Examining Demographic & Socio-Cultural Factors as Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among African American Male College Students Attending an Urban Historically Black College and University

Alcohol consumption among college students continues to be a significant public health concern for colleges and universities across the country. However, a preponderance of research primarily included White samples from predominantly white institutions. Unsurprisingly, this practice limits what is known regarding alcohol consumption among African American male college students on historically Black campuses. Notably, as a "rite of passages" from childhood to adulthood, early exposure to alcohol consumption has been viewed as a cultural norm in African American families. The negative consequences associated with alcohol abuse, early exposure to alcohol, and the prevalence of problem drinking among college students in general, mandated further research facilitating a better understanding of this public health concern on historically Black campuses. This study examined alcohol use among African American male college students, investigating relationships between demographics and socio-cultural factors as predictors of alcohol consumption among African American male college students who drink. A convenience sample of 94 students was used. A multiple regression was conducted to test whether demographics and socio-cultural factors were predictors of alcohol consumption. Findings from this study will advance social work research and stimulate discussions about substance abuse disparities among African American male college students who consume alcohol. Furthermore, this research highlights the public health issue, prompting the development of prevention and intervention programs aimed at addressing the social problem of alcohol consumption among African American male college students at historically Black universities.

Perceived psychological control relates to coping-related drinking motives via social anxiety among adolescents: A cross-sectional mediation analysis

Accumulating evidence suggests that particular parenting behaviors (e.g., elevated psychological control) may increase risk for both problematic social anxiety and alcohol use among youth; however, no work has yet examined these factors together in a single model. Building developmentally sensitive models of problematic alcohol use trajectories is key to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. The present study includes 94 adolescents (ages 14-17 years; 53.3% girls; 89.2% White) entering a treatment facility for a variety of internalizing and externalizing forms of psychological distress. Levels of perceived parental psychological control, social anxiety, and coping-related drinking motives were assessed. Higher levels of perceived psychological control were associated with a greater endorsement of coping-related drinking motives; however, a significant proportion of that association was accounted for by elevated social anxiety symptoms. These data extend the existing literature and lay groundwork for more sophisticated experimental and longitudinal designs to corroborate the findings. Moreover, personality-targeted drinking interventions for adolescents may benefit from identifying elevated perceived psychological control as a developmentally relevant risk factor for social anxiety and problematic drinking motives and administering relevant interventions (e.g., personality-targeted coping skills training, parent-involved care) before drinking patterns are established.

COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and uptake: A sociocultural perspective focusing on parents and peers

The global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of widespread vaccination to mitigate the impact of the virus on public health. The current study aimed to investigate which social influences might be most important for predicting attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake among young students in the UK. We focused on the cultural evolution and social transmission aspects, i.e., parent-to-child versus peer-to-peer, of attitudes and vaccine uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 192 UK students (aged 18 to 35 years old) filled in an online survey including measures for attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake and/or intention, age, and gender. Participants were also asked about their mother's, father's, and best friend's attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake. Finally, they provided a subjective measure of the quality relationship with their parents. Overall, our results suggest that both parents and very close friends are important agents in understanding the students' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake. More specifically, our findings suggest the mother's vaccine uptake as the most salient predictor of students' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake, particularly when the students report having a positive relationship with their parents. In cases where students' experience negative relationship with their parents, the best friend's vaccine uptake may supersede the mother's influence. Despite these nuances, a general trend emerges from our data suggesting that vaccine uptake could be primarily guided by vertical transmission (i.e., parent to child). Our results have the potential to influence public health strategies, communication campaigns, and targeted interventions to enhance vaccination uptake. Identifying key social predictors can enable policymakers and health authorities to tailor vaccination promotion efforts towards mothers' and peers' vaccine uptake to increase overall positive attitudes and vaccine uptake among young people.

Initiation of Alcohol Consumption Among the Tribal Male Adolescents in Dooars Region of West Bengal: A Failure Event Analysis Approach

BACKGROUND

Alcohol consumption is a significant social and health problem among tribal male adolescents. The Dooars region of West Bengal has the highest concentration of the tribal population. This study aimed to examine the role of various factors in the early initiation of alcohol consumption among tribal male adolescents.

METHODS

This study relied on primary data and included 600 tribal adolescents. To fulfil the objective, the Cox regression hazard model was employed. Additionally, hazard rates were calculated to identify the changing hazard rates over a specific age. The Kaplan-Meier failure graph was also used to illustrate the occurrence of alcohol consumption events among different groups of tribal adolescents.

FINDINGS

The risk of alcohol consumption was higher among tribal adolescents who dropped out of the educational system (HR: 2.94), did not participate in outdoor games (HR: 3.10), worked for pay (HR: 3.23), smoked (HR: 12.55), drank traditional liquor (HR: 3.61), and had siblings (HR: 4.27) or peers (HR: 3.60) who used substances or fathers who consumed alcohol (HR: 3.80). Unsupervised time with peers (HR: 3.61) and stress (HR: 3.61) also increased the risk of alcohol consumption. In contrast, self-esteem was found to be protective (HR: 0.93).

CONCLUSIONS

The government has introduced various interventions and schemes to reduce alcohol consumption, but more targeted actions are needed at the household and individual levels. In the tea gardens of the Dooars region, NGOs and the government should promote education, organize extracurricular activities for adolescents' holistic development, and raise awareness in tribal communities about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.

Naloxone Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Overdose Response Among Family Members of People who Misuse Opioids

Providing family members of individuals with opioid use disorders (OUD) naloxone is a cost-effective way to prevent overdose deaths. However, misconceptions and negative attitudes towards naloxone hinder family engagement with naloxone programs. This study examines factors associated with knowledge and attitudes toward naloxone among adults with close family members who misused opioids. Adults with family members (parent, step-parent, child, spouse, sibling, or step-sibling) who misused opioids (N = 299) completed a web-based survey. Participants were recruited through treatment providers, community groups, and social media. Surveys assessed naloxone knowledge, attitudes toward overdose response, demographics, completion of naloxone training, attitude toward medications for OUD, and family members' overdose history. Multiple regression was used to identify factors associated with naloxone knowledge (Model 1) and attitudes toward overdose response (Model 2). A graduate degree (B = .35, p < .003) and a history of overdose (B = 0.21, p = .032) were associated with greater naloxone knowledge. Age (B = .11, p < .001), race/ethnicity (B = -1.39, p = .037), naloxone training (B = 2.70, p < .001), and more positive attitude toward medications for OUD (B = 1.50, p = .003) were associated with attitudes toward overdose response. Family members are potential allies in reducing drug overdose deaths, and families may need broader education about naloxone. Awareness of previous overdose was associated with greater naloxone knowledge. Findings related to race/ethnicity suggest the need to reach family members of minoritized racial groups to provide access to naloxone training. Findings point to where education and distribution efforts may focus on increasing knowledge and improving attitudes among those closest to people with OUD.

Neural response to threat and reward among young adults at risk for alcohol use disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is heritable. Thus, young adults with positive family histories represent an at-risk group relative to those without a family history, and if studied at a time when both groups have similar levels of alcohol use, it provides an opportunity to identify neural processing patterns associated with risk for AUD. Previous studies have shown that diminished response to potential reward is associated with genetic risk for AUD, but it is unclear how threat may modulate this response. We used a modified Monetary Incentive Delay task during fMRI to examine neural correlates of the interaction between threat and reward anticipation in a sample of young adults with (n = 31) and without (n = 44) family histories of harmful alcohol use. We found an interaction (p = 0.048) between cue and group in the right nucleus accumbens where the family history positive group showed less differentiation to the anticipation of gaining $5 and losing $5 relative to gaining $0. The family history-positive group also reported less excitement for trials to gain $5 relative to gaining $0 (p < 0.001). Family history-positive individuals showed less activation in the left insula during both safe and threat blocks compared to family history-negative individuals (p = 0.005), but the groups did not differ as a function of threat (p > 0.70). Young adults with, relative to without, enriched risk for AUD may have diminished reward processing via both neural and behavioural markers to potential rewarding and negative consequences. Neural response to threat may not be a contributing factor to risk at this stage.

A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies on Factors Associated With Smoking Cessation Among Adolescents and Young Adults

OBJECTIVE

To summarize findings from qualitative studies on factors associated with smoking cessation among adolescents and young adults.

DATA SOURCES

We searched Pubmed, Psychinfo, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases, as well as reference lists, for peer-reviewed articles published in English or French between January 1, 2000, and November 18, 2020. We used keywords such as adolescents, determinants, cessation, smoking, and qualitative methods.

STUDY SELECTION

Of 1724 records identified, we included 39 articles that used qualitative or mixed methods, targeted adolescents and young adults aged 10-24, and aimed to identify factors associated with smoking cessation or smoking reduction.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two authors independently extracted the data using a standardized form. We assessed study quality using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence checklist for qualitative studies.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We used an aggregative meta-synthesis approach and identified 39 conceptually distinct factors associated with smoking cessation. We grouped them into two categories: (1) environmental factors [tobacco control policies, pro-smoking norms, smoking cessation services and interventions, influence of friends and family], and (2) individual attributes (psychological characteristics, attitudes, pre-quitting smoking behavior, nicotine dependence symptoms, and other substances use). We developed a synthetic framework that captured the factors identified, the links that connect them, and their associations with smoking cessation.

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative synthesis offers new insights on factors related to smoking cessation services, interventions, and attitudes about cessation (embarrassment when using cessation services) not reported in quantitative reviews, supplementing limited evidence for developing cessation programs for young persons who smoke.

IMPLICATIONS

Using an aggregative meta-synthesis approach, this study identified 39 conceptually distinct factors grouped into two categories: Environmental factors and individual attributes. These findings highlight the importance of considering both environmental and individual factors when developing smoking cessation programs for young persons who smoke. The study also sheds light on self-conscious emotions towards cessation, such as embarrassment when using cessation services, which are often overlooked in quantitative reviews. Overall, this study has important implications for developing effective smoking cessation interventions and policies that address the complex factors influencing smoking behavior among young persons.

NEURAL RESPONSE TO THREAT AND REWARD AMONG YOUNG ADULTS AT RISK FOR ALCOHOL USE DISORDER

Alcohol use disorder is 50% heritable; those with positive family histories represent an at-risk group within which we can test anticipation of threat and reward prior to development of harmful alcohol use. We examined neural correlates of the interaction between family history, threat anticipation (unpredictable threat), and monetary reward anticipation, in a sample of healthy young adults with (n=31) and without (n=44) family histories of harmful alcohol use. We used a modified Monetary Incentive Delay task with sustained threat of hearing a scream during fMRI. We examined the interaction between family history group, anticipation of threat, and anticipation of reward in the insula, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex. Family history positive individuals showed less activation in the left insula during both safe and threat blocks compared to family history negative individuals (p=0.005), but the groups did not differ as a function of unpredictable threat (p>0.70). We found an interaction (p=0.048) between cue and group in the right nucleus accumbens where the family history positive group showed less differentiation to the anticipation of gaining $5 and losing $5 relative to gaining $0. The family history positive group also reported less excitement for trials to gain $5 relative to gaining $0 (p<0.001). Prior to chronic heavy alcohol use, individuals with, relative to without, enriched risk may have diminished reward processing via both neural and behavioral markers to potential rewarding and negative consequences. Neural response to unpredictable threat may not be a contributing factor to risk at this stage.

The role of social capital in resilience among adolescents with adverse family environments

The Life Course Health Development (LCHD) framework underscores the profound impact of stressors during critical developmental phases on an individual's lifelong health, including their mental well-being. Among these developmental transitions, adolescence emerges as a pivotal life stage where an adolescent's mental health trajectory is significantly influenced by the various risk and promotive factors embedded within their social ecosystem. Adolescents from adverse family environments (AFEs) face heightened susceptibility to mental health challenges. Nevertheless, there are opportunities within the adolescent's environment to foster resilience. In this paper, we employ an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the LCHD framework to assess existing research pertaining to resilience, social capital, and health development. Furthermore, we aim to provide actionable recommendations tailored to healthcare providers, with a specific emphasis on strategies to augment mental health outcomes among adolescent populations, particularly those experiencing AFEs.

Sibling Spillovers: Having an Academically Successful Older Sibling May be More Important for Children in Disadvantaged Families

This paper examines causal sibling spillover effects among students from different family backgrounds in elementary and middle school. Family backgrounds are captured by race, household structure, mothers' educational attainment, and school poverty. Exploiting discontinuities in school starting age created by North Carolina school-entry laws, we adopt a quasi-experimental approach and compare test scores of public school students whose older siblings were born shortly before and after the school-entry cutoff date. We find that individuals whose older siblings were born shortly after the school-entry cutoff date have significantly higher test scores in middle school, and that this positive spillover effect is particularly strong in disadvantaged families. We estimate that the spillover effect accounts for approximately one third of observed statistical associations in test scores between siblings, and the magnitude is much larger for disadvantaged families. Our results suggest that spillover effects from older to younger siblings may lead to greater divergence in academic outcomes and economic inequality between families.

Emotion regulation in young adults with family history of harmful alcohol use: A fMRI study

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use disorder is associated with difficulties in emotion regulation and cognitive reappraisal. Family history of harmful alcohol use increases risk of substance use disorders, but no studies have examined whether family history is associated with altered neural activation during cognitive reappraisal relative to passive viewing of negative images in a sample of young adults without current substance use disorders.

METHODS

Participants (N = 75 with positive [n = 31] or negative [n = 44] family histories of harmful alcohol use) completed the emotion regulation task during an MRI scan, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire to assess use of emotion regulation and suppression strategies. Whole-brain analyses and amygdala region of interest analyses using linear mixed-effects models assessed family history group and cue effects on neural activation during the task.

RESULTS

The groups did not differ on trait reappraisal, suppression, or negative emotion following reappraisal. In general, group effects in whole-brain and amygdala activation during the cognitive reappraisal contrast indicated small effect sizes (2.2% of voxels had d>0.20) that were not significantly different. Participants with positive family histories engaged the right middle and superior frontal gyri to a greater extent than participants with negative family histories during the decrease-negative cue (t = 4.14, p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

For at-risk young adults without current harmful substance use, family history of harmful alcohol use does not appear to be associated with disrupted emotion regulation when instructed to apply cognitive reappraisal. Reappraisal may be a feasible therapeutic target for those who develop a substance use disorder with associated emotion dysregulation.

Associations between older siblings' substance use and younger siblings' substance use intentions: Indirect effects via substance use expectations

OBJECTIVE

We examined the direct and indirect effects of older siblings' substance use behaviors (i.e., cannabis and e-cigarettes) on younger siblings' later substance use intentions via their substance use expectations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data were collected from 682 families (N = 2,046) with two adolescent siblings (older siblings: M age = 15.67 years, 51% female; younger siblings: M age = 13.14 years, 48% female) and one parent (M age = 45.15 years; 85% female). Participants completed annual online surveys at two occasions. Older siblings reported on their cannabis and e-cigarette use frequencies (Time 1) and younger siblings reported on their substance use expectations (Time 1) and intentions (Time 1 and 2); parents reported on adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and their own substance use (Time 2).

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling results suggested that older siblings' cannabis and e-cigarette use was indirectly related to younger siblings' later intentions to use these substances through their positive expectations about substances, after accounting for younger siblings' earlier intentions to use substances and control variables including parents' and friends' use. There were no significant direct relations between older siblings' cannabis or e-cigarette use and younger siblings' intentions to use them.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that older siblings are critical and unique socialization agents of younger siblings' expectations and intentions to use substances. Intervention and prevention programs that target adolescents' substance use should consider the ways in which siblings shape each other's substance use.

Interactive Video-Based Passive Drinking and Forced Drinking Education to Reduce Intention to Drink in Adolescents: A Pre-Post Intervention Study

Passive and forced drinking harm was prevalent but less recognized in Chinese adolescents. We educated adolescents on such harm to reduce their intention to drink. Students (n = 1244) from seven secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a video-based health talk on passive and forced drinking harm. Paired t-test was used to assess their change in knowledge of passive and forced drinking, and health and social harm of drinking after, the health talk. McNemar's chi-squared test and adjusted multivariable logistic regression (AOR) were used to assess their change in intention to drink and intention to quit. Students were less likely to drink (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19-0.42) and more likely to quit drinking (OR 3.50, 1.10-14.6) after the health talk. Increased knowledge of passive drinking was associated with less intention to drink (AOR 0.93, 0.90-0.97), increased knowledge of health harm (adjusted b 0.06, 0.05-0.08), and social harm of drinking (adjusted b 0.12, 0.10-0.16). Similar associations were observed in forced drinking (intention to drink: AOR 0.87, 0.79-0.96; health harm: adjusted b 0.16, 0.12-0.19; social harm: adjusted b 0.36, 0.28-0.43). We showed preliminary evidence that the health talk on passive and forced drinking reduced the intention to drink in adolescents.

A randomized controlled trial of social media interventions for risky drinking among adolescents and emerging adults

PURPOSE

Alcohol use among adolescents and emerging adults is an important public health issue requiring prevention approaches. Herein, we describe outcomes from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of group-based social media interventions targeting risky drinking among youth.

PROCEDURES

Using social media advertisements to screen potential participants, we recruited 955 youth (ages 16-24) reporting recent risky drinking. After completing a baseline assessment, participants were randomized to 8-week secret Facebook group conditions: Social Media Intervention + Incentives for engagement, Social Media Intervention only, and attention-placebo control. Electronic coaches trained in motivational interviewing facilitated interaction in intervention groups. Primary outcomes include past 3-month alcohol use and consequences over 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Secondary outcomes include other drug use, consequences, and impaired driving. We also measured intervention engagement and acceptability.

RESULTS

The interventions were well-received, with significantly greater acceptability ratings and engagement in the SMI+I condition relative to other groups. In adjusted analyses, there were no significant differences between interventions and control on alcohol-related outcomes, with all groups showing reductions. Regarding secondary outcomes (70.4% used other drugs), compared to control, the incentivized group reduced other drug use, consequences, and cannabis-impaired driving; the non-incentivized group did not significantly differ from the control condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Among this predominantly poly-substance using sample, findings were mixed, with significant effects of the incentivized social media intervention on drug (but not alcohol) outcomes. Future studies are needed to further refine social media-delivered interventions to reduce alcohol and other drug use.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02809586; University of Michigan HUM#00102242.

Parenting Styles in Relation to Childhood Obesity, Smoking and Drinking: A Gene-Environment Interaction Study

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed gene-environment interactions linking maternal parenting styles to childhood obesity and alcohol and tobacco use.

METHODS

Data was retrieved from the first wave of the German Twin Family Panel. Participants comprised 3 birth cohorts aged 5, 11, and 17 years, with approximately 500 pairs of same-sex monozygotic twins and 500 pairs of same-sex dizygotic twins per cohort. Self-reported parenting styles were measured in 5 dimensions: emotional warmth, psychological control, negative communication, monitoring, and inconsistent parenting. Outcome variables included children's body mass index z-score (BMIz) and smoking and alcohol drinking frequency. Gene-environment interaction models were used to assess how parenting styles might moderate genetic and environmental influences on BMIz and smoking and drinking behaviors.

RESULTS

A positive interaction of genetic effects with psychological control was found for BMIz at age 5, indicating that genetic influences on BMIz increased with psychological control. No interaction effect was found for BMIz at age 11 and 17. Regarding adolescent smoking, positive interaction between genetic effects and negative communication was found, indicating that genetic influences on smoking increased with negative communication. There was no significant moderating effect of parenting styles on adolescent drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found some preliminary evidence that parenting styles moderated genetic and environmental impacts on body weight status and smoking. Moderation effects of parenting on BMIz were observed only at a very young age. The moderating effects of parenting influenced adolescent smoking but not drinking. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Beyond Susceptibility: Openness to Peer Influence is Predicted by Adaptive Social Relationships

This study examined the hypothesis, derived from theories highlighting the importance of group harmony and sense of belonging in human relationships, that the adolescents who are most likely to be influenced by their close friends are those who have the highest quality social relationships. Potential moderators of close friend influence on adolescent substance use were examined in a sample of 157 adolescents followed across a one-year period in mid-adolescence using a combination of observational, sociometric, and self- and peer-report measures. As hypothesized, the degree to which adolescents changed their levels of substance use in accord with a close friend's levels of use at baseline was predicted by multiple, independent markers of higher quality social relationships including: having a higher quality maternal relationship, being identified as a socially desirable companion within the broader peer group, and having a close friend who handled disagreements with warmth and autonomy. Notably, influence processes were neutral in valence: Teens displayed relative reductions in substance use when their close friends had low levels of use and the opposite when their friends had high levels of use. Results are discussed as suggesting the need to distinguish overall normative and adaptive peer influence processes from the sometimes maladaptive effects that can occur when teens associate with specific deviant peers or with a problematic adolescent subculture.

"I Grew Up Amidst Alcohol and Drugs:" a Qualitative Study on the Lived Experiences of Parental Substance Use Among Adults Who Developed Substance Use Disorders Themselves

Experiencing parental substance use (PSU) has been associated with a heightened risk of developing substance use disorders (SUDs) in offspring. The primary goal of this study was to explore perspectives of adult children with lived experience of PSU who also developed SUDs themselves through first-hand experience. This study was conducted in Flanders (Belgium). A qualitative exploratory research design was applied. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult children of parents with SUDs (range: 29-48 years) who themselves had developed SUDs. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Three overarching themes emerged through thematic analysis: 1) loneliness and neglect in childhood; 2) stigma and the self; and 3) the role of social connection in substance use and recovery. The narratives highlighted the central role of feelings of loneliness, isolation and belonging among children of parents with SUDs in childhood and adulthood. Increasing public awareness on the impact of PSU on children and accessible support is needed to overcome stigma and remove barriers to social inclusion for children of parents with SUDs. Findings may prove valuable in informing policy, program and treatment development aimed at breaking maladaptive intergenerational cycles.

Substance use behavior among Hispanic emerging adults in Los Angeles, California

This research examined illicit drug use and substance abuse disorders among Hispanic emerging adults using a two time-point study. Hypothesized predictors included concurrent use of different types of substances in adolescence and early adulthood (illicit drug use, binge alcohol use, and cigarette-smoking), along with the socialization context (family, peer, school, and other contextual factors) in adolescence. Overall, the findings showed that emerging adults who engaged in binge use of alcohol reported higher levels of illicit drug use and substance abuse disorders. Smoking cigarettes was associated with higher levels of illicit drug use in emerging adulthood, but not substance use disorders. Illicit drug use and binge alcohol use in adolescence were linked to higher levels of illicit drug use in emerging adulthood. Further, respondents who engaged in higher levels of illicit drug use, binge drinking, and smoking in adolescence were more likely to report higher levels of substance use disorders in early adulthood, signaling the importance of assessing adolescent drug use as a critical period for curbing long-term substance use-related impairment. Sibling alcohol use, college aspirations, and perceived discrimination during adolescence were also predictive of higher levels of substance use disorders in early adulthood. Higher academic achievement in adolescence, however, was associated with lower levels of illicit drug use in emerging adulthood. Lastly, males reported higher levels of illicit drug use and substance abuse disorders than females.

Gender differences in the supply of alcohol to adolescent daughters and sons

Background: Parents are the main supplier of alcohol to children but it is not known whether mothers and fathers equally contribute to the supply of alcohol to their female and male children as these children transition to adulthood.Objectives: i) to determine whether the gender of the parent is associated with the gender of the adolescent offspring when alcohol is supplied and ii) whether the gender of the parent supplying is associated with gender differences in adolescent binge drinking and alcohol related harms.Methods: Longitudinal cohort of 1,927 (males = 1052) Australian adolescents (mean age 12.9 years), recruited in 2010/11 from schools in Australia and surveyed annually for six years. We assessed the association between adolescent and parent gender related to subsequent adolescent drinking, binge drinking (>4 standard drinks), and alcohol-related harms.Results: At mean age of 12.9 years about one in ten children report parental supply of alcohol which increases to about four in ten children by 17.8 years. Mothers consistently more often supply their daughters with alcohol than their sons, [Wave 5 OR 1.77 (1.53,2.05)], while mothers less often supply sons than their daughters, [Wave 5 OR 0.82 (0.71,0.95)]. Mothers' supply of alcohol to daughters predicts substantially increased odds of daughters binge drinking, [OR 1.67 (1.10,2.53)] and experiencing alcohol related harms, [OR 1.65 (1.10,2.48)].Conclusion: There is a need to involve both mothers and fathers and to equally target female and male children in programs to reduce the harmful consequences of parental supply of alcohol to their children.

Onset of substance use: Deviant peer, sex, and sympathetic nervous system predictors

We evaluated whether the association between deviant peer affiliation and onset of substance use is conditional upon sex and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) reactivity as measured by pre-ejection period (PEP). Community-sampled adolescents (N = 251; M = 15.78 years; 53% female; 66% White, 34% Black) participated in three waves. PEP reactivity was collected during a mirror star-tracer stress task. Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, or any substance use, as well as binge drinking and sexual activity involving substance use were outcomes predicted by affiliation with deviant peers and two- and three-way interactions with sex and PEP reactivity. Probability of substance use increased over time, but this was amplified for adolescents with greater deviant peer affiliation in conjunction with blunted PEP reactivity. The same pattern of results was also found for prediction of binge drinking and sexual activity involving substance use. Findings are discussed in the context of biosocial models of adolescent substance use and health risk behaviors.

Family and parent-child relationship correlates of pediatric cancer survivors' substance use

OBJECTIVE

The primary aims of this research were to examine substance use among adolescent and young adult survivors of pediatric cancer (AYA survivors) and AYA without a history of chronic or life threatening illness (AYA comparisons) and to explore links between demographic, medical, caregiver-AYA, and family system factors with AYA substance use patterns.

METHODS

Participants included 289 AYA (survivors, n = 171; comparisons = 118; 51% female; M_age = 17.15, SD_age = 2.86) and their caregivers (M_age = 46.54, SD_age = 6.81; 88% mothers). AYA and caregivers completed the family environment scale, and caregivers completed the parenting relationship questionnaire at the initial assessment. Two years later, AYA completed an assessment of substance use. Chi-square and frequency analyses were used to compare differences in substance use among AYA survivors and comparisons. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine links between AYA substance use patterns with family and caregiver-AYA system level factors.

RESULTS

Patterns of substance use did not differ between AYA survivors and comparisons. AYA survivors were more likely to report polysubstance use if caregivers endorsed problematic caregiver-AYA relationship patterns. Family functioning and caregiver relationship patterns did not predict AYA comparison substance use.

CONCLUSION

AYA survivors were just as likely as AYA comparisons to engage in substance use, increasing their vulnerability to problematic health outcomes. Findings indicate that the role caregiver-AYA relationship patterns may have on youth at risk for substance use and potential mechanisms for future intervention.

Until there's nothing left: Caregiver resource provision to youth with opioid use disorders

Background and Aims: Despite the considerable literature associating certain characteristics of caregivers and family structures with risks of adolescent/young adult (youth) substance use, there has been little study of the role of caregivers in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment outcomes. This qualitative study sought to understand and contextualize the factors that influenced the resources caregivers provided their youth after residential treatment. Methods: In order to improve understandings of the role caregivers play both during and after residential OUD treatment, 31 caregivers of youth who were in a residential substance use disorder treatment center were interviewed at baseline, three-months, and six-months following their youth's discharge. Results: This analysis focused on the provision of caregiver resources and identified three key influences - OUD understandings and expectations, relationships with youth, and the emotional toll on caregivers. This has important implications as residential treatment success rates are relatively low among this population. Conclusions: These findings suggest that engagement of caregivers and families in outpatient care following residential treatment could offer an important opportunity for interventions that promote youth recovery.

Modifiable Risk Factors Associated With Disposal of Unused Prescription Drugs by Parents of Adolescents

The safe disposal of unused medications is one primary prevention strategy to reduce nonmedical prescription drug use among adolescents. We sought to identify modifiable risk factors associated with disposal of unused prescription drugs by parents of adolescents residing in ten south central Kentucky counties with disposal programs. In the fall of 2017, 4148 parents of adolescents participated in an anonymous, paper-based survey. We conducted generalized logit mixed models adjusted for within-school clustering to assess the relationship between disposal behaviors and modifiable risk factors while controlling for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. The analytic sample consisted of parents in households in which someone had been prescribed an opioid medication within the past 12 months (N = 627). Our findings indicated that almost 42% of parents reported disposing of unused prescription medication within the past 12 months, and the majority disposed of medications at home rather than using a disposal program. Parents who perceived that any, compared to none, of their child's close friends engaged in nonmedical prescription opioid use had higher odds of reporting use of a disposal program. Parents who were aware of disposal programs, compared to those who were not aware, had greater odds of using them, rather than not disposing at all or disposing unused prescription medications at home. Compared to parents who perceived prescription drugs to be hard for adolescents to obtain for nonmedical use, parents who believed that prescription drugs were easily accessible to adolescents for nonmedical use had lower odds of using disposal programs than disposing of medications at home. Collectively, our findings suggest that enhancing awareness of disposal programs, while addressing parents' perceptions of their children's peers' use of nonmedical prescription opioids, should be considered to facilitate the disposal of unused medications and optimize current public health prevention efforts related to adolescent nonmedical use of these drugs.

Narrative Engagement and Interpersonal Communication about Substance Use on Adolescent Substance Use Behaviors: A Case Study of keepin' it REAL

The present study examined direct and indirect effects of adolescent narrative engagement on substance use behaviors via refusal self-efficacy. This study also tested moderation effects of communication about substance use with parents, siblings, and friends on substance use behaviors. Students in 8^th grade (N = 225) participated in surveys at two different time points. Path analyses revealed a positive association between identification with main characters and refusal self-efficacy as well as negative associations between refusal self-efficacy and the past 30-days substance use. Communication with parents and friends significantly moderated the relationship between refusal self-efficacy and the past 30-days substance use.

Within-Family Transmission of Alcohol Use Disorder in Parent-Offspring, Sibling, and Cousin Pairs: A Contagion Model

To determine whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) is transmitted within families as predicted by contagion, we examined parent-offspring, siblings, and cousin pairs ascertained from Swedish registries with a primary case with AUD. Our outcome variable was AUD registration in at-risk secondary cases. In offspring, risks for AUD registration in the 3 years after a parental index registration residing in the same household, neighborhood, or municipality increased by 1.6%, -0.5%, and 0.3%, respectively. For siblings of sibling index cases, parallel results were 3.2%, 1.2%, and 0.3%. For cousins of cousin index cases, no excess risk was seen for those residing in the same neighborhood or municipality. In siblings, AUD transmission was stronger in same versus opposite sex pairs and from older to younger versus younger to older siblings. These results support the hypothesis that AUD is transmitted among close family relationships and over limited geographical distances by a temporally dynamic contagion model.

Social Media Interventions for Risky Drinking Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Despite intervention efforts to date, the prevalence of risky drinking among adolescents and emerging adults remains high, increasing the risk for health consequences and the development of alcohol use disorders. Peer influences are particularly salient among this age group, including via social media. Thus, the development of efficacious early interventions for youth, delivered with a broad reach via trained peers on social media, could have an important role in addressing risky drinking and concomitant drug use.

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of a social media intervention among adolescents and emerging adults who meet the criteria for risky drinking (using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption [AUDIT-C]), delivered with and without financial incentives for participation, compared with an attention placebo control condition (ie, entertaining social media content), on alcohol consumption and consequences.

METHODS

This RCT involved recruiting 955 youths (aged 16-24 years) via advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to self-administer a brief web-based screening survey. Those screening positive for past 3-month risky drinking (AUDIT-C positive: ages 16-17 years: ≥3 females and ≥4 males; and ages 18-24 years: ≥4 females and ≥5 males) were eligible for the RCT. After providing consent (a waiver of parental consent was obtained for minors), participants completed a web-based baseline survey and several verification procedures, including a selfie photo matched to Facebook profile photos. Participants were then randomized to join invitation-only secret Facebook groups, which were not searchable or viewable by parents, friends, or anyone not recruited by the study. The 3 conditions were social media intervention with incentives, social media intervention without incentives (SMI), and attention placebo control. Each condition lasted 8 weeks and consisted of bachelor's-level and master's-level therapist electronic coaches posting relevant content and responding to participants' posts in a manner consistent with Motivational Interviewing. Participants in the control condition and SMI condition did not receive payments but were blind to condition assignment between these 2 conditions. Follow-ups are ongoing and occur at 3, 6, and 12 months poststart of the groups.

RESULTS

We enrolled 955 participants over 10 waves of recruitment who screened positive for risky drinking into the RCT.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study will provide the critical next step in delivering early alcohol interventions to the youth, capitalizing on social media platforms, which could have significant public health impact by altering alcohol use trajectories of adolescents and emerging adults engaged in risky drinking.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02809586; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02809586.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/16688.

Age and generational patterns of overdose death risk from opioids and other drugs

The ongoing substance misuse epidemic in the United States is complex and dynamic and should be approached as such in the development and evaluation of policy¹. Drug overdose deaths (largely attributable to opioid misuse) in the United States have grown exponentially for almost four decades, but the mechanisms of this growth are poorly understood². From analysis of 661,565 overdose deaths from 1999 to 2017, we show that the age-specific drug overdose mortality curve for each birth-year cohort rises and falls according to a Gaussian-shaped curve. The ascending portion of each successive birth-year cohort mortality curve is accelerated compared with that of all preceding birth-year cohorts. This acceleration can be attributed to either of two distinct processes: a stable peak age, with an increasing amplitude of mortality rate curves from one birth-year cohort to the next; or a youthward shift in the peak age of the mortality rate curves. The overdose epidemic emerged and increased in amplitude among the 1945-1964 cohort (Baby Boomers), shifted youthward among the 1965-1980 cohort (Generation X), and then resumed the pattern of increasing amplitude in the 1981-1990 Millennials. These shifting age and generational patterns are likely to be driven by socioeconomic factors and drug availability, the understanding of which is important for the development of effective overdose prevention measures.

The Identification of Family Social Environment Typologies Using Latent Class Analysis: Implications for Future Family-Focused Research

The family social environment is the first environment that a child experiences and has implications for children's health. However, the majority of family social environment measures do not account for its complexity. There is a need for novel approaches for assessing the family social environment that transcends the traditional way of measuring family composition and interaction. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research was to identify distinct family social environment typologies that consider both family composition and interaction and to describe the characteristics of the identified family social environment typologies. A series of latent class analysis results indicated three distinct typologies of family social environment with significant differences in family composition, family problem-solving skills, and demographic characteristics. The process used to identify the typologies and significant differences between the typologies showcases how the field could advance family-focused research by considering family composition and interaction.

Gender Differences in Socio-ecological Determinants of Alcohol Use Among Hispanic Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Compared to other racial groups, Hispanic/Latino(a) adolescents experience higher rates of alcohol (ab)use and alcohol-related problems. Evidence suggests there are gender differences in alcohol use patterns indicating the likelihood of gender differences in how various determinants influence alcohol use among the genders. Assessing the mechanisms that contribute to Hispanic adolescents' alcohol use requires an understanding of the multidimensional social and environmental processes that operate together to impact their alcohol use. In this study, we examined socio-ecological determinants of Hispanic adolescent alcohol use by gender.

METHODS

Data from 10th grade Hispanic/Latino(a) students (N = 781) from four high schools in Los Angeles were used to examine associations between socio-ecological characteristics and adolescent alcohol use by gender.

RESULTS

Overall, 37.5% of participants reported past 30-day alcohol use. Among boys, alcohol use was associated with intrapersonal (not qualifying for reduced lunch), interpersonal (mother's education and peer drinking), and institutional (alcohol-prone school club membership) determinants. Among girls, alcohol use was associated with intrapersonal (academic achievement) and interpersonal (parent and peer alcohol use behavior) determinants.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention and intervention efforts need to take into consideration the gender differences in social-ecological risk and protective factors when designing educational or intervention programs and services targeted at Hispanic adolescents. This is crucial to addressing multi-component factors that influence their substance use behavior.

[Patterns of Drinking Behaviors and Predictors of Class Membership among Adolescents in the Republic of Korea: A Latent Class Analysis]

PURPOSE

Despite the high drinking rates and the complexity of drinking behaviors in adolescents, insufficient attention has been paid to their drinking patterns. Therefore, we aimed to identify patterns of adolescent drinking behaviors and factors predicting the distinct subgroups of adolescent drinking behaviors.

METHODS

We analyzed nationally representative secondary data obtained in 2017. Our final sample included 24,417 Korean adolescents who had consumed at least one glass of alcohol in their lifetime. To investigate patterns of drinking behaviors, we conducted a latent class analysis using nine alcohol-related characteristics, including alcohol consumption levels, solitary drinking, timing of drinking initiation, and negative consequences of drinking. Furthermore, we investigated differences in demographics, mental health status, and characteristics of substance use across the latent classes identified in our study. To do so, we used the PROC LCA with COVARIATES statement in the SAS software.

RESULTS

We identified three latent classes of drinking behaviors: current non-drinkers (CND), binge drinkers (BD), and problem drinkers (PD). Compared to the CND class, both BD and PD classes were strongly associated with higher academic year, lower academic performance, higher levels of stress, suicidal ideation, lifetime conventional or electronic cigarette use, and lifetime use of other drugs.

CONCLUSION

Health professionals should develop and implement intervention strategies targeting individual subgroups of drinking behaviors to obtain better outcomes. In particular, health professionals should consider different characteristics across subgroups of adolescent drinking behaviors when developing the interventions, such as poor mental health status and other substance use among binge and problem drinkers.

Reciprocal Relations Between Parental Problem Drinking and Children's Sleep: The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity

Reciprocal relations between parental problem drinking (PPD) and children's sleep were examined longitudinally, and socioeconomic status was considered as a moderating variable. At Wave 1, 280 children (Mage  = 10.33) and their parent(s) participated, and 275 families returned 1 year later. At both waves, parent(s) reported on PD and children wore actigraphs that measured established sleep parameters. After controlling for autoregressive effects, fathers' PD predicted reduced sleep duration and efficiency in children over time. Supportive of reciprocal effects, more frequent long wake episodes predicted greater PPD. Fathers' PD was a more robust risk factor for lower than higher income children. Results build on a growing literature that has considered children's sleep in a family context.

Mind the Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Current Binge Drinking Prevention and the Needs of Hispanic Underage Emerging Adults

In this article, we highlight the urgent public health need for prevention of heavy episodic drinking among underage Hispanic emerging adults in the USA. We outline the current state of binge drinking prevention programming and contrast it with the unique cultural, social, and developmental realities of this population using an ecodevelopmental framework (Szapocznik and Coatsworth 1999). Finally, we advance specific recommendations for the development and delivery of culturally tailored, multisystemic binge drinking prevention programs for underage Hispanic emerging adults.

Deviant Peer Behavior and Adolescent Delinquency: Protective Effects of Inhibitory Control, Planning, or Decision Making?

We examined relations between adolescent perceptions of deviant peer behavior and delinquency as moderated by inhibitory control, planning, and decision making in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development at age 15 (N = 991). Adolescents reported perceptions of deviant peer behavior. Inhibitory control, planning, and decision making were assessed behaviorally. Delinquency was evaluated with a latent variable comprised of parent-guardian perceptions of adolescent delinquency and adolescent self-reports. Only inhibitory control moderated the relationship between deviant peer behavior and delinquency, showing that better inhibition protected against delinquency in contexts of high levels of adolescent perceptions of deviant peer behavior. Findings are discussed in the context of theories of adolescent delinquency and risk taking.

Using social network analysis to examine alcohol use among adults: A systematic review

Background

Alcohol use and abuse constitute a major public health problem and identifying their determinants is a priority. Social network analysis can indicate how characteristics of social networks are related to individual health behaviors. A growing number of studies have used social network analysis to examine how social network characteristics influence adult alcohol consumption, but this literature has never been systematically reviewed and summarized. The current paper systematically reviews empirical studies that used social network analysis to assess the influence of social network characteristics on drinking behaviors in adults.

Methods

A literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases and a review of the reference lists of retrieved articles was conducted in March 2019. Two reviewers independently screened 5,510 non-duplicate records, and further screened the full text of 150 articles to determine their eligibility for inclusion. Seventeen articles were judged eligible and included.

Results

Most studies were conducted among young adults (mean age<30), in university settings or follow up visits with adolescent networks moving into adulthood. The objectives and methods of the included studies were heterogeneous. All included studies reported a statistically significant association between a social network characteristic and an alcohol consumption-related outcome. Social network members drinking behaviors were associated with participants’ drinking behaviors in multiple ways.

Discussion

In young adults, among whom the majority of identified studies were conducted, with whom they socialize and how they socialize appears to be associated with alcohol consumption; this was observed across methodologies and settings. We still know very little about the relationship of social networks to drinking in older age groups, and in populations most impacted by alcohol. As social networks appear to play a role in the consumption of alcohol in young adulthood, interventions that utilize social networks to help reduce harmful alcohol consumption should be considered.

The Relative Impacts of Sibling Relationships on Adolescent Body Perceptions

The sibling relationship is the longest relationship of the life course and has been found to influence youth adjustment (Dunn, 2002 ). Given that adolescence is a time of increased body awareness, the authors examined the potential role of siblings' body conceptions and sibling relationship quality on adolescent body conceptions. In a sample of 101 predominantly White, middle-class adolescent sibling dyads, the authors found that positive sibling relationship quality was associated with higher physical self-worth in adolescents, but that this differed by sibling gender and sibling physical self-worth. Alternatively, negative sibling relationship quality was associated with lower physical self-worth for adolescents, but differed based on birth order, sibling physical self-worth, and adolescent gender.

Associations of perceived drinking motives of parents and friends on adolescents' own drinking motives

Adolescents form perceptions of why their parents and friends drink alcohol that may impact adolescents' own drinking motives. This study tested whether perceived drinking motives of parents and friends are associated with adolescents' own drinking motives. Participants included community-recruited adolescents 14-17 years (N = 105; 63.8% female) who drank alcohol in the past year. Perceived parent and friend motives both related to adolescent drinking motives at the bivariate level; however, only friend motives remained statistically significant in the final hierarchical regression models controlling for relevant covariates (e.g., alcohol frequency). Findings support a social-cognitive modeling pathway in the development of adolescents' own drinking motives and highlight the perception of why others drink as a potential intervention target.

Parental drinking in Australia: Does the age of children in the home matter?

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Parental role modelling of alcohol use is known to influence alcohol consumption in adolescence and in later life. This study aimed to assess relationships between parental status, child age and alcohol consumption, which have not been well documented.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Data were sourced from the 2013 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Analyses were conducted for 25-55 year olds (n = 11 591) by parental status, gender and age of youngest child in the household, controlling for socio-demographic factors.

RESULTS

Parents were less likely than non-parents to exceed the alcohol guideline for increased lifetime risk (18.2% vs. 24.2%) and short-term risk: at least weekly (14.2% vs. 21.2%); and at least monthly (27.5% vs. 35.9%). Fathers were just as likely to exceed the guidelines for lifetime risk as other men, but those with children aged 0-2, were less likely to exceed the guideline for short-term risk. Women were least likely to exceed the guideline for lifetime risk if they had children aged 0-2, 6-11 or 15 years and over, or the guideline for short-term risk, if they had children aged 0-2, or 15 years and over in the household. Parents were more likely to report drinking in the home.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Parents were less likely to exceed alcohol guidelines than non-parents, especially mothers whose youngest child was an infant or in high school or older. Consistent with population rates in men, fathers were more likely to exceed alcohol guidelines than mothers, and this excess consumption warrants public health attention.

Developmental Precursors of Relational Aggression From Late Childhood Through Adolescence

Relational aggression-a psychological form of aggression-has numerous negative consequences for physical and emotional health. However, little is known about the risk factors that lead youth to engage in relational aggression. Using multimethod data from a longitudinal research of 674 Mexican-origin youth, this study examined the influence of parents, siblings, and peers on the development of relational aggression. Increases in relational aggression from age 10 to 16 were associated with: (a) low levels of parental monitoring and (b) increased association with deviant peers and siblings. These results held across gender and nativity status. The findings suggest that multiple socialization agents contribute to the development of relational aggression. We discuss the practical implications for reducing relational aggression during adolescence.

Network and Individual Factors Associated with Drug Use among Female Sex Workers (FSWs) in Southern China: A Mixed-Method Approach

Research on women who engage both in drug use and sex work has been limited, as most previous studies have focused on these risk behaviors separately. The current study examines the network properties as well as the demographic and behavioral factors associated with drug use among female sex workers (FSWs) in southern China. We collected survey data (n = 175) in the Hainan province during our 26 months of ethnographic fieldwork in China. Our analyses included Fisher's exact chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, binary logistic regression (LR), as well as ethnographic data analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that women who were younger age, single, more educated, and earning a higher income were more likely to use drugs. Pertaining to network properties, FSWs with a lower percentage of long-term clients (and men) in ego networks were more likely to use drugs; this would imply a mechanism by which drug-using FSWs are more at risk, as the women take a greater number of transient clients. In addition, FSWs who were influential network members (i.e., higher betweenness centrality) and were closely related to other network members (i.e., higher closeness centrality) were more likely to use drugs; this may suggest that drug use is a means of sustaining the high functionality of the workers. Our ethnographic data also showed that club drug use was easily accessible in entertainment venues and was often a means of socialization in FSW communities. Network characteristics correlated to HIV-related risks among FSWs should be further examined in future studies.

Parents' drinking motives and problem drinking predict their children's drinking motives, alcohol use and substance misuse

The aim of the current study was to test the direct and indirect influence of parents' drinking motives and problem drinking on their children's drinking motives, alcohol use and substance misuse. Cross-sectional analysis of parent and child drinking patterns and motives, derived from the nationally representative Drinkaware Monitor panel survey. The sample comprised a total of 148 couples of parents and child. Path analysis revealed that children's alcohol use and substance misuse were influenced by their own drinking motives and parents' problem drinking. Parents' conformity motives were linked to their children's conformity motives. Finally, parental drinking problems mediated the effect of their coping motives on their childrens' alcohol use and substance misuse. In conclusion, parental drinking styles relate to their children's alcohol use and substance misuse through problem drinking and drinking motives.

Adolescent predictors of social and coping drinking motives in early adulthood

Although motivations to use alcohol have been shown to predict alcohol use and alcohol-related problems, little is known about how drinking motives develop. This study identified antecedents in adolescence of social and coping motives for drinking in early adulthood. Data came from a longitudinal study of youths in the eastern U.S. (N = 451) followed from secondary school into early adulthood (52.4% female; Mage = 23.01; SD = 1.03). In a structural equation analysis, frequency of drunkenness and peer alcohol use positively predicted young adult social motives, whereas only frequency of drunkenness predicted coping motives. These findings indicate that alcohol use behaviors and social relationships in adolescence may contribute to the development of adult drinking motives.

Sibling Influences on Risky Behaviors from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Vertical Socialization or Bidirectional Effects?

This study built on research on sibling influences to assess potential bidirectional effects of older and younger siblings' risky behaviors on one another's risky behaviors; our longitudinal design allowed us to test these effects when siblings were at about the same chronological age, at different points in time. We also tested whether the strength and/or direction of effects of siblings' risky behaviors changed from middle adolescence to young adulthood. Reports of risky behaviors (i.e., deviant behaviors and excessive alcohol use) were provided by firstborn and secondborn siblings from up to 201 families on five occasions spanning 10 years. In general, accounting for known covariates, multilevel models revealed bidirectional sibling effects and some evidence that secondborns' risky behaviors were stronger and more consistent predictors of firstborns' behaviors than the reverse. Sibling influence generally declined with age and sibling effects were not moderated by gender constellation. Findings indicate that both older and younger siblings are important socializers of risk behaviors across adolescence and continue to shape each other's alcohol use into early adulthood.

How do Adolescents Learn Cyber-victimization Coping Skills? An Examination of Parent and Peer Coping Socialization

Recently, cyber-victimization has become an ever increasing concern for adolescents. Given the negative consequences of cyber-victimization, it is important to understand how adolescents learn strategies to cope (i.e., "coping socialization") with cyber-victimization. The purpose of this study is to understand common coping strategies reported by adolescents, identify from whom youth learn cyber-victimization coping strategies (coaching), and explore how coaching is associated with adolescents' self-reported use of coping. In a sample of 329 adolescents (49% male; 70% white), we found that positive coping strategies (e.g., problem solving, seeking social support) are used most frequently, and adolescents' perceptions of both parent and peer coping socialization is associated with self-reported use of coping. Interventionists can use this information to adapt interventions to include influential positive socializers.

Influence of Early Onset of Alcohol Use on the Development of Adolescent Alcohol Problems: a Longitudinal Binational Study

This study examined cross-national similarities in a developmental model linking early age of alcohol use onset to frequent drinking and heavy drinking and alcohol problems 1 and 2 years later in a binational sample of 13-year-old students from two states: Washington State, USA and Victoria, Australia (N = 1833). A range of individual, family, school, and peer influences was included in analyses to investigate their unique and shared contribution to development of early and more serious forms of alcohol use and harms from misuse. Data were collected annually over a 3-year period from ages 13 to 15. Analyses were conducted using multiple-group structural equation modeling. For both states, early use of alcohol predicted frequent drinking, which predicted alcohol problems. Family protective influences had neither direct effects on heavy drinking nor effects on alcohol harm in either state, whereas school protection directly reduced the risk of heavy drinking in both states. Exposure to antisocial peers and siblings predicted a higher likelihood of heavy drinking and alcohol harm for students in both Washington and Victoria. Implications for the prevention of adolescent alcohol problems are discussed.

Developmental Etiologies of Alcohol Use and Their Relations to Parent and Peer Influences Over Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Genetically Informed Approach

BACKGROUND

Distinct changes in alcohol use etiologies occur during adolescence and young adulthood. Additionally, measured environments known to influence alcohol use such as peers and parenting practice can interact or be associated with this genetic influence. However, change in genetic and environmental influences over age, as well as how associations with measured environments change over age, is understudied.

METHODS

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) sibling subsample was used to examine data-driven biometric models of alcohol use over ages 13 to 27. Associations between friends' drinking, parental autonomy granting, and maternal closeness were also examined.

RESULTS

The best-fitting model included a 5-factor model consisting of early (ages 13 to 20) and overall (ages 13 to 27) additive genetic and unique environmental factors, as well as 1 overall common environment factor. The overall additive genetic factor and the early unique environment factor explained the preponderance of mean differences in the alcohol use over this portion of the life span. The most important factors explaining variance attributed to alcohol use changed over age. Additionally, friend use had the strongest associations with genetic and environmental factors at all ages, while parenting practices had almost no associations at any age.

CONCLUSIONS

These results supplement previous studies indicating changes in genetic and environmental influences in alcohol use over adolescence and adulthood. However, prior research suggesting that constraining exogenous predictors of genetic and environmental factors to have effects of the same magnitude across age overlooks the differential role of factors associated with alcohol use during adolescence. Consonant with previous research, friend use appears to have a more pervasive influence on alcohol use than parental influence during this age. Interventions and prevention programs geared toward reducing alcohol use in younger populations may benefit from focus on peer influence.

Determinants of hazardous drinking among black South African men who have sex with men

BACKGROUND

There is a known heavy burden of hazardous drinking and its associated health risks among black South African MSM; however, no study to date has identified risk factors for hazardous drinking among this nor any other African MSM population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 480 black South African MSM recruited using respondent-driven sampling. All analyses were adjusted using an RDS II estimator. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between demographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, behavioral attributes and hazardous drinking.

RESULTS

More than half of the men (62%, 95%CI=56%-68%) screened positive as hazardous drinkers. In multivariable analyses, living in a township (versus the city of Pretoria) (aOR=1.9, 95%CI=1.2-3.1, p<.01), more gender dysphoria (aOR=1.4, 95%CI=1.0-1.8, p=.03), having ever received money or other incentives in return for sex (aOR=2.4, 95%CI=1.3-4.3, p<.01), having been sexually abused as a child (aOR=2.6, 95%CI=1.1-6.4, p=.03), having anxiety (aOR=5.4, 95%CI=1.2-24.3, p=.03), and social network drinking behavior (aOR=5.4, 95%CI=1.2-24.3, p=.03) were positively associated with hazardous drinking. Being sexually attracted only to men (aOR=0.3, 95%CI=0.1-0.8, p=.01) was negatively associated with hazardous drinking.

DISCUSSION

Hazardous drinking is highly prevalent among black South African MSM. Multiple indicators of social vulnerability were identified as independent determinants of hazardous drinking. These findings are of heightened concern because these health problems often work synergistically to increase risk of HIV infection and should be taken into consideration by efforts aimed at reducing hazardous drinking among this critical population.