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CORK Bibliography: Colleges

72 citations. January 2008 to present

Prepared: September 2008

Abroms LC; Windsor R; Simons-Morton B. Getting young adults to quit smoking: A formative evaluation of the X-Pack Program. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 10(1): 27-33, 2008. (35 refs.)

The lack of promising smoking cessation interventions targeting young adults is a recognized public health problem. This study was designed to determine the feasibility of a young-adult-oriented program, the X-Pack Program, when administered to college student smokers, and to estimate its effect on smoking cessation. Participants (N=83) were randomized after enrollment to receive either a moderately intensive, E-mail-based, young-adult intervention (the X-Pack group) or a less-intensive program aimed at a general adult audience (the Clearing the Air group). Participants were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after enrollment. Participants in the X-Pack group rated their treatment more favorably overall, were more engaged in program activities, and quit for more consecutive days at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups, compared with the Clearing the Air group. Differences in quit rates favored the X-Pack group at the two follow-ups, but the differences were not significant. These findings offer some support for the X-Pack Program when administered to college smokers.

Advokat CD; Guidry D; Martino L. Licit and illicit use of medications for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in undergraduate college students. Journal of American College Health 56(6): 601-606, 2008. (22 refs.)

Objective: The authors studied the relationship between a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), grade point average (GPA), and licit and illicit drug use. Participants and Methods: They obtained survey data from a convenience sample of undergraduates in a large southern public university. Results: Among 1,550 respondents, 163 (10.5%) reported an ADHD diagnosis (ADHD Group). Of those without an ADHD diagnosis, 591 (43%) reported using prescription stimulants illicitly (No ADHD, Illicit Use group), and 794 (57%) reported not using prescription drugs illicitly (No ADHD, No Illicit Use group). The GPA of the ADHD group was significantly lower than the GPA of the other 2 groups. The ADHD group and the No ADHD, Illicit Use group reported significantly greater use of all other drugs than did the No ADHD, No Illicit Use group. Conclusions: Drug use was associated with a lower GPA in ADHD-diagnosed students than in students without ADHD.

Amos C; Peters RJ; Williams L; Johnson RJ; Martin Q; Yacoubian GS. The link between recent sexual abuse and drug use among African American male college students: It's not just a female problem in and around campus. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 40(2): 161-166, 2008. (26 refs.)

This study examined the relationship between sexual abuse in or around campus and drug use among young African-American males in college. It offers cross-sectional analysis of data collected from the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Awareness and Use Study (ASAAUS). Data collection took place in October 2004 via a self-administered survey among 181 African-American male students. Males who reported past sexual abuse in or around campus were significantly more likely than nonsexually-abused males to have used tobacco (41% v. 19%, p < .05), alcohol (82% v. 49%, p < .05), marijuana (59% v. 30%, p < .05), and cocaine (18% v. 2%, p < .05) in the 30 day preceding the interview. Logistic regression analyses indicated that sexual abuse history in or around campus was significantly associated with past year (OR = 9.8, p <= 0.001) and past 30 day (OR = 5.0, p <= 0.001) drug use.

Bewick BM; Trusler K; Mulhern B; Barkham M; Hill AJ. The feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based personalised feedback and social norms alcohol intervention in UK university students: A randomised control trial. Addictive Behaviors 33(9): 1192-1198, 2008. (39 refs.)

Objective: Alcohol misuse amongst University students is a serious concern, and research has started to investigate the feasibility of using e-health interventions. This study aimed to establish the effectiveness of an electronic web-based personalised feedback intervention through the use of a randomised control trial (RCT). Methods: 506 participants were stratified by gender, age group, year of study, self-reported weekly consumption of alcohol and randomly assigned to either a control or intervention condition. Intervention participants received electronic personalised feedback and social norms information on their drinking behaviour which they could access by logging onto the website at any time during the 12-week period. CAGE score, average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per drinking occasion, and alcohol consumption over the last week were collected from participants at pre- and post-survey. Results: A significant difference in pre- to post-survey mean difference of alcohol consumed per occasion was found, with those in the intervention condition displaying a larger mean decrease when compared to controls. No intervention effect was found for units of alcohol consumed per week or for CAGE scores. Sixty-three percent of intervention participants agreed that the feedback provided was useful. Those intervention participants who were above the CAGE cut off were more likely to report that the website would make them think more about the amount they drank. Conclusions: Delivering an electronic personalised feedback intervention to students via the World Wide Web is a feasible and potentially effective method of reducing student alcohol intake. Further research is needed to replicate this outcome, evaluate maintenance of any changes, and investigate the process of interaction with web-based interventions.

Boyd CJ; McCabe SE; Cranford JA; Morales M; Lange JE; Reed MB et al. Heavy episodic drinking and its consequences: The protective effects of same-sex, residential living-learning communities for undergraduate women. Addictive Behaviors 33(8): 987-993, 2008. (28 refs.)

Gender and living environment are two of the most consistent factors associated with heavy episodic drinking on college campuses. This study aimed to determine group differences in alcohol misuse and its attendant consequences between undergraduate women living in tour distinct on-campus residential environments. A Web-based survey was self-administered to a stratified random sample of full-time students attending a large Midwestern University, and living in four distinct on-campus residential environments: 1) single-sex (all female) residential learning communities (RLCs), 2) mixed-sex (male and female) RLCs, 3) single-sex (all female) non-RLCs and 4) mixed-sex (male and female) non-RLCs. Respondents living in single-sex and mixed-sex RLCs had significantly lower rates of alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking and related primary alcohol-related consequences when compared to respondents living in non-RLCs; however, women in single-sex RLCs had the lowest rates. RLCs - particularly single-sex learning communities - appear to provide undergraduate women with an environment that supports lower rates of alcohol use and abuse.

Caldeira KM; Arria AM; O'Grady KE; Vincent KB; Wish ED. The occurrence of cannabis use disorders and other cannabis-related problems among first-year college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(3): 397-411, 2008. (38 refs.)

This study reports the prevalence of cannabis use disorders (CUD) and other cannabis-related problems in a large cohort (n = 1253) of first-year college students, 17 to 20 years old, at one large public university in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Interviewers assessed past-year cannabis use, other drug use, and cannabis-related problems (including DSM-IV criteria for CUD). The prevalence of CUD was 9.4%(wt) among all first-year students and 24.6% among past-year cannabis users (n = 739). Of those endorsing any CUD criteria, 33.8% could be classified as diagnostic orphans. Among 474 "at-risk" cannabis users (>= 5 times in the past year), concentration problems (40.1%), driving while high (18.6%) and missing class (13.9%) were among the most prevalent cannabis-related problems, even among those who endorsed no CUD criteria. Placing oneself at risk for physical injury was also commonly reported (24.3%). A significant proportion of cannabis-using college students meet diagnostic criteria for disorder. Even in the absence of disorder, users appear to be at risk for potentially serious cannabis-related problems. Implications for prevention, service delivery, and future research are discussed.

Clapp JD; Min JW; Shillington AM; Reed MB; Croff JK. Person and environment predictors of blood alcohol concentrations: A multi-level study of college parties. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 32(1): 100-107, 2008. (43 refs.)

Aims: This study builds upon previous research by assessing the relationship of breath blood alcohol concentrations (BrAC) to environmental and individual characteristics. Design: We conducted a multi-level study of college parties. Our design included observational measures of party environments, a brief self-administered questionnaire, and the collection of breath samples from partygoers. Setting: Data were collected in private residences of students living in a neighborhood adjacent to a large public university located in the Southwestern United States. Participants: A total of 1,304 individuals attending 66 parties participated in the study. Measures: Observational measures of party characteristics were made by 2 trained research assistants at each party. Four to 5 trained interviewers administered a brief field survey to partygoers at each party. In addition, the trained interviewers collected breath samples using handheld breathalyzer devices. Findings: Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed significant variation at the party and individual levels. At the individual level, motivations to socialize were significantly associated with lower BrAC, while drinking games and providing the sample after 11:00 PM were associated with higher BrACs. At the party level, large parties were significantly associated with lower BrACs while reports of many intoxicated partygoers were associated with higher BrACs. Finally, we identified a significant gender by theme party interaction, indicating women had higher BrACs at theme parties relative to nontheme parties; however, BrACs for men were similar regardless of the type of party attended. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption among young adults in natural settings is a function of both person and environmental factors.

Colder CR; Flay BR; Segawa E; Hedeker D. Trajectories of smoking among freshmen college students with prior smoking history and risk for future smoking: Data from the University Project Tobacco Etiology Research Network (UpTERN) Study. Addiction 103(9): 1534-1543, 2008. (34 refs.)

Aims: Little is known about smoking during the transition to college. The current study examined trajectories of smoking among college freshmen, how trajectories predicted later smoking and the social context of smoking. Design Weekly assessments of daily smoking were collected via the web during the first year of college for a large cohort with a previous history of smoking. Participants and setting" A total of 193 college freshmen from a large public university with a previous history of smoking who smoked frequently enough to be included in trajectory analysis. Measurements: Measures included weekly reports of daily smoking, family smoking, perceived peer attitudes and smoking, social norms and social smoking environment. Findings: Seven trajectories were identified: one of low-level sporadic smoking, one of low-level smoking with a small increase during the year, two classes with a substantial decrease during the year, two classes with relatively small decreases and one class with a substantial increase in smoking. Trajectories of smoking in the freshman year predicted levels of sophomore year smoking, and some social context variables tended to change as smoking increased or decreased for a given trajectory class. Conclusions: The transition into college is marked by changes in smoking, with smoking escalating for some students and continuing into the sophomore year. Shifts in social context that support smoking were associated with trajectories of smoking. Despite the focus of developmental models on smoking in early adolescence, the transition into college warrants further investigation as a dynamic period for smoking.

Colder CR; Flay BR; Segawa E; Hedeker D. Trajectories of smoking among freshmen college students with prior smoking history and risk for future smoking: Data from the University Project Tobacco Etiology Research Network (UpTERN) study. Addiction 103(9): 1534-1543, 2008. (34 refs.)

Aims: Little is known about smoking during the transition to college. The current study examined trajectories of smoking among college freshmen, how trajectories predicted later smoking and the social context of smoking. Design Weekly assessments of daily smoking were collected via the web during the first year of college for a large cohort with a previous history of smoking. Participants and setting A total of 193 college freshmen from a large public university with a previous history of smoking who smoked frequently enough to be included in trajectory analysis. Measurements: Measures included weekly reports of daily smoking, family smoking, perceived peer attitudes and smoking, social norms and social smoking environment. Findings: Seven trajectories were identified: one of low-level sporadic smoking, one of low-level smoking with a small increase during the year, two classes with a substantial decrease during the year, two classes with relatively small decreases and one class with a substantial increase in smoking. Trajectories of smoking in the freshman year predicted levels of sophomore year smoking, and some social context variables tended to change as smoking increased or decreased for a given trajectory class. Conclusions: The transition into college is marked by changes in smoking, with smoking escalating for some students and continuing into the sophomore year. Shifts in social context that support smoking were associated with trajectories of smoking. Despite the focus of developmental models on smoking in early adolescence, the transition into college warrants further investigation as a dynamic period for smoking.

Corbin WR; Gearhardt A; Fromme K. Stimulant alcohol effects prime within session drinking behavior. Psychopharmacology 197(2): 327-337, 2008. (55 refs.)

Rationale: Individual differences in subjective alcohol effects have been shown to differ by risk status (e.g., family history of alcoholism) and to predict future risk for alcohol-related problems. Presumably, individual differences in both stimulant and sedative responses affect the rewarding value of drinking which, in turn, impacts future drinking behavior. Although plausible, this theoretical model is largely untested. Objectives The current study attempted to provide experimental evidence for the impact of subjective alcohol responses on within session drinking behavior. Materials and methods Using a placebo-controlled between-subjects alcohol administration paradigm, experiences and evaluations of stimulant and sedative alcohol effects (after a target dose of 0.06 g%) were assessed as predictors of ad-libitum consumption in the context of anticipatory stress. Results: Analyses indicated that an initial dose of alcohol increased experiences of both stimulation and sedation although stimulant effects were evaluated much more positively. In addition, stimulant effects after a priming dose predicted further consumption, whereas sedative effects did not. Conclusions: At least among moderate to heavy drinking college students, stimulant alcohol effects are more reinforcing and predict within session drinking behavior under social stress. Increased attention should be given to stimulant alcohol effects as a risk factor for excessive consumption in this population. Incorporating information about stimulant alcohol effects in prevention and intervention programs may also be important if additional research supports the current results.

Corbin WR; Vaughan EL; Fromme K. Ethnic differences and the closing of the sex gap in alcohol use among college-bound students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 22(2): 240-248, 2008. (40 refs.)

In this study, the authors used Web-based surveys to examine differences in alcohol use by sex and ethnicity and factors associated with these group differences among 2,241 college-bound students. A Sex X Ethnicity interaction indicated that the sex gap was much larger for Latino than for Caucasian students. Although peer influence was important for both Caucasian and Latino students, family influences were significant only for Latino youths. The sex differences in drinking among Latino youths were largely explained by the combination of same-sex family member and same-sex peer drinking through values about the acceptability of drinking behavior. Among Caucasians, perceptions of peer behavior exerted a stronger influence on drinking behavior than among Latinos. These results suggest that interventions targeting peer influence are likely to be most effective for Caucasian students. In contrast, for Latinos, particularly Latina women, family characteristics may be an important target for prevention.

Doumas DM; Haustveit T. Reducing heavy drinking in intercollegiate athletes: Evaluation of a Web-based personalized feedback program. Sport Psychologist 22(2): 212-228, 2008. (50 refs.)

This study evaluated the efficacy of a Web-based personalized feedback program aimed at reducing drinking in freshman intercollegiate athletes. The program was offered through the Athletic Department freshman seminar at a NCAA Division I university. Seminar sections were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Web-based personalized feedback (WPF) or Web-based education (WE). Assessment measures were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months. Athletes were classified as high-risk or low-risk drinkers based on baseline reports of binge drinking. Results indicated for high-risk athletes, students in the WPF condition reported significantly greater reductions in drinking and changes in beliefs about peer drinking than those in the WE condition. In addition, reductions in drinking were related to reductions in peer drinking estimates for athletes in the WPF group. Findings provide initial support for the efficacy of Web-based personalized feedback for reducing the quantity and frequency of heavy drinking in freshman intercollegiate athletes.

DuPont RL; Coleman JJ; Bucher RH; Wilford BB. Characteristics and motives of college students who engage in nonmedical use of methylphenidate. American Journal on Addictions 17(3): 167-171, 2008. (24 refs.)

Methylphenidate (MPH) has a long history of being an effective medication for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recently, the nonmedical use of MPH has increased, particularly among college students. To investigate this, we surveyed 2,087 students regarding MPH misuse. Of 2,087 respondents, 110 (5.3%) used MPH nonmedically at least once. Most obtained MPH free from a friend, acquaintance, or family member. Misuse of Ritalin (R) occurred four times more frequently than Concerta.(R) Among Ritalin abusers, intranasal use was reported more often than oral. Students reported using MPH nonmedically for recreational reasons as well as to improve academic performance.

DuRant RH; McCoy TP; Champion H; Parries MT; Mitra A; Martin BA et al. Party behaviors and characteristics and serial drunkenness among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(1): 91-99, 2008. (38 refs.)

Objective: This study examined the relationships between party behaviors and social contextual factors for the largest party attended by college students and serial drunkenness by students over the 3 traditional weekend party days (Thursday-Saturday). Method: On two separate 3-day party time periods in the spring of 2006, a random sample of 3,600 students from two large public universities completed a Web-based survey. The survey was administered on a Sunday evening and assessed alcohol consumption, party behaviors and observations, and other social contextual factors occurring during the 3 previous days. Serial drunkenness was measured as having gotten drunk on 0-3 days for the specified 3-day period for students who had attended one or more parties. Results: Multivariate analysis indicated that serial drunkenness was associated with being white, being single without a partner, having ridden with a drinking driver over the weekend, drunken behaviors by other students at the largest party attended, the number of drinks the student consumed before attending the party, the number of drinks consumed at the largest party, and the number of friends that attended the party with the student. A lower frequency of serial drunkenness was associated with the perception that alcohol was difficult to obtain. Conclusions: The availability of alcohol before and at the largest party attended over the weekend, attending the party with a larger number of friends, and drunken behaviors by other students at the party, plus riding with a drinking driver after the party, were associated with serial drunkenness over the 3-day period by the students at these two universities.

Economos CD; Hildebrandt L; Hyatt RR. College freshman stress and weight change: Differences by gender. American Journal of Health Behavior 32(1): 16-25, 2008. (35 refs.)

Objectives: To examine how stress and health-related behaviors affect freshman weight change by gender. Methods: Three hundred ninety-six freshmen completed a 40-item health behavior survey and height and weight were collected at baseline and follow-up. Results: Average weight change was 5.04 lbs for males, 5.49 lbs for females. Weight gain was related to increased alcohol consumption (P=0.014) in men and increased workload (P<0.001) in women. Weight loss was associated with lower academic confidence at baseline (P=0.009) and peer pressure modified by alcohol increase (P=0.025) in men, and fruit/vegetable consumption at baseline (P=0.015) in women. Conclusions: Gender-specific approaches to weight management in this population are needed.

Edwards CL; Bennett GG; Wolin KY; Johnson S; Fowler S; Whitfield KE et al. Misestimation of peer tobacco use: Understanding disparities in tobacco use. Journal of the National Medical Association 100(3): 299-302, 2008. (37 refs.)

Blacks experience disproportionately elevated rates of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Blacks experience delayed smoking initiation relative to other racial/ethnic groups, highlighting the importance of examining smoking correlates occurring in late adolescence/early adulthood. The current study reports data collected as part of an ongoing collaborative effort to assess alcohol and drug use on the campuses of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Two-thousand, two-hundred, seventy-seven African-American subjects, aged 20.3 +/- 3.9 (range 18-53), completed the CORE Alcohol and Drug survey and a brief demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that 90% of all subjects overestimated the rate of smoking among their peers. Overestimating was associated with a >80% increase in the risk of smoking. These data highlight the need to correct misinformation regarding smoking norms among students at some HBCUs.

Ellenbogen S; Jacobs D; Derevensky J; Gupta R; Paskus T. Gambling behavior among college student-athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 20(3): 349-362, 2008. (33 refs.)

Analyzing data from a representative sample of 20,739 U.S. college student-athletes, this study sought to determine whether certain student-athletes were more prone to frequent or problem gambling behavior. Relative to other studies of college students, a lower percentage of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes reported gambling (males 62.4%, females 43%) and having gambling problems (males 4.3%, females 0.4%), but a high prevalence of weekly gambling was reported (males 13.0%, females 3.3%). Male student-athletes in high profile sports (e.g., baseball, football) were more likely to report a gambling-related problem compared to their counterparts in other sports (e.g., track field, volleyball). Sports wagering remains a cause for concern. Only a very small number of student athletes reported major infractions such as attempting to alter the outcome of a game or sharing inside information. Future research should investigate why certain student-athletes are more prone to develop gambling problems.

Elliott JC; Carey KB; Bolles JR. Computer-based interventions for college drinking: A qualitative review. (review). Addictive Behaviors 33(8): 994-1005, 2008. (37 refs.)

E-interventions, or electronically based interventions, have become increasingly popular in recent years. College alcohol use has been one area in which such interventions have been implemented and evaluated. The purpose of this paper is to review the seventeen randomized controlled trials that have been published as of August 2007. These studies compared the effectiveness of e-interventions with other commonly used techniques, reading materials, and assessment-only control conditions. Overall, findings provide some support for such programs, especially in comparison with assessment-only control conditions. In addition, possible moderators (e.g. baseline drinking patterns) and mediators (e.g. corrected drinking norms) have emerged. Limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Fabian LEA; Toomey TL; Lenk KM; Erickson DJ. Where do underage college students get alcohol? Journal of Drug Education 38(1): 15-26, 2008. (20 refs.)

Alcohol consumption and related problems are common among underage college students, yet qualitative, in-depth information on how/where these students obtain alcohol is limited. We conducted focus groups pertaining to access to alcohol and related issues with 19 underage college students. They reported that alcohol is easy to obtain from a variety of sources, with friends/acquaintances who are of legal age or those with a false ID being the most common. Parties were also common sources, but "shoulder tapping" (i.e., asking a stranger to purchase alcohol) was not common. Disagreement arose over whether underage fraternity/sorority members have greater access to alcohol than non-Greeks. Our results provide updated information on the various sources of alcohol and associated issues among underage college students.

Ford JA; Arrastia MC. Pill-poppers and dopers: A comparison of non-medical prescription drug use and illicit/street drug use among college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(7): 934-941, 2008. (81 refs.)

Data from the 2001 College Alcohol Study, a national sample of U.S. college students, were used to conduct multinomial logistic regression analysis examining correlates of substance use. Students were divided into three groups based on their lifetime substance use: non-users, non-medical prescription drug use only, and illicit/street drug use only. The purpose of this analytic strategy was to examine the similarities/differences in the correlates of non-medical prescription drug use and illicit/street drug use. Findings indicate that race, age, C.P.A., sexual activity, health, binge drinking, marijuana use, social bonding and social learning measures are correlates of non-medical prescription drug use. Correlates of illicit/street drug use include gender, Hispanic ethnicity, sexual activity, binge drinking, marijuana use, social bonding and social learning measures. Finally, the focus of the paper is a comparison of students who report only non-medical prescription drug use to students who report only illicit/street drug use. Findings indicate that gender, race, marital status, sexual activity, marijuana use, and social bonding measures significantly distinguish illicit/street drug use from non-medical prescription drug use. Important implications, limitations, and future research needs were discussed.

Gerend MA; Cullen M. Effects of message framing and temporal context on college student drinking behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychiatry 44(4): 1167-1173, 2008. (35 refs.)

This study evaluated the interactive effects of message framing and temporal context on college student alcohol use. Participants (n = 228) were randomly assigned to read an alcohol prevention message that varied by message frame (gains vs. losses) and temporal context (short- vs. long-term consequences). Participants returned to the lab one month later to report their drinking behavior over the past month. As predicted, students exposed to the gain-framed message reported lower alcohol use (drank less frequently, drank fewer alcoholic beverages per drinking occasion, and engaged in less binge drinking) as compared to students exposed to the loss-framed message, but only if they read about short-term consequences of alcohol use. Message frame had no effect when participants were exposed to long-term consequences. This investigation extends previous research by demonstrating the effectiveness of message framing for reducing health-damaging behaviors and by identifying temporal context as a moderator of framing effects.

Ghee AC; Johnson CS. Emotional intelligence: A moderator of perceived alcohol peer norms and alcohol use. Journal of Drug Education 38(1): 71-83, 2008. (35 refs.)

This study investigated the roles of emotional intelligence and perceived alcohol peer norms in relation to alcohol use. Two hundred and forty-two undergraduates completed the Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms (Core Institute, 1997) and the Emotional Intelligence Scale (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, & Cooper, 1998). Contrary to emerging research findings, emotional intelligence (EI) was not directly associated with the study's alcohol-use variables. However, the moderating role of El was supported in the relationship between perceived alcohol peer norms and students' alcohol use. Among college students with lower EI, there was a significantly stronger association between these variables, compared to students with higher El.

Harris JB; Schwartz SM; Thompson B. Characteristics associated with self-identification as a regular smoker and desire to quit among college students who smoke cigarettes. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 10(1): 69-76, 2008. (23 refs.)

Tobacco use among college students increased substantially during the 1990s. Better understanding of college smokers is warranted to develop interventions specific to the needs of this population. We examined sociodemographic and tobacco-use characteristics associated with self-identification as a regular smoker and intentions to quit smoking among college students who smoke cigarettes. We conducted logistic regression analysis on baseline survey data from the Campus Health Action on Tobacco study, a 4-year group-randomized trial at 30 four-year colleges in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Students who self-identified as a regular smoker smoked more cigarettes before starting college, smoked a greater number of cigarettes the prior 30 days, smoked more cigarettes per day, and were more likely to smoke within 30min of waking up, compared with students who were current smokers but did not consider themselves regular smokers. Females, older students, and those who had decreased the amount they smoked since coming to college were more likely to want to quit "very much." Females and students in early college years were more likely to be planning to quit before graduation, as were students who had decreased the amount they smoked since coming to college. Interventions should target students who are in their early college years, given that habits prior to college, changes in smoking habits while in college, and year in college are associated with students' self-identification as a regular smoker, desire to quit smoking, or plan to quit smoking while in college.

Hatzenbuehler ML; Corbin WR; Fromme K. Trajectories and determinants of alcohol use among LGB young adults and their heterosexual peers: Results from a prospective study. Developmental Psychology 44(1): 81-90, 2008. (51 refs.)

Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGBs) are at increased risk for alcohol use during young adulthood, but the mechanisms remain inadequately understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the trajectories and determinants of alcohol use among LGB young adults who were sampled prospectively. The sample included I I I LGB individuals (47 women and 64 men) and 2,109 heterosexuals (1,279 women and 830 men), who were assessed at three time points: during the summer after their senior year of high school and during the fall and spring of their freshman year of college. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that lesbians consumed more alcohol than their heterosexual peers during high school, whereas gay men increased their alcohol use at greater rates than heterosexual men during the initial transition to college. Positive alcohol expectancies and social norms mediated this relation for both men and women. The results extend the generalizability of these processes and highlight the importance of considering normative social-cognitive influences in the development of alcohol use among LGB young adults.

Hendershot CS; Dliworth TM; Neighbors C; George WH. Differential effects of acculturation on drinking behavior in Chinese- and Korean-American college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(1): 121-128, 2008. (51 refs.)

Objective: Recent evidence suggests increasing rates of alcohol use and related disorders among Asian-American young adults. Relatively little research has focused on this group, and few studies have examined heterogeneity in drinking prevalence and correlates across Asian subgroups. This study examined interactive effects of ethnicity, acculturation, and gender on drinking behavior among Asian-American undergraduates. Method: Participants were 112 Chinese Americans and 108 Korean Americans (mean age = 19.2 years, 61% female) who completed measures of alcohol use, acculturation, and demographic factors. Multivariate analyses examined drinking behavior (defined as quantity, frequency, and duration) as a function of ethnicity, gender, and acculturation. Results: Overall, Korean ethnicity predicted increased drinking, and acculturation predicted decreased drinking. However, acculturation interacted with ethnicity such that its influence was protective for Korean Americans and negligible for Chinese Americans. Conclusions: Previous research implicates acculturation as a risk factor for drinking among Asian Americans, but the current findings suggest that protective effects may also exist. Results also indicate that Korean ethnicity is a risk factor particularly in the context of low acculturation. These findings illustrate the need to consider ethnic subgroup differences in drinking rates and in risk and protective factors for alcohol use among Asian Americans.

Ilhan IO; Yildirim F; Demirbas H; Dogan YB. Alcohol use prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of alcohol use in a university student sample in Turkey. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 43(7): 575-583, 2008. (30 refs.)

Background This study is a survey to determine prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of drinking problems among students from five university centres in Turkey. Method Using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire and the CAGE Questionnaire for alcohol use problems, 1,720 students were surveyed. Results Of the whole student sample 63.3% reported that they had ever tried drinking alcohol, and 48.5% had used alcohol in the past year. Sixty five percent of the students had been drinking once a month or more frequently. The overall prevalence of alcohol use problems according to CAGE2+ was 9.7% (19.9% among the students who used alcohol in the past year). In multivariate analysis, male students tended to have problems with alcohol about three times more than females. Living in the dormitory seemed to be protective in terms of frequent drinking, and as educational level of the parents increased, the odds of drinking at least once a month increased. Students whose mothers were illiterate or primary school graduate tended to give more positive answers to the Cut-down, Annoyed and Guilty items. The odds of giving a positive answer to the Cut-down item among those living alone was greater than the other residence groups. Predictors of positive answer to the Eye-opener item were male gender, living alone at home, and residence of the family being in a foreign country. Paternal educational level being in the illiterate/primary school category was significantly related with more positive answers to the Guilty item. Conclusions Drinking problems among university students in Turkey are more prevalent when compared with prevalence rates shown in other surveys in Turkey. Alternative ways of socialization should be provided for the university youth in order to prevent alcohol use problems in the future.

Irons JG; Correia CJ. A brief abstinence test for college student smokers: A feasibility study. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 16(3): 223-229, 2008. (30 refs.)

Cigarette smoking among college students is prevalent and correlated with other unhealthy behaviors. Reinforced abstinence (e.g., contingency management) has been demonstrated to be an effective. method for reducing substance use in a variety of populations and across a variety of drugs, including cigarettes. Reinforced abstinence has seldom been used specifically targeting a college student population. A Brief Abstinence Test (BAT) has been used to effectively reduce cocaine use among methadone maintenance patients (Robles, Silverman, Preston, Cone, Katz, Bigelow, & Stitzer, 2000). However, no published studies have investigated the use of a BAT to reduce the use of cigarettes. The current study implemented a 3-week intervention (Baseline 1, BAT, and Baseline 2 weeks) for smoking abstinence among college students. Forty-two percent of the sample met abstention criteria during the BAT. Carbon monoxide and urinalysis scores decreased significantly from Baseline I to the BAT phase but did not differ significantly from BAT to Baseline 2. These results suggest that the BAT may have utility initiating abstinence in both clinical and research contexts.

Jackson D; Aveyard P. Waterpipe smoking in students: Prevalence, risk factors, symptoms of addiction, and smoke intake. Evidence from one British university. BMC Public Health 8(e-article 174), 2008. (26 refs.)

Background: Anecdotal reports suggest waterpipe smoking is becoming common in students in western countries. The aim was to examine prevalence, risk factors, symptoms of addiction, and smoke intake. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of students with subsidiary survey of regular waterpipe user and survey of exhaled carbon monoxide ( CO) before and after waterpipe smoking in customers of a waterpipe cafe. 937 students of Birmingham University completed the initial survey with a follow up of 21 regular waterpipe smokers. 63 customers of a waterpipe cafe near the University completed the study of CO intake. Results: 355 (37.9%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 34.8 to 41.1%) students had tried waterpipes, the prevalence of trying rising with duration at University. 75 (8.0%, 95% CI 6.4 to 10.0%) were regular smokers, similar to the prevalence of cigarette smoking (9.4%). Although cigarette smoking was the major risk factor for being a regular waterpipe smoker, odds ratio (95% CI) 2.77 (1.52 to 5.06), 65% of waterpipe smokers did not smoke cigarettes. Seven of 21 (33.3%) regular waterpipe smokers experienced cravings. Nearly all regular waterpipe users thought it less harmful than smoking cigarettes. The mean (standard deviation) rise in CO was 37.4 (25.8) ppm, nearly twice as high as a typical cigarette smoker seeking cessation treatment. Conclusion: Waterpipe smoking is a common part of student culture in one British university, as in the Middle East and in the United States. It poses a potential threat to public health, with evidence of dependence and high smoke intake.

Jamison J; Myers LB. Peer-group and price influence students drinking along with planned behaviour. Alcohol and Alcoholism 43(4): 492-497, 2008. (42 refs.)

Aims: To examine the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), as a framework for explaining binge drinking among young adults. Methods: One hundred and seventy-eight students in a cross-sectional design study completed self-report questionnaires examining attitudes to drinking, intention to drink and drinking behaviour in university. Binge drinking was defined for females (and males) as consuming 'four (males-five) or more pints of beer/glasses of wine/measures of spirits' in a single session. Results: Drinking alcohol was common; 39.6% of males and 35.9% of females reported binge drinking. The TPB explained 7% of the variance in intention to drink. Overall, 43% of the variance in intention, 83% of the variance in total weekly consumption and 44% of the variance in binge drinking was explained. The frequency of drinking and the drinking behaviour of friends significantly predicted intention to drink and binge drinking, respectively. Binge drinkers were influenced by peers and social-situational factors. Pressure to drink was greater for males; undergraduates were influenced by the size of the drinking group, 'special offer' prices, and the availability of alcohol. Conclusions: The TPB appeared to be a weak predictor of student drinking but this may be a result of how constructs were measured. With friends' drinking behaviour emerging as a significant predictor of alcohol consumption, interventions seeking to reduce excessive drinking should target the role of peers and the university environment in which drinking occurs.

Johnsson KO; Leifman A; Berglund M. College students' drinking patterns: Trajectories of AUDIT scores during the first four years at University. European Addiction Research 14(1): 11-18, 2008. (53 refs.)

Aims: Changes in AUDIT score trajectories were examined in a student population during their first 4 years at a university, including high-risk consumers and a subsample of low-risk consumers. Method: 359 students were selected for the present study, comprising all high-risk consumers (the 27% with highest scores, i.e. 11 for males and 7 for females) and a randomized sample of low-risk consumers (n = 177 and 182, respectively). The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test ( AUDIT) was used as screening instrument. Trajectory analyses were made using a semiparametric group-based model. Results: In the low-AUDIT group, five distinct trajectories were identified: three stable non-risky consumption groups (83%) and two increasing groups (17%; from non-risky to risky). In the high-AUDIT group, three groups were identified: two stable high groups (58%) and one decreasing group (from risky to non-risky consumption; 41%). In the integrated model, stable risky consumption comprised 16% of the total sample, decreasing consumption 11%, increasing consumption comprised 13% and stable non-risky consumption 60% of the sample. Gender influenced the trajectories. Conclusion: The pattern of changes in risk consumption is similar to that found in corresponding US studies.

Jorgensen RS; Maisto SA. Alcohol consumption and prehypertension: An investigation of university youth. Behavioral Medicine 34(1): 21-26, 2008. (63 refs.)

Prehypertension and heavy alcohol consumption increase the risk for primary hypertension (PH), a major predictor of cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality. Although undergraduate college students have exhibited prehypertensive blood pressure (BP) levels and more than 40% of undergraduates drink heavily, few researchers have examined both risk factors in the university context. In this study, the authors collected BP and self-reported quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption data from 211 undergraduates (95 women). Logistic regression analyses showed that prehypertensive undergraduates (ie, those with systolic BP >= 120 mm Hg or diastolic BP >= 85 mm Hg) were nearly 4 times more likely to consume alcohol levels associated with increased risk for developing PH. Additional research on alcohol and PH among adolescents and undergraduates is needed, with particular reference to mechanisms and reducing the risk for morbidity and mortality emanating from cardiovascular disease.

Kahler CW; Hustad J; Barnett NP; Strong DR; Borsari B. Validation of the 30-day version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire for use in longitudinal studies. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(4): 611-615, 2008. (17 refs.)

Objective: The Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) was developed using item response modeling to provide a brief and readily interpretable measure of negative alcohol consequences over the past year among college students. The purpose of the present study was to extend evaluation of the B-YAACQ by examining its psychometric properties when administered to college students cited for a university alcohol violation using a past 30-day time frame of assessment. Method: The B-YAACQ was administered at baseline and at a 6-week follow-up to 291 students cited for a university alcohol violation. Reliability and validity analyses, in addition to Rasch model analyses, were conducted using these data. Results: Results demonstrated that the B-YAACQ was internally consistent, showed strong unidimensionality and additive properties, displayed minimal item redundancy and minimal floor or ceiling effects, was reliable over a 6-week period, and was sensitive to change in drinking following an alcohol intervention. In addition, the relative severity of items was preserved over time and generally consistent with results from an earlier study. Conclusions: The 30-day B-YAACQ seems valid for use with college students who have received an alcohol violation and for use in evaluating changes in alcohol consequences.

Klein JD. Hookahs and waterpipes: Cultural tradition or addictive trap? (editorial). Journal of Adolescent Health 42(5): 434-435, 2008. (8 refs.)

This editorial refers to "Waterpipe tobacco smoking on a U.S. college campus: Prevalence and correlates" in this issue by Esienberg et al. It reports that there is a nearly 50% lifetime prevalence rate and a 20% past 30-day use rate among first-year college students at Virginia Commonwealth University which is viewed with concern. Addiction to nicotine develops extremely rapidly. Even a single or casual exposure to nicotine can changes the brain's receptors, contributing to development of addiction. Adolescents in several large studies report a loss of autonomy over tobacco even after a single cigarette. Thus the idea that it is safe to be an "experimental" smoker is an incorrect, antiquated concept.

Kypri K; Bell ML; Hay GC; Baxter J. Alcohol outlet density and university student drinking: A national study. Addiction 103(7): 1131-1138, 2008. (36 refs.)

Aims: To examine the geographic density of alcohol outlets and associations with drinking levels and related problems among university students. Design: Cross-sectional survey study using geospatial data, with campus-level and individual-level analyses. Participants A total of 2550 students (mean age 20.2, 60% women) at six university campuses in New Zealand (63% response). Measurements Counts of alcohol outlets within 3 km of each campus were tested for their non-parametric correlation with aggregated campus drinking levels and related problems. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the relation between outlet counts within 1 km and 3 km of student residences and individual drinking levels/problems, with control for gender, age, ethnicity and high school binge drinking frequency, and adjustment for campus-level clustering. Findings Correlations for campus-level data were 0.77 (P = 0.07) for drinking and personal problems, and 0.31 (P = 0.54) for second-hand effects. There were consistent significant associations of both on- and off-licence outlet densities with all outcomes in student-level adjusted models. Effects were largest for 1 km densities and off-licence outlets. Conclusions: There are positive associations between alcohol outlet density and individual drinking and related problems. Associations remain after controlling for demographic variables and pre-university drinking, i.e. the associations are unlikely to be due to self-selection effects. Increasing alcohol outlet density, and particularly off-licences, may increase alcohol-related harm among university students.

LaBrie JW; Pedersen ER. Prepartying promotes heightened risk in the college environment: An event-level report. Addictive Behaviors 33(7): 955-959, 2008. (9 refs.)

Due to the emergence of research literature examining the prepartying behavior of college students, the present study examines students' varying drinking rates, blood alcohol levels (BALs), and alcohol-related consequences during two drinking events - one involving prepartying and one devoid of prepartying. Two-hundred and thirty-eight student drinkers completed an online drinking assessment detailing their two most recent drinking occasions involving and not involving prepartying. Participants responded to a series of questions regarding quantities consumed on the drinking day and occurrence of alcohol-related consequences. While men did not differ in drinking or estimated BALs, between the two drinking days, female participants drank significantly more drinks and reached higher BALs on the prepartying drinking day. Both males and females reported increased experience of alcohol-related consequences on the prepartying drinking day. In analyzing the prepartying drinking day specifically, we found that while men drink more alcohol during prepartying, but both men and women reached similar BALs during the event. Also, amount consumed during prepartying related to further drinking throughout the evening. It appears that prepartying may influence women to reach comparable levels of intoxication and alcohol-related consequences as their male peers. Quick drinking during prepartying may raise BALs and lead to alcohol-related consequences particularly for female students.

LaBrie J; Pedersen ER; Neighbors C; Hummer JF. The role of self-consciousness in the experience of alcohol-related consequences among college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(6): 812-820, 2008. (29 refs.)

Heavy drinking among college students is a well-established national concern. An in-depth look at the characteristics and traits of heavy drinking students is an essential precursor to the development of successful targeted interventions with at-risk students. The current study examines the role self-consciousness (private, public, social anxiety) plays in the experience of alcohol-related consequences among a sample of 1,168 student members of campus organizations. Male gender predicted drinking in the sample, while both private self-consciousness and social anxiety predicted less drinking. Public self-consciousness predicted alcohol-related consequences over and above the variance explained by drinking for both males and females. Additionally, both gender and social anxiety moderated the effect of drinking on problems. Heavier drinking female students and heavier drinking students high in social anxiety appear more susceptible to the experience of negative consequences. These results highlight the direct and indirect impact that self-consciousness and gender have on college students' experience of alcohol-related negative consequences.

Lange JE; Reed MB; Croff JMK; Clapp JD. College student use of salvia divinorum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 94(1/3): 263-266, 2008. (13 refs.)

Objective: Salvia divinorum (salvia) is a plant that appears to be enjoying increased popularity as a legal hallucinogen in many U.S. jurisdictions. While the popular press has claimed that its use has become widespread, there have been no epidemiological studies published documenting this within the U.S. Method: A sample of college students was randomly drawn from a large public university in the southwestern U.S. and invited to participate in an online survey that included salvia use among a set of other drug use items. Results: From the sample of 1516 college student respondents, a pattern of use emerged that indicates that salvia is indeed becoming a significant member of the list of drugs used, with 4.4% of students reporting using salvia at least once within the past 12 months. Subpopulations that are typically most at risk for drug use within college students (Whites, males, fraternity members, heavy episodic drinkers) also were most likely to use salvia. Conclusions: The results indicate that more research is needed to determine the generalizability of these findings, and identify whether there are any negative consequences experienced either by the user or the community associated with this drug.

Lau-Barraco C; Dunn ME. Evaluation of a single-session expectancy challenge intervention to reduce alcohol use among college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 22(2): 168-175, 2008. (37 refs.)

In this study, the authors developed and evaluated a single-session experiential expectancy challenge (EC) intervention, seeking to reduce alcohol use by changing key positive expectancies among moderate to heavy drinking male and female college students. Participants (N = 217) were randomly assigned to attend a 90- to 120-min EC session, CD-ROM alcohol education, or assessment only. Participants were assessed at pretest, posuest, and 1-month follow-up. Exposure to the EC intervention led to significant decreases in alcohol expectancies and subsequent alcohol consumption in both genders at follow-up. No significant changes were evident in either control condition. This study is the first to effectively decrease expectancies and drinking in college students with a single-session EC intervention. Further, although several studies have demonstrated the utility of the intervention with men, it is the first to do so with women. This study represents a critical step in the process of translating an innovative, theory-based intervention into a more practical format that makes it more accessible to those who seek effective drinking-reduction strategies for college campuses.

Lawrance KAG; Lawler SA. Campus physicians' tobacco interventions with university students: A descriptive study of 16 Ontario university clinics. Patient Education and Counseling 70(2): 187-192, 2008. (36 refs.)

Objective: About one-quarter of Canadian post-secondary students smoke cigarettes. We examined how physicians from Ontario university health clinics intervene with these young adult smokers. Method: A convenience sample of 16 universities was identified and surveys were hand-delivered to all 228 physicians from these schools. A total of 125 doctors (54.82%) responded; 70 were from universities that were involved in a government-sponsored, coordinated, multi-campus, tobacco control initiative. Results: Twenty percent of doctors reported asking all or almost all patients about tobacco use; 25.22% asked fewer than half. Describing how they respond to patients identified as smokers, 96.00% of physicians advised cessation, 72.00% offered assistance, and 64.00% arranged for follow-up. Doctors discussed patients' tobacco use with 78.59% of smokers. Nicotine replacement therapies were rarely offered to patients wanting to quit. Doctors from universities involved in the tobacco control initiative were more likely to keep patient education materials in the examining room. Conclusion: Because most doctors ask only some patients about tobacco use, they may be missing opportunities to provide appropriate advice and assistance to all smokers. Practice implications: Physician education and support to the clinic are needed to improve the frequency and quality of physician-delivered smoking cessation services to post-secondary students.

Liourta E; van Empelen P. The importance of self-regulatory and goal-conflicting processes in the avoidance of drunk driving among Greek young drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention 40(3): 1191-1199, 2008. (40 refs.)

The present study examined self-regulatory and goal-conflicting processes in the avoidance of drunk driving among Greek young drivers. A total of 361 university students in Greece completed a questionnaire, using a retrospective cross-sectional survey design. One-third reported to have driven under the influence of alcohol. Although prior intentions were clearly related to actual avoidance of drunk driving, one out of five respondents had not complied with their intention. An examination of post-intentional correlates of avoidance of drunk driving among positive intenders showed that avoidance of drunk driving was positively related to alcohol limitation plans and alcohol limitation self-efficacy, whereas negative relations were found for goal conflict and behavioural willingness. The present study suggests that people should not only be motivated but also be equipped with self-regulatory strategies aiming at the avoidance of drinking. Finally, goal commitment should be enhanced by increasing the salience of the avoidance goal.

Lopez EN; Drobes DJ; Thompson JK; Brandon TH. Effects of a body image challenge on smoking motivation among college females. Health Psychology 27(3, Supplement S): s243-s251, 2008. (76 refs.)

Objective: Previous correlational and quasi-experimental research has established that weight concerns and negative body image are associated with tobacco smoking, cessation, and relapse, particularly among young women. This study examined the causal influence of body image upon smoking motivation by merging methodologies from the addiction and body image literatures. Design: Using a cue-reactivity paradigm, the study tested whether an experimental manipulation designed to challenge women's body image-specifically, their weight dissatisfaction-influenced their motivation to smoke. Female college smokers (N = 62) were included in a 2 X 2 factorial, within-subjects design (body image cues X smoking cues). Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported urge to smoke was the primary dependent measure, with skin conductance as a secondary measure. Results: As hypothesized, the presentation of smoking images and thin model images produced greater urges to smoke than control images. Additionally, trait weight concerns moderated the effect of the body image manipulation such that those women with greater weight concerns produced greater craving to the thin model image (when smoking cues were not present). Conclusion: These findings provide initial evidence that situational challenges to body image are causally related to smoking motivation.

Lysova AV; Hines DA. Binge drinking and violence against intimate partners in Russia. Aggressive Behavior 34(4): 416-427, 2008. (50 refs.)

This study is the first to provide information on the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and binge drinking among Russian university students. Using data from 500 (58% female) university students from the four Russian sites of the International Dating Violence Study, we found gender differences in rates of IPV perpetration and in the association between binge drinking and IPV. Specifically, more females than males perpetrated IPV, and the associations between binge drinking and IPV were stronger for the female students than for the male students. In addition, antisocial traits and behavior (ATSB) were significantly related to both binge drinking and IPV perpetration for males and females. For males, the relatively weak associations between binge drinking and IPV perpetration disappeared once ASTB was accounted for. For females, the relationship decreased but remained significant when ATSB was statistically controlled. Path analyses confirmed that this pattern of relationships would be consistent with ATSB serving as a partial mediator between binge drinking and IPV perpetration. However, other alternative mediation and moderation models for the relationships between binge drinking, IPV perpetration, and ATSB could not be ruled out with this one-wave correlational study.

Mackey MC; McKinney SH; Tavakoli A. Factors related to smoking in college women. Journal of Community Health Nursing 25(2): 106-121, 2008. (73 refs.)

Cigarette smoking among American women attending college has increased dramatically since the 1980's. To develop effective smoking prevention and cessation programs, a better understanding of factors associated with smoking in college women is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine if selected factors (stress, stress management, nutrition, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and race) were related to smoking in college women. A sample of 354 college women in a southeastern state, 18-22 years of age, participated in the study. Logistic regression analysis indicated that White race (p = <.001), alcohol consumption (p =.0013), and limited physical activity (P =.0078) were significantly associated with smoking. Physically active college women were 2 times less likely to be smokers. However, physical activity mediated the effect of stress and stress management on smoking. Additionally, stress management confounded the effect of stress on smoking. Therefore, in addition to alcohol avoidance, exercise (as a stress management strategy) may be an important component of primary prevention and smoking cessation programs for college women.

Martens MP; Labrie JW; Hummer JF; Pedersen ER. Understanding sport-related drinking motives in college athletes: Psychometric analyses of the Athlete Drinking Scale. Addictive Behaviors 33(7): 974-977, 2008. (7 refs.)

Researchers have identified college student-athletes as a high-risk group for heavy alcohol consumption (e.g., Nelson, T. F., & Wechsler, H. (2001). Alcohol and college athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, 43-47). Recently, Martens and colleagues (Martens, M. P., Watson, J. CN., Royland, E. M., & Beck, N. C. (2005). Development of the Athlete Drinking Scale. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19, 158-164) developed a measure of sport-related motivations for drinking: the Athlete Drinking Scale (ADS). Initial research on the reliability and validity of the measure was promising, and the purpose of this study was to conduct additional psychometric analyses on the scale. Data were analyzed from 483 NCAA Division I athletes who volunteered to participate in the study. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis provided satisfactory support for the hypothesized factor structure of the ADS. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that scores on the ADS were associated with relevant alcohol-related outcome variables, even after controlling for the effects of demographic factors and general drinking motives. Thus, the ADS may be a useful tool for both clinicians and researchers working in alcohol prevention among collegiate athletes.

McCabe SE. Misperceptions of non-medical prescription drug use: A web survey of college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(5): 713-724, 2008. (35 refs.)

Objectives: This study compared undergraduate students' perceived versus actual prevalence rates of non-medical use of marijuana, prescription opioids and prescription stimulants. Methods: In 2005, a randomly selected sample of 3639 college students self-administered a Web survey regarding their substance use behaviors and attitudes (68% response rate). Results: The majority of undergraduate students overestimated the prevalence of non-medical use of prescription stimulants (70.2%) and prescription opioids (69.9%) and marijuana use (50.5%) among peers on their campus. The mean difference between perceived versus actual past-year use was considerably greater for non-medical use of prescription stimulants (mean difference=12.2, 95% CI=11.7-12.7) and prescription opioids (mean difference=8.8, 95% CI=8.3-9.2) than marijuana (mean difference=2.9, 95% CI=2.2-3.6). Multivariate regression analysis revealed overestimation of non-medical use of prescription drugs was significantly associated with gender and medical use of prescription drugs. Conclusions: The findings provided strong evidence of misperception of non-medical prescription drug use among college students. Future research and prevention efforts should assess the impact of correcting misperceived norms on reducing non-medical prescription drug use.

Moore MJ; Werch C. Relationship between vigorous exercise frequency and substance use among first-year drinking college students. Journal of American College Health 56(6): 686-690, 2008. (28 refs.)

Objective: The authors explored the relationship between self-reported vigorous exercise frequency and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use behaviors among first-year college students who self-identified as drinkers. Participants: The authors recruited 391 freshman college students in Northeast Florida to participate in an alcohol abuse prevention study. Methods: The authors conducted a multivariate analysis of variance to assess the relationship between vigorous exercise frequency and 6 measures of ATOD use at baseline. Results: Frequent exercisers drank significantly more often and a significantly greater quantity than did infrequent exercisers. However, frequent exercisers smoked cigarettes significantly less often than did infrequent exercisers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that vigorous exercise frequency is differentially associated with alcohol and cigarette consumption among college students. Researchers should further examine the reasons for these differences.

Morrell HER; Cohen LM; Dempsey JP. Smoking prevalence and awareness among undergraduate and health care students. American Journal on Addictions 17(3): 181-186, 2008. (40 refs.)

Approximately 10,000 undergraduates from 12 Texas colleges and universities and 350 health care students completed a Web-based survey assessing the prevalence and awareness of cigarette smoking. There were few differences between health care and undergraduate students on trying smoking or quitting smoking. Health care students reported lower rates of current smoking than undergraduate students, even though both groups demonstrated similar knowledge of tobacco-related health risks. Gender differences are discussed. Findings suggest that tobacco awareness programs should continue to target young adults as an at-risk population, and that health care training programs should place a greater emphasis on tobacco cessation.

Neave N; Tsang C; Heather N. Effects of alcohol and alcohol expectancy on perceptions of opposite-sex facial attractiveness in university students. Addiction Research & Theory 16(4): 359-368, 2008. (21 refs.)

Previous research has indicated that alcohol consumption increases the perceived attractiveness of opposite-sex faces. This may contribute to the known effects of alcohol on risky sexual behaviours. We investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on the perception of opposite-sex faces, whilst controlling for alcohol expectancy. In a balanced placebo design, males and females were allocated to one of the four groups: (1) told they would receive alcohol and did; (2) told they would receive alcohol but did not; (3) told they would not receive alcohol but did; (4) told they would not receive alcohol and did not. They then rated opposite-sex faces and neutral stimuli for 'attractiveness'. Roughly three-quarters of the sample were classified as hazardous or harmful drinkers by the AUDIT questionnaire. No significant differences between groups in ratings of attractiveness for either set of stimuli were found. Findings remained the same in a reduced sample for whom the experimental manipulation was successful (as assessed by post-test questioning). Thus, we did not find that alcohol ingestion enhanced ratings of opposite-sex faces. Nor did we find that, in the overall sample, the expectation of receiving an alcoholic drink influenced opposite-sex face ratings. Possible explanations for these null findings are discussed.

Nelson MC; Lust K; Story M; Ehlinger E. Credit card debt, stress and key health risk behaviors among college students. American Journal of Health Promotion 22(6): 400-407, 2008. (34 refs.)

Purpose. To examine cross-sectional associations between credit card debt, stress, and health risk behaviors among college students, focusing particularly on weight-related behaviors. Design. Random-sample, mailed survey. Subjects/Setting. Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 3206) attending a large public university. Measures. Self-reported health indicators (e.g., weight, height, physical activity, diet, weight control, stress, credit card debt). Results. More than 23 % of students reported credit card debt >= $1000. Using Poisson regression to predict relative risks (RR) of health behaviors, debt of at least $1000 was associated with nearly every risk indicator tested, including overweight/obesity, insufficient physical activity, excess television viewing, infrequent breakfast consumption, fast food consumption, unhealthy weight control, body dissatisfaction, binge drinking, substance use, and violence. For example, adjusted RR [ARR] ranged from 1. 09 (95 % Confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.17) for insufficient vigorous activity to 2.17 (CI:. 0.68-2.82) for using drugs other than marijuana in the past 30 days. Poor stress management was also a robust indicator of health risk. Conclusion. University student lifestyles may be characterized by a variety of coexisting risk factors. These findings indicate that both debt and stress were associated with wide-ranging adverse health indicators. Intervention strategies targeting at-risk student populations need to be tailored to work within the context of the many challenges of college life, which may serve as barriers to healthy lifestyles. Increased health promotion efforts targeting stress, financial management, and weight-related health behaviors may be needed to enhance wellness among young adults.

Okasaka Y; Morita N; Nakatani Y; Fujisawa K. Correlation between addictive behaviors and mental health in university students. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 62(1): 84-92, 2008. (31 refs.)

Aims: The present study aims to clarify the relationships of addictive behaviors and addiction overlap to stress, acceptance from others and purpose in life. Methods: A survey was conducted on 691 students at eight universities. The Eating Attitude Test-20 was used to identify students with food addiction or food addictive tendencies. The Kurihama Alcoholism Screening Test was used to identify students with alcohol addiction or alcohol addictive tendencies. The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence was used to identify students with nicotine addictive tendencies or nicotine addiction. The Visual Analog Scale was used to assess stress and acceptance from others. The Purpose in Life Test was used to measure meaning and purpose in life. Results were compared between students with addictive behaviors, with addictive tendencies and without addictive behaviors. Results: Significant differences among the three groups were observed for stress, acceptance from others, and Purpose in Life scores for students with food and nicotine addiction, but no significant differences existed in relation to alcohol addiction. In addition, 28.8% of students displayed addictive behaviors in one of the three areas (food, alcohol or nicotine), 8.5% displayed addictive behaviors in two of the three areas, and 0.4% had addictive behaviors in all three areas. Significant differences existed in stress and acceptance from others among students with one addictive behavior, >= two addictive behaviors and no addictive behaviors. However, no significant differences existed in Purpose in Life scores with respect to overlapping addictions. Conclusion: The results suggest a relationship between mental health, addictive behaviors and overlapping addiction among university students.

Park A; Sher KJ; Krull JL. Risky drinking in college changes as fraternity/sorority affiliation changes: A person-environment perspective. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 22(2): 219-229, 2008. (35 refs.)

This study aimed to resolve the direction of the relation between Greek affiliation and substance use by taking advantage of the quasi-experimental nature of change in college fraternity/sorority affiliation. Precollege individual differences and college substance use were examined as a function of time-varying Greek status to characterize self-selection (by which heavy substance users opt into Greek systems) and socialization (by which Greek systems foster heavy substance use). Prospective data on continuously enrolled college students (N = 2,376), assessed at precollege and in the first 6 semesters of college, were used. Latent class analysis indicated 4 discrete groups of status: constant Greek members (30%), constant nonmembers (64%), late joiners (2%), and droppers (4%). Random coefficient models demonstrated disaffiliation with Greek systems is associated with decreases in risky drinking and alcohol-conducive environmental factors (peer norms and alcohol availability), whereas affiliation is associated with increases, indicating Greek socialization via sociocognitive and physical environments. Future Greeks differed from nonmembers in diverse individual characteristics and heavier substance use at precollege, suggesting multiple selection paths into Greek systems. Findings suggest a reciprocal relation between Greek environment and individuals in determining the trajectories of college drinking and heterogeneity in drinking as functions of changes in Greek affiliation.

Parks KA; Hsieh YP; Bradizza CM; Rornosz AM. Factors influencing the temporal relationship between alcohol consumption and experiences with aggression among college women. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 22(2): 210-218, 2008. (38 refs.)

The authors assessed temporal relationships among alcohol use, aggression, and mood using daily data from 179 college women. Participants called an interactive voice response system over an 8-week period. The odds of experiencing verbal, sexual, and physical aggression (odd ratios = 2.25, 19.44, and 11.84, respectively) were significantly higher on heavy drinking days (M = 7.46 drinks) compared to non-drinking days. Both a history of victimization and greater psychological symptom severity influenced the odds of involvement in verbal aggression. The odds of alcohol consumption were 3 times higher during the 24 hr following verbal aggression compared with days in which verbal aggression did not occur. On the day immediately following involvement in either verbal or physical aggression, positive mood decreased and negative mood increased. During the week (2-7 days) following sexual aggression, women's positive mood was decreased. These findings reinforce the need for interventions aimed at reducing heavy episodic drinking on college campuses.

Parks KA; Romosz AM; Bradizza CM; Hsieh YP. A dangerous transition: Women's drinking and related victimization from high school to the first year at college. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(1): 65-74, 2008. (61 refs.)

Objective: The current study assessed women's risk for victimization during the first year at college, based on changes in drinking during the transition from high school to college. We were specifically interested in differential risk for victimization based on women's change in drinking status over the transition to college. We compared continued abstainers with women who began drinking ("new" drinkers) and women who continued drinking but either decreased, increased, or did not change their level of weekly drinking. Method: Data were collected using a Web-based survey each fall for the first 2 years at college with one cohort (N = 886) of incoming freshmen women at a large state university in New York. Women reported on their alcohol and other drug use, psychological symptoms, number of sexual partners, and experiences with physical and sexual victimization for the year before entering college (Year I survey) and for the first year at college (Year 2 survey). Results: Abstainers were significantly less likely to experience physical or sexual victimization during the first year at college, compared with drinkers. Logistic regression indicated that there were differences in the predictors of physical and sexual victimization during the first year at college. These differences included history of victimization, psychological symptoms, and number of sexual partners, as well as the type of change in drinking over the transition. Conclusions: In comparison with abstainers, having a history of physical victimization, greater psychological symptoms, and being a "new" drinker increased the odds of physical victimization, whereas having a greater number of current psychological symptoms, sexual partners, and increasing weekly drinking increased the odds of sexual victimization during the first year at college. These findings have implications for prevention efforts targeting young women entering college.

Prokhorov AV; Yost T; Mullin-Jones M; de Moor C; Ford KH; Marani S et al. "Look At Your Health": Outcomes associated with a computer-assisted smoking cessation counseling intervention for community college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(6): 757-771, 2008. (41 refs.)

Community college students represent 44% of all students enrolled in U.S. higher education facilities. To our knowledge, no previous smoking cessation intervention has targeted community college students. Previous studies suggest that a motivational smoking cessation intervention could be successful for young adult smokers. Combining motivational interviewing sessions with personalized health feedback is likely to increase participants' motivation to quit and movement through the stages of change. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a smoking cessation program based on these premises. We designed a computer-assisted, counselor-delivered smoking cessation program that addresses personal health risks and readiness to change smoking behavior among community college students. A group-randomized, controlled trial was used to assess the intervention in a sample of 426 students (58.5% females; mean age, 22.8 +/- 4.7 years) from 15 pair-matched campuses. At the 10-month follow-up assessment, the cotinine-validated smoking cessation rates were 16.6% in the experimental condition and 10.1% in the standard care condition (p=0.07). Our results indicate that our computer-assisted intervention holds considerable promise in reducing smoking among community college students.

Read JP; Beattie M; Chamberlain R; Merrill JE. Beyond the "Binge" threshold: Heavy drinking patterns and their association with alcohol involvement indices in college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(2): 225-234, 2008. (22 refs.)

Despite its ubiquity, the term "Binge" drinking has been controversial. Among other things, the grouping of drinkers into a single risk category based on a relatively low threshold may not capture adequately the nature of problem drinking behaviors. The present study is an initial examination of the utility of delineating heavy drinkers into three groups; those who typically drink below the traditional "Binge" cutoff (less than 4+/5+ drinks per occasion for women/men), those who met traditional "Binge" drinking criteria, and a higher "Binge" cutoff of 6+/7+ (women, men). We examined differences in drunkenness, drinking frequency, and unique types of alcohol problems. Participants (N=356; 184 women) were regularly drinking college students at a mid-sized U.S. university who completed a battery of self-report measures including a calendar of daily alcohol consumption, and the 8-domain Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ). Estimated Blood Alcohol Levels (eBALs) were calculated. We found that the standard 4+/5+ drink "Binge" cutoff distinguishes drinkers across some but not all indices of alcohol involvement. "Binge" drinkers differed from their "Non-Binge" counterparts on eBAL, but for other indicators (drinking frequency, total alcohol consequences), only "Heavy Binge" drinkers differed significantly from "Non-Binge" drinkers. Importantly, "Heavy Binge" drinkers experienced higher levels of those specific consequences associated with more problematic alcohol involvement. Findings suggest that not all "Binge" drinkers drink alike, are equally drunk, or experience similar consequences. As such, there may be utility in distinguishing among heavy drinkers, in order to focus appropriately on those at greatest risk for different types of consequences.

Rhodes WA; Peters RJ; Perrino CS; Bryant S. Substance use problems reported by historically black college students: Combined marijuana and alcohol use versus alcohol alone. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 40(2): 201-205, 2008. (9 refs.)

Using secondary data analysis, this study compares alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems experienced by African-American students attending a historically Black university who use alcohol only versus those who use alcohol plus marijuana. Results indicate that students who used marijuana plus alcohol experienced more AOD problems than their counterparts who used alcohol only. The current findings are similar to previous research with a majority White college student population.

Rodriguez CA; Span SA. ADHD symptoms, anticipated hangover symptoms, and drinking habits in female college students. Addictive Behaviors 33(8): 1031-1038, 2008. (34 refs.)

One risk factor increasingly evaluated as a predictor of problem drinking over the last two decades is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; e.g., [Smith, B.H., Molina, B.S.G., & Pelham, W.E., Jr. (2002). The clinically meaningful link between alcohol use and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Alcohol Research & Health, 26(2), 122-129.]). Previous research has shown an inconsistent link between these two constructs indicating that a third variable, such as anticipated hangover symptoms, may be moderating this relation. In the current study, 68 female college students completed measures assessing alcohol consumption over the previous three months, ADHD symptoms, and anticipated hangover symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression, with Body Mass Index as a covariate, revealed that anticipated hangover symptoms moderated the relation between ADHD symptoms and frequency of drinking per month, beta=-.25, t (63)=-2.07, p < .05. Simple slopes analyses indicated that only individuals anticipating lesser hangover symptoms demonstrated a positive relation between their ADHD symptoms and frequency of drinking per month, beta = .44, t (63)=2.64, p <.05. Individuals anticipating greater hangover symptoms showed no relation between these two constructs. These results support the traditional punishment model of hangover symptoms, suggesting that those who do not anticipate the punishing effects of hangover may be at greatest risk for problem drinking.

Rosenthal DA; Russell J; Thomson G. The health and wellbeing of international students at an Australian university. Higher Education 55(1): 51-67, 2008. (35 refs.)

A representative sample of undergraduate and postgraduate international students at a large Australian university (n=979, 64% females) completed a mail-back survey of their health and wellbeing. Most students evaluated their current and previous physical and mental health positively. Health-related risk practices such as unprotected sexual activity, drug use, smoking and gambling, were reported by few students. There was little change in health or risk behaviours since coming to Australia and few changes that were health compromising. Few demographic or situational variables, including age and gender, had a significant impact on students' wellbeing. This study has revealed that few international students find the experience of studying in an overseas country detrimental to their wellbeing. Nevertheless, for those students who encounter difficulties or are at increased risk of health-compromising outcomes, we must ensure better delivery of health promotion education, and access to, and use of, available counselling and health services.

Scott-Sheldon LAJ; Carey KB; Carey MP. Health behavior and college students: Does Greek affiliation matter? Journal of Behavioral Medicine 31(1): 61-70, 2008. (68 refs.)

The college years offer an opportunity for new experiences, personal freedom, and identity development; however, this period is also noted for the emergence of risky health behaviors that place college students at risk for health problems. Affiliation with on-campus organizations such as fraternities or sororities may increase a students' risk given the rituals and socially endorsed behaviors associated with Greek organizations. In this study, we examined alcohol and drug use, smoking, sexual behavior, eating, physical activity, and sleeping in 1,595 college students (n = 265 Greek members, n = 1,330 non-Greek members). Results show Greek members engaged in more risky health behaviors (e.g., alcohol use, cigarette smoking, sexual partners, and sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs) than non-Greek members. Greek and non-Greek members did not differ in condom use, unprotected sex, eating, and physical activity behaviors. Implications for prevention and intervention strategies among Greek members are discussed.

Scribner R; Mason K; Theall K; Simonsen N; Schneider SK; Towvim LG. The contextual role of alcohol outlet density in college drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(1): 112-120, 2008. (29 refs.)

Objective: The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between the physical availability of off-campus alcohol and drinking outcomes among college students. Method: A multilevel analysis of students (N = 17,051) nested within college campuses (N = 32) was conducted. Four problem-drinking-related outcomes (i.e., average number of drinks when partying, frequency of drunkenness in past 2 weeks, 30-day frequency of drinking, and greatest number of drinks in one sitting) along with individual level covariates of drinking were introduced at the student level. The physical availability of alcohol was assessed as the number of on-premise and off-premise alcohol outlets within 3 miles of campus per 1,000 students enrolled. Results: Higher densities of on-premise alcohol outlets were strongly related to drinking outcomes even after controlling for individual predictors of college drinking. The association indicated that the campus means for the average number of drinks when partying and the number of drinking occasions in the past 30 days were, respectively, 1.13 drinks and 1.32 occasions greater when the outlet density was 2 SDs higher. Conclusions: Off-campus, on-premise outlet density is strongly associated with college-drinking outcomes. Given the limited number of modifiable factors that affect college drinking, on-premise outlet density represents a potential modifiable means of addressing the problem.

Simao MO; Kerr-Correa F; Smaira SI; Trinca LA; Floripes TMF; Dalben I et al. Prevention of "risky" drinking among students at a Brazilian University. Alcohol and Alcoholism 43(4): 470-476, 2008. (51 refs.)

Aim: The aim of this paper was to compare the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and its associated negative consequences between two groups of college students who were identified as being "risky drinkers." Subjects were randomly allocated in a clinical trial to intervention or control groups. Methods: Risky drinking use was defined as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) >= 8 and/or Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) >= 5 problems in the previous year. Students who had undergone the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) (N = 145 at baseline; 142 at 12 months, and 103 at 24 months, loss of 29.7%) were compared with a control group (N = 121 at baseline; 121 at 12 months and 113 at 24 months, loss of 9.3%), the nonintervention group. Variables included drinking frequency, quantity and peak consumption, dependence assessment, and family and friends' abuse assessment. Results: Treated students at a 24-month follow-up decreased quantity of alcohol use per occasion and lowered AUDIT and RAPI scores. Conclusions: This is the first brief intervention work on risky drinking with college students in Brazil and the results are encouraging. However, it is difficult to conduct individual prevention strategies in a country where culture fosters heavy drinking through poor public policy on alcohol and lack of law enforcement.

Talbott LL; Martin RJ; Usdan SL; Leeper JD; Umstattd MR; Cremeens JL; Geiger BF. Drinking likelihood, alcohol problems, and peer influence among first-year college students. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 34(4): 433-440, 2008. (17 refs.)

Excessive alcohol consumption is a predominant health concern on college campuses in the United States. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictive values of demographic factors in relation to alcohol subscales (Drinking Context Scale, College Alcohol Problems Scale-revised, and Social Modeling Scale) with the outcome of number of drinking days in the past 30 days among a sample (n = 224) of first-year college students. The final model predicted 37.5% of the variability in drinking days in the past month. All variables, except for race, were significantly associated with the outcome (p < .05).

Tewksbury R; Higgins GE; Mustaine EE. Binge drinking among college athletes and non-athletes. Deviant Behavior 29(3): 275-293, 2008. (39 refs.)

Concerns about incidence, forms, and consequences of alcohol use among college students lack examinations of the lifestyles and predictors of college student athletes. This article, using a sample of student-athletes and non-athletes from four Southern universities, identifies the lifestyle predictors for each population, identifying patterns and sets of predictors of binge drinking behavior. Findings indicate that for both samples, binge drinking behavior is explained by sex, drinking in bars, number of male friends who drink, and cigarette smoking. Student-athletes' binge drinking is explained further by residing on campus. Non-athlete binge drinking is related to race and amount of study time per week. Implications for these findings are also discussed.

Tremblay PF; Graham K; Wells S. Severity of physical aggression reported by university students: A test of the interaction between trait aggression and alcohol consumption. Personality and Individual Differences 45(1): 3-9, 2008. (27 refs.)

As part of an online study of aggression, 2647 full-time undergraduate students at six Canadian universities completed the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992) and reported on whether they had been involved in incidents of physical aggression in the past 12 months at a (1) bar, nightclub or pub, (2) home or residence, and (3) party or social event. About one in four students reported an incident. Scores on the physical trait aggression scale correlated significantly with severity of aggression in the three locations. Males reported higher severity than did females in the three locations. Alcohol consumption was significantly related to severity at bars and parties but not in the home location. Support was found for an interaction between the physical trait aggression scale and drinking at the time of the incident predicting the severity of aggression for incidents reported in bars.

VanderVeen JW; Cohen LM; Trotter DRM; Collins FL. Impulsivity and the role of smoking-related outcome expectancies among dependent college-aged cigarette smokers. Addictive Behaviors 33(8): 1006-1011, 2008. (41 refs.)

The relationship between trait-impulsivity and smoking expectancies on smoking progression in undergraduate college students was examined over a 48-hour period of smoking abstinence. Participants were forty-nine college-aged dependent cigarette smokers who completed measures designed to assess impulsivity, nicotine dependence, and smoking expectancies. Using a series of multilevel models, impulsivity by time analyses indicated significant differences in positive reinforcement expectancies, [F (2, 94) = 3.19, p < .05], but not in negative reinforcement expectancies, [F (2, 94) = 0.49, p = .61]. Simple slopes analyses indicated that heightened trait-impulsivity predicted greater increases in positive reinforcement outcome expectancies at 48 h of abstinence. Level of impulsivity, however, was not related to changes in negative reinforcement expectancies. Results indicate that during an abstinence period, college students higher in trait-impulsivity may be more prone to relapse due to stronger beliefs about the positive effects from smoking a cigarette. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the interaction of personality and cognitive factors when working with young adult smokers wishing to quit this health-compromising behavior.

Vasianovich A; Van Teijlingen ER; Reid G; Scott NW. Key health promotion factors among male members of staff at a higher educational institution: A cross-sectional postal survey. BMC Public Health 8(e-article 58), 2008. (45 refs.)

Background: Men's lifestyles are generally less healthy than women's. This study identifies associations between health-related behaviour in different groups of men working in a Higher Education (HE) institution. In addition, men were asked whether they regarded their health-related behaviours as a concern. This article highlights smoking, consumption of alcohol and physical activity as most common men's health-related lifestyle behaviours. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among all male staff employed by a Higher Education institute in Scotland using a postal self-completed questionnaire. A total of 1,335 questionnaires were distributed and 501 were returned completed (38% return rate). The data were analysed using SPSS 13.0 for Windows. Results: Less than 10% currently smoked and almost 44% of these smokers were light smokers. Marital status, job title, consumption of alcohol and physical activity level were the major factors associated with smoking behaviour. Men in manual jobs were far more likely to smoke. Nearly all (90%) consumed alcohol, and almost 37% had more than recommended eight units of alcohol per day at least once a week and 16% had more than 21 units weekly. Younger men reported higher amount of units of alcohol on their heaviest day and per week. Approximately 80% were physically active, but less than 40% met the current Government guidelines for moderate physical activity. Most men wanted to increase their activity level. Conclusion: There are areas of health-related behaviour, which should be addressed in populations of this kind. Needs assessment could indicate which public health interventions would be most appropriately aimed at this target group. However, the low response rate calls for some caution in interpreting our findings.

Velez-Blasini CJ. Evidence against alcohol as a proximal cause of sexual risk taking among college students. Journal of Sex Research 45(2): 118-128, 2008. (47 refs.)

Studies have suggested that drinking leads to promiscuity and sexual risk taking. This claim, however, has not remained unchallenged, and several investigations have suggested this relationship may be at best limited to a narrow band of sexual behavior or at worst entirely spurious. An on-line survey about two discrete sexual events: one with intercourse, one without college students (a smaller subsample was used to examine crucial hypotheses) completed by 216 (148 female). Within-subjects analyses yielded no evidence indicating that condom use was less prevalent when alcohol was consumed regardless of relationship status (casual or romantic partners). Alcohol was consumed more often during noncoital events. Among females, intercourse events showed higher levels of arousal and perceived benefits and lower perceived costs and internal conflict than noncoital events, suggesting a rather rational decision-making process even when under the influence. Stable personality and behavioral dimensions (sociosexuality, impulsivity/sensation seeking, sociability, and usual drinking) provided a better explanation for sexual risk taking than acute alcohol effects.

Vivancos R; Abubakar I; Hunter PR. Sex, drugs and sexually transmitted infections in British university students. International Journal of STD and AIDS 19(6): 370-377, 2008. (32 refs.)

Understanding predisposing factors for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young adults may identify targets for public health interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey of university students' sexual attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles and self-reported rates of STI. A total of 827 students responded, 22.4% had two or more sexual partners in the previous year with inconsistent condom use and the lifetime prevalence of STIs was 9.6%. Factors associated with a diagnosis of STI were increasing age and number of sexual partners ever, female gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.70, 95% confidence interval [Cl] 1.31, 5.56) and use of crack (AOR 10.45, 95% CI 1.46, 75.16). For female students, these were increasing age and number of partners ever, whereas for male students having sex with other men (bisexual AOR 4.8, 95% CI 1.02, 22.595, homosexual AOR 17.66, 95% CI 3.03,103.04) and use of crack (AOR 32.24, 95% CI 3.33, 312.08). Multiple partners and recreational drug use may predict incidence of STI. Prevention strategies need to aim at reducing risk behaviour across various activities.

Wechsler H; Nelson TF. What we have learned from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: Focusing attention on college student alcohol consumption and the environmental conditions that promote it. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(4): 481-490, 2008. (90 refs.)

The Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at a nationally representative sample of 4-year colleges in the United States four times between 1993 and 2001. More than 50,000 students at 120 colleges took part in the study. This article reviews what we have learned about college drinking and the implications for prevention: the need to focus on lower drink thresholds, the harms produced at this level of drinking for the drinkers, the second-hand effects experienced by other students and neighborhood residents, the continuing extent of the problem, and the role of the college alcohol environment in promoting heavy drinking by students. In particular, the roles of campus culture, alcohol control policies, enforcement of policies, access, availability, pricing, marketing, and special promotions of alcohol are highlighted.

Young A; Grey M; Abbey A; Boyd CJ; McCabe SE. Alcohol-related sexual assault victimization among adolescents: Prevalence, characteristics, and correlates. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 69(1): 39-48, 2008. (53 refs.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence and describe the characteristics of alcohol-related sexual assault among middle and high school students. Method: A Web-based, self-administered survey was used to collect data on 7th- through 12th-grade students (n = 1,037) in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest. A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey was used to ask students about their sexual victimization experiences so as to examine the involvement of alcohol within specific assault events. The sample was equally distributed by biological gender and ethnicity (white vs black) and was, on average (SD), 14 (2) years of age. Results: Findings from the study indicate that alcohol was involved in approximately 12%-20% of the assault cases, depending on age and gender of the respondent. For females, the presence of alcohol during assault differed significantly based on the location at which the assault occurred, ranging from 6% (at the survivor's home) to 29% (at parties or someone else's home). Furthermore, alcohol-related assault among females was more likely to involve physical force than non-alcohol-related assault. Conclusions: Results are discussed in light of the risk factors of alcohol-related assault among adolescents as well as the nature of social contexts that fosters alcohol-related sexual assault among both adolescents and college students.

Zhao XQ; Cai XM. The role of ambivalence in college nonsmokers' information seeking and information processing. Communication Research 35(3): 298-318, 2008. (50 refs.)

The abundant prosmoking influences in college can cultivate a sense of ambivalence about smoking among many nonsmoking students. In this study, the authors investigated the role of ambivalence in college nonsmokers' seeking and processing of smoking-related information. Three hundred ninety-six nonsmoking college students participated in an online study. Hypotheses were built into a predictive model and tested using structural equation modeling. Higher ambivalence was found to be associated with greater information seeking in the past 30 days. Past information seeking, in turn, was associated with deeper processing and greater acceptance of new antismoking information. Implications of the results for smoking prevention on college campuses are discussed.

Zverev Y. Problem drinking among university students in Malawi. Collegium Antropologicum 32(1): 27-31, 2008. (34 refs.)

A survey of 787 University of Malawi students (481 males and 306 females) using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) indicated that about 72% of responders (78% of males and 63% of females) drink alcohol. The mean AUDIT score was 3.4 +/- 5.3 for females and 13.2 +/- 8.9 for males. Some 54.1% of males and 16.5% of females had the AUDIT score above the threshold level of 8.0, which corresponded with high mean values of alcohol consumption per week (222.8 +/- 162.7 g of pure ethanol for males and 100.3 +/- 98.3 g for females). In addition, about 74.4% of male students and 27.3% of females reported episodes of heavy drinking. The findings stressed the need for developing of alcohol control policies in the University of Malawi and in the country as a whole.