Common and differential associations between levels of alcohol drinking, gender-specific neurobehaviors and mental distress in college students

Is the Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Mental Well-Being in University Students Linear, Curvilinear or Absent?

Background: Both alcohol consumption and mental well-being problems have been found to be prevalent in higher educated students and often have severe consequences. However, previous findings of the association between these constructs are mixed, possibly because often linear models are fitted, while some theories suggest a curvilinear association between the two concepts. Objectives: To clarify previously mixed findings, the current study compared curvilinear and linear models for the relationship between alcohol consumption and mental well-being in university students. Because of potential gender differences in this relationship, these models were explored for females and males separately. Data from the first cross-sectional online survey wave of the Healthy Student Life project including 2,631 female and 998 male students was used. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-consumption was used to measure alcohol consumption. Mental well-being was assessed by six sub-concepts (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, happiness, and self-rated mental health). Results: For females both linear (for anxiety, life satisfaction, and self-rated mental health) and curvilinear (for depression, stress, and happiness) associations were found, while for males no support for either curvilinear or linear models was found. Conclusions: Results should be interpreted with caution due to the small effect sizes in the relationships for females but may suggest that testing the curvilinear association between alcohol consumption and mental well-being is an important future endeavor.

Are Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, Emotional Eating, Alcohol Intake, and Anxiety Related in University Students in Spain?

Research has suggested that university students are at risk from certain unhealthy habits, such as poor diet or alcohol abuse. At the same time, anxiety levels appear to be higher among university students, which may lead to high levels of emotional eating. The aim of this study was to analyze the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD), emotional eating, alcohol intake, and anxiety among Spanish university students, and the interrelationship of these variables. A total of 252 university students filled out the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) questionnaire for Mediterranean diet adherence, an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Emotional Eater Questionnaire. We analyzed descriptive data, a t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for differences, a Pearson correlation, and multiple regression tests. Results showed low levels of AMD among university students (15.5%) and considerable levels of emotional eating (29%) and anxiety (23.6%). However, levels of alcohol dependence were low (2.4%). State-anxiety was a predictor of the emotional eater score and its subscales, and sex also was predictive of subscale guilt and the total score. However, AMD was predicted only by trait-anxiety. These models accounted for between 1.9% and 19%. The results suggest the need for the implementation of educational programs to promote healthy habits among university students at risk.