MEASUREMENTS

Random digit-dial telephone landline survey of the most recent heavy drinking occasion and socio-demographic variables. The primary outcome was the log of the total drinks consumed in the most recent heavy drinking occasion. Event-specific (e.g. number of drinking locations) and time-varying (e.g. weekly income) and time-invariant (e.g. sex) individual-specific variables were examined as correlates of total drinks consumed.

FINDINGS

Changes in event-specific characteristics including the length of the drinking occasion (Likelihood Ratio χ² (2) = 24.4, P < 0.001), the number of drinking locations (Wald χ²₍₁₎  = 7.6, P = 0.006) and the number of different drink types (Wald χ²₍₁₎  = 13.6, P < 0.001) were associated with increases in total drinks consumed, after adjustment for time-invariant and time-variant individual-specific variables such as gender, income level and weekly consumption. Few other effects were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Event-specific characteristics are important predictors of the number of drinks consumed during risky single occasion drinking (RSOD) and illustrate the importance of event contexts when considering interventions targeting RSOD. The total number of drinks consumed in a RSOD session appears to rise independently with the duration of the drinking event, the number of drinking locations and the number of different types of beverage consumed.

Alcohol-related cognitions in children (aged 2-10) and how they are shaped by parental alcohol use: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence of the impact of parental alcohol use on the acquisition of children's alcohol-related cognitions (alcohol-related knowledge, alcohol-related norms, alcohol expectancies) in the developmental period from age two to ten.

METHODS

A computer-assisted systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, PsychINFO, ERIC, and EMBASE. Overall, 20 out of the 3406 unique articles identified in the first screening were included.

RESULTS

The results revealed that children acquire knowledge about alcohol already at age two and from age four on, they understand its use in adult culture. By the age of four, children have certain alcohol expectancies. The evidence of the impact of parental alcohol use on the acquisition of children's alcohol-related cognitions is inconsistent so far with studies showing positive and no effects. Unfortunately, the existing evidence is limited because most studies a) were conducted exclusively in the United States and more than two decades ago, b) used cross-sectional study designs, and c) used non-representative samples recruited using convenience sampling strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Research on children's alcohol-related cognitions is underdeveloped. To elucidate the conclusions about alcohol involvement in early life, studies with longitudinal study designs need to be conducted among representative samples of children and early adolescents by using age-appropriate measurement tools in a broader cultural context.

Rat animal models for screening medications to treat alcohol use disorders

The purpose of this review is to present animal research models that can be used to screen and/or repurpose medications for the treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence. The focus will be on rats and in particular selectively bred rats. Brief introductions discuss various aspects of the clinical picture, which provide characteristics of individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) to model in animals. Following this, multiple selectively bred rat lines will be described and evaluated in the context of animal models used to screen medications to treat AUDs. Next, common behavioral tests for drug efficacy will be discussed particularly as they relate to stages in the addiction cycle. Tables highlighting studies that have tested the effects of compounds using the respective techniques are included. Wherever possible the Tables are organized chronologically in ascending order to describe changes in the focus of research on AUDs over time. In general, high ethanol-consuming selectively bred rats have been used to test a wide range of compounds. Older studies usually followed neurobiological findings in the selected lines that supported an association with a propensity for high ethanol intake. Most of these tests evaluated the compound's effects on the maintenance of ethanol drinking. Very few compounds have been tested during ethanol-seeking and/or relapse and fewer still have assessed their effects during the acquisition of AUDs. Overall, while a substantial number of neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory system targets have been assessed; the roles of sex- and age-of-animal, as well as the acquisition of AUDs, ethanol-seeking and relapse continue to be factors and behaviors needing further study. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".

Effects of family affluence on the health behaviors of Korean adolescents

AIM

To examine the effect of the level of family affluence on the health-related behaviors of South Korean adolescents.

METHODS

A stratified, random cluster sampling of 400 middle schools and 400 high schools in Korea lead to the selection of 72,435 middle school and high school students. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the impact of family affluence on the health-related behaviors of Korean adolescents.

RESULTS

The risk of alcohol intake was 0.824 and 0.809 times lower in those adolescents with low and moderate family affluence, respectively, compared to those with a high level of family affluence. The risk of current smoking was 0.896 times lower in the adolescents with moderate family affluence, compared to those with a high level of family affluence. The risk of not exercising was 1.286 and 1.425 times higher in those adolescents who were associated with moderate and low family affluence, respectively, compared to those with a high level of family affluence. The risk of skipping breakfast was 1.433 times higher in the adolescents with low family affluence, compared to those with high family affluence. The risk for consuming no fruit was 1.890 times higher in the adolescents with low family affluence, compared to those with a high level of family affluence.

CONCLUSION

A high level of family affluence had a greater negative impact on alcohol intake and smoking and a greater positive impact on exercise and dietary behaviors, as compared to low and moderate family affluence among Korean adolescents.

Does Alcohol Catch the Eye? Investigating Young Adults' Attention to Alcohol Consumption

Many studies on young adults' motivations for drinking overlook the symbolic aspects of alcohol use. However, research indicates that young adults' alcohol consumption is also driven by signaling motivations. Although the interest of a receiver is a necessary prerequisite of a signal, no previous studies have verified whether drinking behavior indeed attracts young adults' attention. Therefore, we conducted two studies. A two-part eye-tracking study ( N1 = 135, N2 = 140) showed that both young men and young women pay special visual attention to male and female drinking behavior. Additionally, a recall experiment ( N = 321) confirmed that observed male and female drinking is better remembered than observed nonsignaling, functional behavior. Moreover, alcoholic beverages also receive special attention, as they were recalled better than other functional products, and also nonalcoholic drinks similar in color and shape. In summary, the experiments clearly showed that male and female drinking behavior can be used as a signal, as both behaviors clearly function as an attention-attracting cue. Additionally, as alcoholic beverages draw more attention than nonalcoholic drinks, this attention is clearly linked to the alcohol element of the drinking behavior.

Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

This study, which builds on previous research demonstrating that drinking motives are associated with adverse consequences, investigates the associations between drinking motives and non-alcohol-attributed adverse consequences and disentangles alcohol-related and direct effects.

DESIGN AND METHOD

On the basis of a sample of 22 841 alcohol-using 13- to 16-year-olds (50.6% female) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Wales, structural equation models were used to estimate direct and indirect effects. Additionally, differences across countries were tested in a multigroup analysis.

RESULTS

The indirect effect (via alcohol use) was greater for injuries and academic problems than for more general outcomes such as life dissatisfaction and negative body image. For social, enhancement and coping motives, we found positive indirect effects (via alcohol use) on injuries and academic problems; the association was negative for conformity motives. The direct effect, that is, the effect above and beyond alcohol use, indicated more negative consequences among those who tended to drink more frequently for coping motives. More negative consequences, such as injuries and negative body image, were also found among those who drink for conformity motives. The pattern of association was largely comparable across countries.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

While the actual mean level of drinking motives, alcohol use and adverse consequence varied across countries, the consistency of association patterns implies that drinking motive-inspired health promotion efforts are likely to be beneficial across Europe. This is particularly important for coping drinkers because they are especially prone to adverse consequences over and above their alcohol use. [Wicki M, Kuntsche E, Eichenberger Y, Aasvee K, Bendtsen P, Dankulincová Veselská Z, Demetrovics Z, Dzielska A, Farkas J, de Matos MG, Roberts C, Tynjälä J, Välimaa R, Vieno A. Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries.

Binge drinking: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions

OBJECTIVE

Binge drinking (also called heavy episodic drinking, risky single-occasion drinking etc.) is a major public health problem. This paper provides an overview of recently published evidence concerning the definition and measurement, prevalence rates, health impact, demographic and psychosocial correlates of, and interventions for, binge drinking.

DESIGN

Narrative review.

RESULTS

Mostly occurring among young people at weekends, binge drinking increases the risk of both acute (e.g. injuries) and long-term negative consequences (e.g. alcohol disorders). Binge drinkers tend to be extrovert, impulsive and sensation-seeking. Stress, anxiety, traumatic events and depression are also related to binge drinking. Both alcohol-related behaviour of parents and general parenting (e.g. parenting styles, monitoring) are also important. Other major risk factors for binge drinking are frequently spending time with friends who drink, and the drinking norms observed in the wider social environment (e.g. school, community, culture). Emergency departments, birthday parties, fraternities and the workplace serve as settings for interventions; these are increasingly delivered via digital and mobile technology. There is evidence of small-sized effects across approaches (brief interventions, personalised normative feedback, protective behavioural strategies etc.) and populations.

CONCLUSION

A more consistent terminology, investigating multi-level influences and identifying the most effective intervention components are challenges for future research.

Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Young Men as Predictors of Body Composition Changes During Military Service

AIMS

To evaluate the influences of alcohol consumption frequency and binge drinking on changes in the body composition, lifestyle habits and physical fitness of healthy young men during military service.

METHODS

A population-based study of men performing their military service in the Sodankylä Jaeger Brigade, Finland in 2005. Body composition, fitness and lifestyle habits were evaluated at baseline and 6-12 months follow-up. Alcohol consumption frequency and binge drinking were categorized as: 'not at all', 'at least once a month' and 'at least once a week'.

RESULTS

Data were available for 983 participants. Mean (SD) age was 19.2 (1.0) years. At baseline, participants who reported binge drinking at least once a week (29.8%) had the most unfavourable body composition, lifestyle habits and physical fitness compared with the group with no binge drinking. Significant (P < 0.05) mean reductions in % body fat (-2.3%) and weight (-1.8 kg), as well as improvements in lifestyle habits and physical fitness were observed in the weekly binge drinking group during the military service. The reductions in relative weight (%) and % body fat were associated with binge drinking at least once a week (regression coefficient for relative weight -1.39, 95% CI [-2.32; -0.45], P = 0.004, and for % body fat -0.68, 95% CI [-1.35; -0.01], P = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

Frequent binge drinking is associated with poorer body composition, lifestyle habits and fitness among young men. Frequent binge drinkers may obtain the greatest benefit of military-service-based exercise intervention, as reflected in the improvements in body composition, lifestyle habits and physical fitness.

SHORT SUMMARY

Frequent binge drinking is associated with poorer body composition, lifestyle habits and fitness among young men. The greatest benefit of military service comprehending exercise intervention was observed among those with binge drinking once a week at the baseline, with favourable changes in lifestyle factors, body composition and fitness.