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CORK Bibliography: Colleges

101 citations. January 2009 to present

Prepared: September 2009

Abar C; Abar B; Turrisi R. The impact of parental modeling and permissibility on alcohol use and experienced negative drinking consequences in college. Addictive Behaviors 34(6-7): 542-547, 2009. (42 refs.)

This study examined the impact of parental modeled behavior and permissibility of alcohol use in late high school on the alcohol use and experienced negative drinking consequences of college students. Two-hundred ninety college freshmen at a large university were assessed for perceptions of their parents' permissibility of alcohol use, parents' alcohol-related behavior, and own experienced negative consequences associated with alcohol use. Results indicate that parental permissibility of alcohol use is a consistent predictor of teen drinking behaviors, which was strongly associated with experienced negative consequences. Parental modeled use of alcohol was also found to be a risk factor. with significant differences being seen across the gender of the parents and teens. Discussion focuses on risk factors and avenues for prevention research.

Ackleh AS; Fitzpatrick BG; Scribner R; Simonsen N; Thibodeaux JJ. Ecosystem modeling of college drinking: Parameter estimation and comparing models to data. Mathematical and Computer Modelling 50(3-4): 481-497, 2009. (31 refs.)

Recently we developed a model composed of five impulsive differential equations that describes the changes in drinking patterns (that persist at epidemic level) amongst college students. Many of the model parameters cannot be measured directly from data; thus, an inverse problem approach, which chooses the set of parameters that results in the "best'' model to data fit, is crucial for using this model as a predictive tool. The purpose of this paper is to present the procedure and results of an unconventional approach to parameter estimation that we developed after more common approaches were unsuccessful for our specific problem. The results show that our model provides a good fit to survey data for 32 campuses. Using these parameter estimates, we examined the effect of two hypothetical intervention policies: (1) reducing environmental wetness, and (2) penalizing students who are caught drinking. The results suggest that reducing campus wetness may be a very effective way of reducing heavy episodic (binge) drinking on a college campus, while a policy that penalizes students who drink is not nearly as effective.

Amaro H; Ahl M; Matsumoto A; Prado G; Mule C; Kemmemer A et al. Trial of the university assistance program for alcohol use among mandated students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 45-56, 2009. (68 refs.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief intervention for mandated students in the context of the University Assistance Program, a Student Assistance Program developed and modeled after workplace Employee Assistance Programs. Method: Participants were 265 (196 males and 69 females) judicially mandated college students enrolled in a large, urban university in the northeast United States. All participants were sanctioned by the University's judicial office for all alcohol- or drug-related violation. Participants were randomized to one of two intervention conditions (the University Assistance Program or services as usual) and were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months after intervention. Results: Growth curve analyses showed that relative to services as usual, the University Assistance Program was more efficacious in reducing past-90-day weekday alcohol consumption and the number of alcohol-related consequences while increasing past-90-day use of protective behaviors and coping skills No significant differences in growth trajectories were found between the two intervention conditions on past-90-day blood alcohol concentration, total alcohol consumption, or weekend consumption. Conclusions: The University Assistance Program may have a possible advantage over service as usual for mandated students.

Arria AM; Vincent KB; Caldeira KM. Measuring liability for substance use disorder among college students: implications for screening and early intervention. American Journal of Drug And Alcohol Abuse 35(4): 233-241, 2009. (27 refs.)

Background: Heavy drinking and illicit drug use among college students has been a longstanding public health concern. Current methods to screen and identify college students at-risk for the development of substance use disorders (SUD) are somewhat limited. Objectives: This study aimed to cross-validate the work by Kirisci et al. ( 1), who developed the Transmissible Liability Index (TLI), by deriving a set of items that would be potentially useful for characterizing SUD risk across multiple dimensions among college students. We examined: 1) variations in the TLI-College Version (TLI-CV) by race, sex, SES, religiosity, and family history of substance use problems; 2) the association between the TLI-CV and alcohol and/or marijuana dependence, both cross-sectionally and prospectively, by race and sex; and, 3) the sensitivity and specificity of the TLI-CV for identifying cases of marijuana and/or alcohol dependence. Methods: Data from an ongoing longitudinal study of college students (n = 1,253) was used to conduct item response theory (IRT) analyses; the resulting TLI-CV consisted of 33 items. Results: The TLI-CV was significantly associated with baseline dependence and significantly higher for non-dependent individuals who later became dependent during the subsequent three years of college. These associations were observed for both sexes, Whites, Blacks/African-Americans, Asians, and other racial minorities. The sensitivity and specificity were suboptimal. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: The TLI-CV advances prior research to identify college students at risk for SUD. This approach holds potential promise to identify and ultimately modify the trajectories of college students who may be at risk for the development of SUD.

Basurto FZ; Montes JMG; Cubos PF; Santed FS; Rios FL; Moreno AM. Validity of the self-report on drug use by university students: Correspondence between self-reported use and use detected in urine. Psicothema 21(2): 213-219, 2009. (26 refs.)

The purpose of this work was to determine the validity of a self-report on recent drug use (cocaine and cannabis) in a sample of university students of both sexes and to explore the role of attitudes toward substance use as related to this report. The subjects (506) were volunteers aged 17-35 years (who received an economic incentive) recruited at the University of Almeria (Spain). The results were analyzed on the basis of correspondence between the self-report of recent use and a urine test. Three logistic regression analyses between self-reported use and attitudes toward drugs were also performed. The results show that the convergent validity of the self-report of drug use and the urine test is quite satisfactory, with percentages of agreement varying from .89 to .98 and Kappa of .66 and .56 for cannabis and cocaine, respectively. Sensitivity of the self-report is 57.1% (cocaine) and 91.8% (cannabis), and specificity is 99.4% (cocaine) and 89.6% (cannabis). The differences found in correspondence between the two substances are discussed with regard to self-reported attitudes on drug use.

Beck KH; Caldeira KM; Vincent KB; O'Grady KE; Wish ED; Arria AM. The social context of cannabis use: Relationship to cannabis use disorders and depressive symptoms among college students. Addictive Behaviors 34(9): 764-768, 2009. (26 refs.)

Few studies have investigated the association between the social context of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD). This longitudinal study of college students aimed to: develop a social context measure of cannabis use: examine the degree to which social context is associated with the transition from non-problematic cannabis use to CUD; and. examine the association between social context of cannabis use and depressive symptoms. The analytic sample consisted of 322 past-year cannabis users at baseline. Four distinct and internally consistent social context scales were found (i.e., social facilitation, emotional pain, sex seeking, and peer acceptance). Persistent CUD (meeting DSM-IV criteria for CUD at baseline and 12 months later) was associated with using cannabis in social facilitation or emotional pain contexts, controlling for frequency of cannabis use and alcohol use quantity. Students with higher levels of depressive symptoms were more likely to use cannabis in an emotional pain or sex-seeking context. These findings highlight the importance of examining the social contextual factors relating to substance use among college students.

Beets MW; Flay BR; Vuchinich S; Li KK; Acock A; Snyder FJ. Longitudinal patterns of binge drinking among first year college students with a history of tobacco use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 103(1-2): 1-8, 2009. (45 refs.)

Background: Underage heavy episodic drinking is a major contributor to alcohol-related morbidity/mortality. Reports indicate underage binge drinking among college students is widespread and has remained stable over the past decade. This study describes individual characteristics and calendar-specific events associated with binge drinking episodes over the Course of freshman college academic year (2002-2003). Methods: Students (N = 827, age 18 years), with a prior history of tobacco use, attending a large Midwest university completed weekly web-based surveys on the number of drinks consumed for each of the past 7 days over the duration of 35 consecutive weeks (avg. number of weeks reported 16.0 +/- 10.5). Results: Average prevalence of binge episodes across the academic year was 17.2 +/- 14.4%, 23.6 +/- 8.3%. and 66.3 +/- 11.2% for weekdays, Thursdays, and weekend days, respectively. Two-level random effects logit survival models for repeated events indicated the prevalence of weekday and Thursday binge drinking was associated with specific university/community events (Local festival odds ratio (OR] 6.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.34-8.36), holidays (New Year's Eve OR 18.48, CI 12.83-26.63), and academic breaks (Spring Break OR 6.45, CI 4.57-9.08). Expected associations of younger age of first heavy drinking, past 12-month drinking, and experiencing negative consequences from heavy drinking were observed. Conclusions: Although individual characteristics were related to engaging in a binge episode, binge episodes were strongly associated with time-specific calendar events. Effective interventions to prevent immediate and long-term health consequences associated with binge drinking should consider environmental and institutional policy-level controls to reduce high levels of binge drinking on college campuses connected with holidays and university/community events.

Boekeloo BO; Bush EN; Novik MG. Perceptions about residence hall wingmates and alcohol-related secondhand effects among college freshmen. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 619-626, 2009

Objective: The authors examined the secondhand effects among college freshmen of others alcohol use and related student characteristics, and perceptions about residence hallmates. Participants: The authors surveyed 509 incoming freshmen residing in predominantly freshman residence halls. Methods: The authors administered a Web-based survey 2 months into the 2006 fall academic semester. Results: Most (80%) students experienced at least 1 secondhand effect. Participants' perceptions of wing-mates acceptance and expectation of alcohol use and participants' perceived inability to protect themselves against alcohol problems were related to experiencing secondhand effects, as were being a female and a drinker. Conclusions: Incoming college freshmen frequently experienced secondhand effects of alcohol use. Involving residence halls in norms-based interventions aimed at reducing secondhand effects warrants evaluation. Further research is also needed to examine skill building among college students to avoid and intervene into others' drinking and to examine resident advisor roles as both engenderers of trust and cooperation as well as enforcers of alcohol rules.

Borsari B; Muellerleile P. Collateral reports in the college setting: A meta-analytic integration. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33(5): 826-838, 2009. (50 refs.)

The majority of research examining college drinking utilizes self-report data, and collateral reports have been used to verify participants' self-reported alcohol use. This meta-analytic integration examined the correspondence of over 970 collateral and participant dyads in the college setting. Results indicated that there is little bias (mean difference) between collateral estimates of participant drinking and participant's self-report. A cumulative meta-analysis revealed that this (null) effect was stable and unlikely to be altered by subsequent research or the existence of unpublished studies. Analysis of the agreement between collaterals and participant estimates (measured by intraclass correlation coefficients; ICCs) revealed moderate levels of agreement (mean ICC = 0.501). Examination of predictors of both bias and agreement in collateral and participant reports indicates a possible intentional and protective underreporting on the part of the collaterals. Ways to reduce this bias are discussed along with the value of using collaterals to verify participant self-report in the college setting.

Brown RL; Matousek TA; Radue MB. Legal-age students' provision of alcohol to underage college students: An exploratory study. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 611-618, 2009

Objective: The authors investigated the magnitude and cultural context of legal-age university students' provision of alcohol to underage students and how such alcohol provision might be deterred. Participants: 130 legal-age students at a midwestern university in the United States were randomly selected. Methods: The authors assessed 16 focus groups and a thematic analysis. Results: Most participants reported frequent alcohol provision. Most denied moral responsibility for any negative consequences that recipients might suffer. Small numbers of participants, chiefly women, would decrease alcohol provision after education on the sexual risks to underage females. Larger numbers would decrease provision in response to consistent law enforcement, severe legal and disciplinary penalties, and education on severe penalties. Conclusions: Legal-age students' provision of alcohol to underage students is an integral part of college Students' drinking culture. As a deterrent, an enforcement-based campaign may be more effective than an educational campaign on the possible negative consequences of alcohol for underage students.

Buettner CK; Andrews DW; Glassman M. Development of a student engagement approach to alcohol prevention: The Pragmatics Project. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 33-37, 2009. (25 refs.)

Significant involvement of students in the development and implementation of college alcohol prevention strategies is largely untested, despite recommendations by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and others. Objective: The purpose of the Pragmatics Project was to test a student engagement model for developing and implementing alcohol intervention strategies. Participants: The Pragmatics Project involved 89 undergraduate students on a large Midwestern university campus in the design and implementation of projects focused on reducing harm associated with high-risk drinking and off-campus parties. Results: The engagement model used an innovative course piloted in the Human Development and Family Science department. The course successfully involved both students and the community in addressing local alcohol issues. Conclusions: The course design described would fit well into a Master of Public Health, Community Psychology, Health Psychology, or interdisciplinary curricula its well its the service learning model, and it is applicable in addressing other health risk behaviors.

Ceballos NA; Wiese B; Hovland J. Gender, body image, and attitudes about tobacco in the United States-Mexico border region: Implications for individualized prevention and treatment efforts for adolescents and emerging adults. Journal of Addictions Nursing 20(2): 66-70, 2009. (20 refs.)

Many people smoke to control weight and/or reduce stress. Previous studies have shown a link between body mass index (BMI) and reasons for smoking among addicted adults. Our 2006-2007 data extended previous research to include a gender comparison in a diverse sample of 142 college students in the urban United States-Mexico border region. Analyses of variance revealed gender differences among participants of normal weight for smoking to alleviate negative emotion and to build self-confidence. Responses of overweight males were similar to those of both normal- and over-weight females. Implications and future directions for smoking prevention/treatment among adolescents are discussed.

Cho HY; So JY; Lee JR. Personal, social, and cultural correlates of self-efficacy beliefs among South Korean college smokers. Health Communication 24(4): 337-345, 2009. (42 refs.)

Much research has documented the significant influence of self-efficacy on smoking cessation, but considerably less is known as to what health communicators can do to promote or address barriers to self-efficacy. This study investigated personal, social, and cultural correlates of smoking self-efficacy. A survey of college smokers was done in South Korea, where the current smoking rate among males is over 56%. At the personal level, the perceived successfulness of the last quit trial positively predicted self-efficacy. At the social level, interpersonal communication with friends was positively associated with self-efficacy. The cultural orientation of independent self-construal was positively associated with self-efficacy. These results indicate that factors affecting smokers' self-efficacy are operative in multiple domains and levels. Future communication programs should promote positive perceptions about prior quit trials, and segment the audience in terms of their self-construal to effectively enhance self-efficacy.

Cimini MD; Martens MP; Larimer ME; Kilmer JR; Neighbors C; Monserrat JM. Assessing the effectiveness of peer-facilitated interventions addressing high-risk drinking among judicially mandated college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 57-66, 2009. (78 refs.)

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of three peer-facilitated brief alcohol interventions -- small group motivational interviewing, motivationally enhanced peer theater, and an interactive alcohol-education program -- with students engaging in high-risk drinking who were referred for alcohol policy violations. Method: Undergraduate students referred for alcohol policy violations (N = 695) at a large northeastern public university were randomized to one of the three conditions. Six-month follow-up data were collected on drinking frequency and quantity, negative consequences, use of protective behaviors, and perceptions of peers' drinking norms. Results: There were no statistically significant overall pre-post effects or treatment effects. However, exploratory analyses indicated that decreases in perceived norms and increases in use of protective behavioral strategies were associated with reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems at follow-up (p < .01). Conclusions: The presence of nonsignificant pre-post or main effects is, in part, consistent with recent research indicating that sanctioned college Students may immediately reduce drinking in response to citation and that brief interventions may not contribute to additional behavioral change. The presence of statistically significant correlations between alcohol use and related problems with corrections in norms misperceptions and increased use of protective behaviors at the individual level holds promise for both research and practice. The integration of elements addressing social norms and use of protective behaviors within brief cognitive-behavioral intervention protocols delivered by trained peer facilitators warrants further study using randomized clinical trials.

Copeland AL; Kulesza M; Hecht GS. Pre-quit depression level and smoking expectancies for mood management predict the nature of smoking withdrawal symptoms in college women smokers. Addictive Behaviors 34(5): 481-483, 2009. (20 refs.)

We assessed smoking withdrawal symptoms over a six-day period of abstinence among 21 female college students who were daily cigarette smokers [M = 20.3 (4.4); cigarettes per day] and were in the preparation stage of change for quitting smoking. We predicted that reported withdrawal symptoms would covary with baseline depression scores and baseline outcome expectancies for cigarette smoking as a mood management tool. Depression scores at baseline significantly predicted mood-related smoking withdrawal symptoms of Depression-Dejection and Vigor from the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Smoking outcome expectancies for relief of negative affect measured at baseline significantly predicted symptoms of Confusion-Bewilderment and Anger-Hostility. Neither baseline depression nor baseline smoking expectancies for mood management predicted smoking withdrawal symptoms measured by the Smoking Withdrawal Questionnaire (SWQ: [Shiffman, S. M., & Jarvik, M. E. (1976). Smoking withdrawal symptoms in two weeks of abstinence. Psychopharmacology, 50, 35-39]). Results imply that women smokers with baseline depressive symptomatology and expectancies for smoking to relieve negative mood endure greater abstinence-induced mood disturbance, but similar levels of other smoking withdrawal symptoms during initial abstinence. These results may inform smoking cessation efforts.

Cranford JA; McCabe SE; Boyd CJ; Lange JE; Reed MB; Scott MS. Effects of residential learning communities on drinking trajectories during the first two years of college. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 86-95, 2009. (55 refs.)

Objective: Participation in residential learning communities (RLCs) is associated with lower rates of alcohol consumption among college students. This study used variable- and pattern-centered analytic approaches to examine the influence of RLCs on the drinking behavior of students during their first 2 years in college. Method: A Web-based survey was administered to a stratified random sample of 1,196 first-year students (51.8% women) attending a large university. The sample included 456 students (38.1%) who lived in and participated in RLCs and 740 students (61.9%) who did not participate in RLCs (non-RLCs). During their first semester, students reported on their precollege and current drinking. Students also completed measures of alcohol involvement 6 months later during their second semester and 18 months later during their fourth semester. Results: Mixed factorial analyses of variance showed that PLC students reported fewer drinks per occasion than non-RLC students before college. RLC and non-RLC students showed increases in maximum drinks per occasion from precollege to first and second semesters, but only non-RLC students continued to increase their drinking from second to fourth semester. Latent class growth analyses indicated four trajectory classes: (1) low stable (25.1%), (2) light increasing (19.2%), (3) moderate increasing (36.8%), and (4) heavy increasing (18.9%). Non-RLC students had higher odds of being in the heavy-increasing drinking trajectory class. Conclusions: Compared with their non-RLC peers, RLC students not only drink less before college and show smaller increases in drinking over time but also are less likely to be in a high-risk drinking trajectory group. Identification of selection, socialization, and reciprocal influence processes that underlie RLC effects can better inform prevention efforts for sustained lower risk drinking among college students.

Cross JE; Zimmerman D; O'Grady MA. Residence hall room type and alcohol use among college students living on campus. Environment and Behavior 41(4): 583-603, 2009. (30 refs.)

The objectives were to explore the relation between the built environment of residence halls and the alcohol use of college students living on campus from the perspective of the theory of routine activity. This exploratory study examined data from two samples on one college campus. Online surveys assessed alcohol use, attitudes toward alcohol use, perceptions of campus alcohol norms, and individual factors (i.e., gender). Data came from an Alcohol Norms Survey using a random sample (N = 440) and a Resident Assessment Survey using a random sample (N = 531) in 2006 and 2007. After controlling for other drinking behavior predictors (attitudes, gender, high school drinking, and perceptions of peer drinking), regression analysis showed that students living in suite halls had a higher odds of drinking more frequently, drinking more alcohol when they socialize, heavy episodic drinking, and drinking more often in their residence halls.

DeJong W; Larimer ME; Wood MD; Hartman R. NIAAA's Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems Initiative: Reinforcing the use of evidence-based approaches in college alcohol prevention. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 5-11, 2009. (36 refs.)

Objective: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) created the Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems initiative so that senior college administrators facing an alcohol-related crisis could get assistance from well-established alcohol researchers and NIAAA staff. Method: Based on a competitive grant process, NIAAA selected teams of research scientists with expertise in college drinking research. NIAAA then invited college administrators to propose interventions to address a recently experienced alcohol-related problem. Between September 2004 and September 2005, NIAAA selected 15 sites and paired each recipient college with a scientific team. Together, each program development/evaluation team, working closely with NIAAA scientific staff, jointly designed implemented, and evaluated a Rapid Response project. Results: This supplement reports the results of several Rapid Response projects, plus other findings of interest that emerged from that research. Eight articles present evaluation findings for prevention and treatment interventions which can be grouped by the individual, group/interpersonal, institutional, and community levels of the social ecological framework. Additional studies provide further insights that can inform prevention and treatment programs designed to reduce alcohol-related problems among college atudents. This article provides all overview of these findings, placing them in the context of the college drinking intervention literature. Conclusions: College drinking remains a daunting problem on many campuses, but evidence-based strategies-such as those described in this supplement-provide hope that more effective solutions call be found. The Rapid Response initiative has helped solidify the necessary link between research and practice in college alcohol prevention and treatment.

DeSimone J. Fraternity membership and drinking behavior. Economic Inquiry 47(2): 337-350, 2009. (24 refs.)

This paper estimates the impact of fraternity and sorority membership on a wide array of drinking outcomes among respondents to four Harvard College Alcohol Study surveys from 1993 to 2001. Identification is achieved by including proxies for specific types of unobserved heterogeneity expected to influence the relationship. These include high school and parental drinking behaviors to account for time-invariant omitted factors and assessed importance of drinking- related activities and reasons for drinking to control for changes in preferences since starting college. Because self-selection is quantitatively important, I further hold constant variables plausibly affected by fraternity membership, such as current alcohol use categorization, ranging from abstainer to heavy drinker, and time spent socializing. Even in the fully saturated model, fraternity membership significantly increases drinking intensity, frequency, and recency, as well as the prevalence of many deleterious drinking consequences that potentially carry negative externalities.

Dollinger SJ; Malmquist D. Reliability and validity of single-item self-reports: With special relevance to college students' alcohol use, religiosity, study, and social life. Journal of General Psychology 136(3): 231-241, 2009. (20 refs.)

The authors tested the assumption that single-item measures have unacceptably low reliability and validity. On 2 occasions 11 weeks apart, college students reported on the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, 2 religious behaviors, time of study and of socializing (focal items), and other qualities and characteristics. Most test-retest reliabilities were good to excellent; objective facts were more reliable than subjective evaluations; and target items had good validity when correlated with 2-week nightly log records of corresponding behaviors in a multimethod multitrait matrix. The exception was self-reported study, with relatively low reliability and validity, suggesting the non-trait-like quality of this behavior. Single-item measures may be better than commonly thought.

Doumas DM; McKinley LL; Book P. Evaluation of two Web-based alcohol interventions for mandated college students. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 36(1): 65-74, 2009. (46 refs.)

This study evaluated the efficacy of two Web-based interventions aimed at reducing heavy drinking in mandated college students. Mandated students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Web-based personalized normative feedback (WPNF) or Web-based education (WE). As predicted, results indicated that mandated students in the WPNF condition reported significantly greater reductions in weekly drinking quantity, peak alcohol consumption, and frequency of drinking to intoxication than students in the WE condition at a 30-day follow-up. Although not statistically significant, there was a similar trend for changes in alcohol-related problems. Mandated students in the WPNF group also reported significantly greater reductions in estimates of peer drinking from baseline to the follow-up assessment than students in the WE group. In addition, changes in estimates of peer drinking mediated the effect of the intervention on changes in drinking. Findings provide support for providing Web-based personalized normative feedback as ail intervention program for mandated college students.

Durkin A; O'Connor LG. Preventing unsafe alcohol consumption on the 21(st) birthday: Roles for nurses. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services 47(5): 28-33, 2009

Because of its legal significance, the 21st birthday is considered a milestone event. Research reveals that turning 21 is an occasion that is often marked by the ingestion of excessive, perhaps even lethal, amounts of alcohol. Peer pressure and lack of knowledge about the potentially life-threatening effects of alcohol overconsumption can make this birthday a perilous event. Birthday rituals have developed that encourage reckless consumption. Literature addressing the prevalence of excessive drinking among college students is abundant. However, the authors found minimal literature addressing the potential contribution of nurses toward the reduction of unsafe alcohol consumption among young adults celebrating their 21st birthday. This article provides a brief review of the physiological effects of alcohol and practical suggestions for promoting safety among young adults celebrating this milestone birthday.

Epler AJ; Sher KJ; Loomis TB; O'Malley SS. College student receptiveness to various alcohol treatment options. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 26-32, 2009. (44 refs.)

Objective: Heavy episodic drinking remains a si significant problem on college campuses. Although most interventions for college students are behavioral, pharmacological treatments, such as naltrexone, could provide additional options. Participants: The authors evaluated receptivity to various alcohol treatment options in a general population of college student drinkers (N = 2,084), assessed in 2005. Methods: The authors asked participants to indicate which of 8 treatment options (ie, self-help book, self-help computer program, self-help group, group therapy, individual therapy, monthly injection, targeted oral medication, or daily oral medication) they would be willing to consider if they were going to cut down on or stop drinking. Results: Over 50% of drinkers expressed receptiveness to self-help options or psychotherapy options, and over 25% of drinkers expressed receptiveness to medication options. Conclusions: Increasing treatment options for students interested in reducing or stopping drinking by offering pharmacological interventions such as naltrexone could provide an important unmet need among college students.

Erdogan N; Erdogan I. Smoking at school: Views of Turkish university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 6(1): 36-50, 2009. (43 refs.)

The recent interest in cigarette smoking among university students has brought attention to problems concerning opinions, attitudes, prevention, health education, policy formulation and implementation. This survey research tested five hypotheses on the views of college students about smoking in school hallways and cafeteria, compliance with anti smoking laws, considering cigarette smoking as an expression of freedom of choice, teachers' smoking in classrooms and in their offices, and school administration's policy on enforcing the law. Hypothesized differences between students' views on the issues according to gender, smoking status and years at school were investigated. Data were obtained from 3,659 students attending six universities in Ankara, Turkey. The study findings provided support for all the hypothesized differences (except a single issue). Males and females differed significantly on all the issues studied. The majority of nonsmoking students have anti-smoking views in regards of the studied issues as compared to regular and occasional smokers. Smokers and nonsmokers markedly disagree on banning cigarette smoking in the cafeteria and hallways. However, the majority of students are against teachers' smoking in classrooms and in their offices with the doors open. Although most students want a smoke free environment, there is no active-anti smoking policy on smoking by universities. Findings point out the need for campus-wide effective smoking prevention programs, as well as cessation programs and services for the students.

Faden VB; Corey K; Baskin M. An evaluation of college online alcohol-policy information: 2007 Compared with 2002. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 28-33, 2009. (13 refs.)

Objective: To receive federal funds, colleges and universities are required to provide information to students about their alcohol policies as part of their alcohol-abuse prevention efforts. This study investigated whether and how the availability and completeness of alcohol-policy information on college Web sites changed between 2002 and 2007. Method: The Web sites of the top 52 national universities listed in the 2002 rankings of U.S. News and World Report, which were reviewed for alcohol-policy information in 2002, were reviewed again in 2007 using the same Web search methodology. Results: Much more information regarding college alcohol policies was available on the Web sites of the 52 universities in 2007 than in 2002. Substantial increases were seen in the areas of (1) rules, restrictions, requirements; and (2) consequences for infractions, especially for student groups. In addition. information on university Web sites regarding their alcohol policies was easier to access in 2007 than in 2002. Conclusions: These findings indicate that colleges have made online alcohol-policy information more available and accessible to their students and other interested parties, including parents. This may reflect a greater engagement of colleges and universities in the issue of drinking on campus in general.

Flood AM; McDevitt-Murphy ME; Weathers FW; Eakin DE; Benson TA. Substance use behaviors as a mediator between posttraumatic stress disorder and physical health in trauma-exposed college students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 32(3): 234-243, 2009. (52 refs.)

Research within the field of traumatic stress has documented a strong link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adverse physical health outcomes, although the mechanisms contributing to this relationship are unclear. The current study examined substance use behaviors as one such mediator in a mixed civilian trauma population. Participants were 136 undergraduates exposed to a variety of civilian traumas. They completed measures assessing trauma exposure, substance use behaviors, and physical health outcomes. Moderate correlations were found between PTSD symptom severity, substance use, and adverse health outcomes. Mediational analyses indicated that substance use behaviors, especially alcohol and drug use, mediated the relationship between PTSD and health outcomes.

Ford J; Schroeder R. Academic strain and non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students. (review). Deviant Behavior 30(1): 26-53, 2009. (89 refs.)

Recent research indicates that the prevalence of non-medical prescription drug use is now greater than the prevalence of other illicit drug use, with the exception of marijuana. Existing research focuses on demographic characteristics of users, risk factors and motivations for use, and sources of diversion. A significant gap in the extant literature is an examination of theoretical predictors of use. Using data from the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study, the current research addressed this limitation by applying Agnew's general strain theory to the study of non-medical prescription drug use. Specifically, we examine whether academic strain is associated with the non-medical use of prescription stimulants. Findings are supportive of general strain theory, as students who experience academic strain report higher levels of depression, our measure of negative affect, and students who report higher levels of depression are more likely to report the non-medical use of prescription stimulants.

Franca LR; Dautzenberg B; Falissard B; Reynaud M. Are social norms associated with smoking in French university students? A survey report on smoking correlates. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy 4(article 4), 2009. (80 refs.)

Background: Knowledge of the correlates of smoking is a first step to successful prevention interventions. The social norms theory hypothesises that students' smoking behaviour is linked to their perception of norms for use of tobacco. This study was designed to test the theory that smoking is associated with perceived norms, controlling for other correlates of smoking. Methods: In a pencil-and-paper questionnaire, 721 second-year students in sociology, medicine, foreign language or nursing studies estimated the number of cigarettes usually smoked in a month. 31 additional covariates were included as potential predictors of tobacco use. Multiple imputation was used to deal with missing values among covariates. The strength of the association of each variable with tobacco use was quantified by the inclusion frequencies of the variable in 1000 bootstrap sample backward selections. Being a smoker and the number of cigarettes smoked by smokers were modelled separately. Results: We retain 8 variables to predict the risk of smoking and 6 to predict the quantities smoked by smokers. The risk of being a smoker is increased by cannabis use, binge drinking, being unsupportive of smoke-free universities, perceived friends' approval of regular smoking, positive perceptions about tobacco, a high perceived prevalence of smoking among friends, reporting not being disturbed by people smoking in the university, and being female. The quantity of cigarettes smoked by smokers is greater for smokers reporting never being disturbed by smoke in the university, unsupportive of smoke-free universities, perceiving that their friends approve of regular smoking, having more negative beliefs about the tobacco industry, being sociology students and being among the older students. Conclusion: Other substance use, injunctive norms (friends' approval) and descriptive norms (friends' smoking prevalence) are associated with tobacco use. University-based prevention campaigns should take multiple substance use into account and focus on the norms most likely to have an impact on student smoking.

Franco AJM; Agustin ABS; Baile AM; Valero PG; De La Puerta IN. Addictive substance use among first-year university students. (Spanish). Adicciones 21(1): 21-28, 2009. (38 refs.)

Objective: To analyze several factors and attitudes related to drug use among first-year Spanish university students, with special reference to tobacco. Methods: Descriptive study using voluntary and anonymous questionnaire. Study variables: sex, age, family environment, tobacco, cannabis and alcohol use, attitudes in favour of or against smoking, perceived danger of drugs and perceptions of friends' behaviour. Results:2445 students, 1014 (42%) men and 1431 (58%) women, mean age 19 years. Women in this study see smoking as appealing, believe it helps them stay slim and claim that it makes them feel good. Of the total sample (men and women), 16.5% use cannabis daily, occasionally or at weekends, while 10.4% state that their friends have tried or use other drugs. Conclusions: In this sample women and men have different perceptions about tobacco. Level of tolerance and permissiveness with regard to alcohol contributes to the fact that young people perceive less risk in relation smoking. Starting smoking tobacco early may make the use of alcohol and other drugs more likely.

Gau SSF; Lai MC; Chiu YN; Liu CT; Lee MB; Hwu HG. Individual and family correlates for cigarette smoking among Taiwanese college students. Comprehensive Psychiatry 50(3): 276-285, 2009. (100 refs.)

Objective: This college-based questionnaire survey aimed to explore the individual, family, and peer correlates for cigarette smoking among first-year college students. Method: The sample included 2918 first-year college students (males, 45.5%) recruited from a national university in Taiwan (participation rate, 79.1%). The participants reported on questions about various substances, attitudes toward substances, personality characteristics, psychopathology, suicidal behaviors, parenting style, family function and use of substances, and peer substance use. Results: There were 263 (9.0%; males, 70.6%) current smokers. Compared to nonsmokers, college smokers were more extraverted and neurotic, and showed less harm avoidance. and more novelty seeking in their personality. They had more hostile, somatic, depressive, paranoid, and psychotic symptoms in terms of psychopathology. Smokers were more likely to use other substances, and to have suicidal ideations, wishes, plans, and attempts. Smokers perceived lower family cohesion, less care from their fathers, and less overprotection from their mothers. They were more likely to have peers and family members who also smoked or used other substances. The most associated correlates were male sex, older age, other Substance use. novelty seeking, Suicidal ideation and attempts, sibling and peer substance use, a prosubstance attitude, and less maternal overprotection. Conclusions: Our findings support the association of cigarette use in Taiwanese young adults with several individual, family, and peer factors identified in Western studies. Interventon in cigarette use should be multifaceted, by taking its correlates and the concurrent psychopathology, use of substances, and suicidality into consideration

Goldsmith AA; Tran GQ; Smith JR; Howe SR. Alcohol expectancies and drinking motives in college drinkers: Mediating effects on the relationship between generalized anxiety and heavy drinking in negative-affect situations. Addictive Behaviors 34(6-7): 505-513, 2009. (68 refs.)

The current study tested the hypotheses that drinking to cope motives and alcohol expectancies of tension- and worry-reduction mediate the relationship between generalized anxiety (GA) and negative-affect heavy drinking in a cross-sectional sample of 782 college drinkers. As expected, structural equation modeling results indicated that alcohol expectancies mediated the relationship between GA and drinking to cope motives, and drinking to cope motives mediated the relationship between alcohol expectancies and heavy drinking in negative-affect situations. Unexpectedly, drinking to cope motives also mediated the relationship between GA and negative-affect heavy drinking. The model predicting negative-affect heavy drinking was tested in subsamples of 413 hazardous and 366 nonhazardous drinkers and did not differ structurally: however, omnibus measurement of model indirect effects was stronger for hazardous than nonhazardous drinkers. Finally, the results of a similar post-hoc model to predict general problem drinking support the specificity of the interrelationships among GA. cognitive mediators and to negative-affect drinking. These results inform cognitive-behavioral theories and interventions for comorbid GA and alcohol use problems.

Goudriaan AE; Slutske WS; Krull JL; Sher KJ. Longitudinal patterns of gambling activities and associated risk factors in college students. Addiction 104(7): 1219-1232, 2009. (50 refs.)

To investigate which clusters of gambling activities exist within a longitudinal study of college health, how membership in gambling clusters change over time and whether particular clusters of gambling are associated with unhealthy risk behaviour. Four-year longitudinal study (2002-2006). Large, public university. Undergraduate college students. Ten common gambling activities were measured during 4 consecutive college years (years 1-4). Clusters of gambling activities were examined using latent class analyses. Relations between gambling clusters and gender, Greek membership, alcohol use, drug use, personality indicators of behavioural undercontrol and psychological distress were examined. Four latent gambling classes were identified: (1) a low-gambling class, (2) a card gambling class, (3) a casino/slots gambling class and (4) an extensive gambling class. Over the first college years a high probability of transitioning from the low-gambling class and the card gambling class into the casino/slots gambling class was present. Membership in the card, casino/slots and extensive gambling classes were associated with higher scores on alcohol/drug use, novelty seeking and self-identified gambling problems compared to the low-gambling class. The extensive gambling class scored higher than the other gambling classes on risk factors. Extensive gamblers and card gamblers are at higher risk for problem gambling and other risky health behaviours. Prospective examinations of class membership suggested that being in the extensive and the low gambling classes was highly stable across the 4 years of college.

Gray MK; Brown KL. Drinking and drug use by college students: Comparing criminal justice majors and non-majors. Journal of Criminal Justice 37(3): 234-240, 2009. (41 refs.)

The current research examined drinking and drug use among college students. Using a self-report survey of students from a midwestern university, the frequency of alcohol use, binge drinking, and drug use were explored. Particular attention was paid to drinking behaviors and drug use among Criminal justice (CJ) students compared to students from other majors. Differences were found between CJ and non-CJ students especially in terms of drinking behavior; fewer differences were found between majors in terms of drug use. Issues of moral authority were examined as well as issues of employability. Implications for CJ students, faculty and advisors are discussed.

Grossbard JR; Geisner IM; Mastroleo NR; Kilmer JR; Turrisi R; Larimer ME. Athletic identity, descriptive norms, and drinking among athletes transitioning to college. Addictive Behaviors 34(4): 352-359, 2009. (54 refs.)

College student-athletes are at risk for heavy alcohol consumption and related consequences. The present study evaluated the influence of college student and college athlete descriptive norms and levels of athletic identity on drinking and related consequences among incoming college students attending two universities (N=1119). Prior to the beginning of their first year of college. students indicating high school athletic participation completed assessments of athletic identity, alcohol consumption, drinking-related consequences, and normative perceptions of alcohol use. Estimations of drinking by college students and student-athletes were significantly greater than self-reported drinking. Athletic identity moderated associations among gender, perceived norms, drinking, and related consequences. Athlete-specific norms had a stronger effect on drinking among those reporting higher levels of athletic identity, and higher levels of athletic identity exclusively protected males from experiencing drinking-related consequences. Implications of the role of athletic identity in the development of social norms interventions targeted at high school athletes transitioning to college are discussed.

Hallett J; Maycock B; Kypri K; Howat P; McManus A. Development of a Web-based alcohol intervention for university students: Processes and challenges. Drug and Alcohol Review 28(1): 31-39, 2009. (38 refs.)

Introduction and Aims. Despite growing evidence of the efficacy of electronic screening and brief interventions for reducing unhealthy alcohol use, there is no published work describing the development of such interventions. We describe the process of developing and implementing an electronic screening and brief intervention in a large university population. Design and Methods. Thematic analysis of seven focus groups, involving a total of 69 students, informed the content and design of THRIVE (Tertiary Health Research Intervention Via Email). Pilot testing was conducted through usability analysis with a further 16 students. A random sample of 13 000 undergraduates was invited to complete screening and hazardous drinkers were randomised to receive Web-based assessment and feedback or screening alone. Participants' use of THRIVE was examined through server log analysis and responses to questions on instrument design/usability during follow-up assessment 6 months later. Results. A total of 7237 students (56% of those invited) completed screening; 2435 (34%) screened positive for unhealthy drinking; 1251 were randomly assigned to receive the intervention; and 1184 served as controls. In total, 99% of participants found THRIVE easy to complete, 76% said it provided personally relevant information and 55% said they would recommend it to a friend with a drinking problem. Thirty per cent sought additional information on support services through the site. Discussion and Conclusions. Key design elements include ease of access (e. g. via an emailed hyperlink), length (< 10 min), clear, non-judgmental language, personalised normative feedback and links to appropriate services. The study demonstrates the potential reach of a carefully implemented intervention in a high-risk, non-treatment-seeking population group.

Harrell ZA; Slane JD; Klurnp KL. Predictors of alcohol problems in college women: The role of depressive symptoms, disordered eating, and family history of alcoholism. Addictive Behaviors 34(3): 252-257, 2009. (51 refs.)

Disordered eating and depressive symptoms are established correlates of alcohol use in college women. Family history of alcoholism (FHA) is also related to problematic alcohol use, but there have been limited studies of how it relates to other established cofactors in women. Predictive associations between disordered eating (i.e., overall levels as well as binge eating), depressive symptoms, and alcohol problems were examined in a sample of 295 female twins. The direct and moderating effects of FHA on the relationships between alcohol problems, disordered eating, and depressive symptoms were investigated. Using hierarchical linear modeling depressive symptoms, but not disordered eating or FHA, significantly predicted alcohol problems. However, there was a significant interaction between disordered eating and FHA; disordered eating was associated with alcohol problems in those with a positive FHA. The implications for high-risk subgroups of college women are discussed.

Hingson RW; Zha WX; Weitzman ER. Magnitude of and trends in alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18-24, 1998-2005. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 12-20, 2009. (28 refs.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate, among college students ages 18-24, the numbers of alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths and other problems over the period from 1998 through 2005. Method: The analysis integrated data on 18- to 24-year-olds and college students from each of the following data sources: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Injury Mortality Data, National Coroner Studies, census and college enrollment data, the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health, and the College Alcohol Study. Results: Among college students ages 18-24, alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths increased 3% per 100,000 from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005. From 1999 to 2005, the proportions of college ages 18-24 who reported consuming five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past month increased from 41.7% to 44.7% and the proportions who drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year increased from 26.5% to 28.9%-7% and 9% proportional increases, respectively. The increases occurred among college students ages 21-24, not 18-20. In 2001, 599,000 (10.5%) full-time 4-year college students were injured because of drinking, 696,000 (12%) were hit or assaulted by another drinking college student, and 97,000 (2%) were victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. A 2005 follow-up of students in schools with the highest proportions of heavy drinkers found no significant changes in the proportions experiencing these events. Conclusions: The persistence of college drinking problems underscores an urgent need to implement prevention and counseling approaches identified through research to reduce alcohol-related harms among college students and other young adults.

Huang JH; DeJong W; Towvim LG; Schneider SK. Sociodemographic and psychobehavioral characteristics of US college students who abstain from alcohol. Journal of American College Health 57(4): 395-410, 2009. (31 refs.)

Objective: The authors examined the sociodemographics and psychobehavioral characteristics Of undergraduate US college students who abstain from alcohol. Participants: The respondents were 5,210 undergraduates from 32 colleges and universities. Methods: A survey was mailed to 300 randomly selected students per institution (spring 2000 or 2001). The response rate was 56.2%. Results: Overall, 20.5% of the students abstained. Predictors of abstention included the student's own negative attitude toward alcohol use; perception of friends' alcohol attitudes; male gender; being under age 21; abstaining in high school; non-Greek member or pledge; nonathlete; nonsmoker; non-marijuana user; participant in a religious group; working either 0 or 10+ hours per week for salary; having a mother who abstains; and having a close friend who abstains. Conclusion: Additional research on abstainers is warranted. Campus-based prevention programs should be grounded in a better understanding of how motives not to drink are developed and sustained in high school and college.

Hummer JF; LaBrie JW; Lac A. The prognostic power of normative influences among NCAA student-athletes. Addictive Behaviors 34(6-7): 573-580, 2009. (47 refs.)

This study evaluated the predictive power of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms on intercollegiate student-athlete alcohol consumption and attitudes toward drinking-related behaviors. The sample consisted of 594 NCAA student-athletes from two geographically opposite sites. Norms variables utilized a school and gender-specific athletic peer reference group. Results indicate that respondents reported greater perceived injunctive norms than actual attitudes, and greater perceived descriptive norms than actual alcohol use. Further, after accounting for demographics and alcohol motivations, perceived injunctive norms were the strongest predictors of athletes' attitudes with the final model explaining 54% of the variance. Similarly. perceived descriptive norms were among the strongest predictors of alcohol use with the final model explaining 69% of the variance. Future research may want to use both of these perceived norms constructs to create a more salient and targeted social norms intervention aimed at reducing risky behavior and permissive alcohol-related attitudes among this population. Utilizing this strong peer reference group as well as targeting both injunctive and descriptive norms may increase the power and saturation of prevention and intervention strategies.

Hustad JTP; Carey KB; Carey MP; Maisto SA. Self-regulation, alcohol consumption, and consequences in college student heavy drinkers: A simultaneous latent growth analysis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(3): 373-382, 2009. (50 refs.)

Objective: Lower levels of self-regulation have been associated with higher rates of alcohol-related consequences. Self-regulation refers to the effortful ability to plan and achieve delayed adaptive outcomes through goal-directed behavior, and this skill may play a role in adaptive behavioral change. The purpose of this prospective, longitudinal study was to test predictions from self-regulation theory about the relationship among self-regulation and weekly alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences over 12 months. Method: Participants were 170 heavy drinking college students who provided data on alcohol use and consequences at baseline and at 1-, 6-, and 12-month assessments. Results: Using a simultaneous latent growth model, self-regulation ability predicted the amount of initial alcohol-related consequences, the rate of change for alcohol-related consequences, and the rate of change for drinks per week. In contrast, self-regulation was not related to the initial level of alcohol use. Conclusions: Collectively, these results suggest that lower self-regulation ability functions as a risk factor for experiencing alcohol-related consequences and attenuates naturally occurring reductions in alcohol use and consequences over time for heavier drinking college students.

Ichiyama MA; Fairlie AM; Wood MD; Turrisi R; Francis DP; Ray AE et al. A randomized trial of a parent-based intervention on drinking behavior among incoming college freshmen. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 67-76, 2009. (53 refs.)

Objective: Despite research suggesting that parental involvement can affect alcohol involvement among adolescents, few studies have focused on parent-based alcohol prevention strategies among college undergraduates. We report the results of a randomized trial of a parent-based intervention (PBI) in a sample of college freshmen. Method: Across two cohorts, 724 incoming freshman-parent dyads completed baseline assessments and were randomly assigned to PBI or intervention as usual (an alcohol fact sheet for parents). Student follow-up assessments were completed at 4 and 8 months. Results: Two-part latent growth curve modeling was used to test hypothesized intervention effects. Outcome variables were drinks per week (past month), heavy episodic drinking (past 2 weeks), and alcohol-related problems (past 3 months). Over the 8-month follow-up period, PBI had a significant effect on drinks per week but not heavy episodic drinking or alcohol-related problems. Specifically, compared with students in the intervention-as-usual condition, students receiving the PBI were significantly less likely to transition from nondrinker to drinker status and showed less growth in drinking over the freshman year. However. the direct PBI effect on growth was qualified by a PBI x Gender interaction, with probes indicating that the effect applied to women but not men in the PBI condition. Conclusions: This study extends previous research by demonstrating the potential utility for PBIs to decrease the likelihood of transitioning into drinker status and, at least for women, for slowing growth in drinking over the freshman year.

Ilhan IO; Yildirim F; Demirbas H; Dogan YB. Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of substance use in a university-student sample in Turkey. International Journal of Public Health 54(1): 40-44, 2009. (16 refs.)

Background: Limited data is available on substance use among university students in Turkey. This study aims to determine the prevalence of substance use among this target group. Methods: A total of 1,720 students were surveyed to assess substance use, and relationships between sociodemographic variables and substance use were assessed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Of the recorded student sample, 6.4% reported having used a substance; 2.8% used one within the past year. Prevalence of cannabis use at least once during life-time was 5.9%. Males living alone, or students with families residing abroad increased the risk of substance use. Conclusion: Preventive interventions for substance use problems should consider factors related with family relations of the youth.

Jardin B; Wulfert E. The use of messages in altering risky gambling behavior in college students: An experimental analogue study. American Journal on Addictions 18(3): 243-247, 2009. (20 refs.)

This study examined the effects of messages on altering risky gambling behavior in college students. While playing a chance-based computerized game with play money, three groups of participants either viewed occasional accurate messages that correctly described the contingencies of the game, neutral messages unrelated to the contingencies, or no messages. Participants in the accurate message condition spent overall less money gambling, played fewer trials in the final phase of the game when all trials resulted in losses, and were more likely to quit the game while they still had money remaining in the bank. The findings suggest that reminders about the random nature of games and the overall negative rate of return might lead to more responsible gaming.

Kang Y; Imamura H; Masuda R; Noda Y. Cigarette smoking and blood insulin, glucose, and lipids in young Japanese women. Journal of Health Science 55(2): 294-299, 2009. (49 refs.)

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of cigarette smoking (CS) on fasting blood insulin, homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA-R index), glucose and lipids in Japanese collegiate women. Twenty-six smokers were individually matched for physical activity scores, age, and body mass index with 26 nonsmokers. Information on smoking, physical activity habits, and diet record were collected. Blood samples were taken and analyzed to evaluate their associations with CS. The results showed significantly higher mean serum insulin, HOMA-R index, and glucose while lower mean high-density lipoprotein two cholesterol (HDL2-C) in smokers as compared with nonsmokers. The mean nutrient intakes showed no significant differences between smokers and nonsmokers. In conclusion, it appears that CS is associated with insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose and lower HDL2-C in young Japanese female smokers. This may partly explain the deleterious effects of smoking on coronary heart disease risk.

Kaysen DL; Lee CM; LaBrie JW; Tollison SJ. Readiness to change drinking behavior in female college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 106-114, 2009. (42 refs.)

Objective: Motivational interviewing (MI) therapies are effective in reducing high-risk drinking in college populations. Although research supports efficacy of MI prevention strategies in reducing alcohol use, there are little data examining readiness to change (RTC), the underlying theoretical model of MI interventions. The purpose of the present study was to explore RTC variability and drinking behavior and whether M I increases RTC in an intervention group compared with controls. Method: Two-hundred eighty-five first-year female college students participated in the study. Present analyses focused on those students who consumed alcohol in the month before the study (n = 182). RTC was measured using the Readiness to Change Ruler. Results: Analyses were conducted using hierarchical linear modeling. There was significant variability in RTC: 71.86% of variance in RTC was between-person differences, and 28.14% was within-person differences. Higher RTC was associated with lower intentions to drink and future drinking behavior. However, in weeks in which students drank more, they experienced a decrease in RTC. Based on the significant cross-level interaction, the intervention group had significantly higher RTC than controls. Conclusions: These results provided partial support for our hypotheses, The overall theoretical construct of RTC varies both across and within individuals. These results also offer support for the utility of MI-based prevention strategies in increasing RTC within individuals. However, we did not consistently find that these changes related to drinking changes. Findings provide support for both the construct of RTC and utility of MI interventions in changing these beliefs in female college students.

Khoury ENL; Litvin EB; Brandon TH. The effect of body image threat on smoking motivation among college women: Mediation by negative affect. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 23(2): 279-286, 2009. (69 refs.)

A recent experimental study found that activation of negative body image cognitions produced urges to smoke in young women (E. N. Lopez, D. J. Drobes, J. K. Thompson, & T. H. Brandon, 2008). This study intended to replicate and extend these experimental findings by examining the role of negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and smoking urges. Female college smokers (N = 133) were randomly assigned to a body image challenge (trying on a bathing suit) or a control condition (evaluating a purse). State levels of urge to smoke, mood, and body dissatisfaction were assessed both pre- and postmanipulation. Trying on a bathing suit increased body dissatisfaction and reported urges to smoke, particularly those urges related to reducing negative affect. Additionally, state negative affect mediated the relationship between the body image manipulation and smoking urge. This study provides additional support, through an experimental design that situational challenges to body image influence smoking motivation and that this effect occurs, at least in part, through increases in negative affect. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

Kypri K; Paschall MJ; Langley J; Baxter J; Cashell-Smith M; Bourdeau B. Drinking and alcohol-related harm among New Zealand university students: Findings from a national web-based survey. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33(2): 307-314, 2009. (44 refs.)

Alcohol-related harm is pervasive among college students in the United States of America and Canada, where a third to half of undergraduates binge drink at least fortnightly. There have been no national studies outside North America. We estimated the prevalence of binge drinking, related harms, and individual risk factors among undergraduates in New Zealand. A web survey was completed by 2,548 undergraduates (63% response) at 5 of New Zealand's 8 universities. Drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems in the preceding 4 weeks were measured. Drinking diaries for the preceding 7 days were completed. Multivariate analyses were used to identify individual risk factors. A total of 81% of both women and men drank in the previous 4 weeks, 37% reported 1 or more binge episodes in the last week, 14% of women and 15% of men reported 2+ binge episodes in the last week, and 68% scored in the hazardous range (4+) on the AUDIT consumption subscale. A mean of 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4, 2.3) distinct alcohol-related risk behaviors or harmful consequences were reported, e.g., 33% had a blackout, 6% had unprotected sex, and 5% said they were physically aggressive toward someone, in the preceding 4 weeks. Drink-driving or being the passenger of a drink-driver in the last 4 weeks was reported by 9% of women and 11% of men. Risk factors for frequent binge drinking included: lower age, earlier age of drinking onset, monthly or more frequent binge drinking in high school, and living in a residential hall or a shared house (relative to living with parents). These correlates were similar to those identified in U.S. and Canadian studies. Strategies are needed to reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and around university campuses in New Zealand. Given the high prevalence of binge drinking in high school and its strong association with later binge drinking, strategies aimed at youth drinking are also a priority. In universities, high-risk drinkers should be identified and offered intervention early in their undergraduate careers.

LaBrie JW; Feres N; Kenney SR; Lac A. Family history of alcohol abuse moderates effectiveness of a group motivational enhancement intervention in college women. Addictive Behaviors 34(5): 415-420, 2009. (49 refs.)

This study examined whether a self-reported family history of alcohol abuse (FH+) moderated the effects of a female-specific group motivational enhancement intervention with first-year college women. First-year college women (N = 287) completed an initial questionnaire and attended an intervention (n = 161) or control (n = 126) group session, of which 118 reported FH+. Repeated measures ANCOVA models were estimated to investigate whether the effectiveness of the intervention varied as a function of one's reported family history of alcohol abuse. Results revealed that family history of alcohol abuse moderated intervention efficacy. Although the intervention was effective in producing less risky drinking relative to controls, among those participants who received the intervention, FH+ women drank less across five weeks of follow-up than FH- women. The current findings provide preliminary support for the differential effectiveness of motivational enhancement interventions with FH+ women.

LaBrie JW; Grossbard JR; Hummer JF. Normative misperceptions and marijuana use among male and female college athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 21(Supplement, 1): s77-s85, 2009. (32 refs.)

This research assessed the frequency of marijuana use and perceptions of gender-specific marijuana use among intercollegiate athletes from two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 universities. Normative data were gathered in a live setting. Male athletes reported significantly greater marijuana use than female athletes and the overall sample reported higher prevalence of use than national averages for college athletes and non-athletes. Gender-specific perceptions among male and female athletes exceeded actual self-reported use, and perceived marijuana use among male athletes was strongly associated with personal use. The findings demonstrate the salience of group-specific marijuana norms and present implications for normative feedback interventions among college athletes.

LaBrie JW; Huchting KK; Lac A; Tawalbeh S; Thompson AD; Larimer ME. Preventing risky drinking in first-year college women: Further validation of a female-specific motivational-enhancement group intervention. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 77-85, 2009. (33 refs.)

Objective: Female college students have increased their alcohol consumption rates. The current study sought to replicate the effectiveness of a female-specific motivational-enhancement group intervention and extended previous work by adding a 6-month follow-Lip. The intervention included several motivational-enhancement components delivered in a group setting and included a group discussion of female-specific reasons for drinking. Method: Participants were 285 first-year college women. Data collection consisted of an online pi-c-intervention questionnaire, 10 weeks of online follow-up assessment, and a 6-month online follow-tip. Using a randomized design, participants chose a group session, blind to treatment status. Held during the first weeks of the first semester. 159 participants received the intervention and 126 participants received an assessment-only control. Results: Using a repeated-measures analysis of covariance, intervention participants consumed significantly less than control participants on drinks per week (F = 11.86, 1/252 df. p < .001), maximum drinks (F = 11.90. 1/252 df, p <.001), and heavy episodic drinking events (F = 20.14, 1/252 df, p < .001) across 10 weeks of follow-tip. However, these effects did not persist at the 6-month follow-up. Moderation effects were found for social motives on all drinking variables, such that the intervention was most effective for those women with higher social motives for drinking. Conclusions: Efficacy was found for a female-specific motivational group intervention in creating less risky drinking patterns among first-year women, especially women with social motives for drinking. The effect dissipated by the second semester, suggesting the need for maintenance or booster sessions.

Labrie JW; Hummer JF; Huchting KK; Neighbors C. A brief live interactive normative group intervention using wireless keypads to reduce drinking and alcohol consequences in college student athletes. Drug and Alcohol Review 28(1): 40-47, 2009. (36 refs.)

Introduction and Aims. Misperceptions of how members of one's social group think and act influence behaviour. The current study was designed to extend the research of group-specific normative feedback interventions among salient campus groups with heightened risk. Although not a randomised controlled trial, this research used normative feedback that was obtained using wireless keypad technology during a live session, within sex-specific student athlete groups to extend the proof of concept of using this brief interactive intervention. Design and Methods. Participants included 660 intercollegiate athletes from all varsity athletic teams at two private, mid-size universities. Intervention data were gathered in vivo using computerised handheld keypads into which group members entered in personal responses to a series of alcohol-related questions. These questions assessed perceptions of normative group behaviour and attitudes as well as actual individual behaviour and attitudes. These data were then immediately presented back in graphical form to illustrate discrepancies between perceived and actual group norms. Results. Results revealed that at 1 month post-intervention, perceived group norms, behaviour, attitudes and consequences reduced compared with baseline. These reductions were maintained at 2 month follow up. Latent growth modelling suggested that the reductions in perceived norms and attitudes were associated with reductions in individual drinking behaviour and negative consequences. Discussion and Conclusions. These results are among the first to suggest the effectiveness of a novel, group-based normative alcohol intervention among student athletes. Limitations of the design preclude strong inferences about efficacy; however, the findings support further trialling of such information technology in alcohol treatment research.

Labrie J; Lamb T; Pedersen E. Changes in drinking patterns across the transition to college among first-year college males. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse 18(1): 1-15, 2009. (38 refs.)

Few studies examine changes in drinking behavior during the transition from high school to college. Using a sample of 239 first-year males, we hypothesized that participants would increase drinking from pre-college to the first month of college. Results reveal a general trend toward increased drinking upon entering college. Caucasians increased drinking more than non-Caucasians. Social expectancies of alcohol moderated increases in drinking behavior. These findings indicate that differential changes in drinking behavior occur among incoming college males. Interventions with college students need to address both preventing heavy consumption and alcohol-related problems in pre-college light drinkers and in reducing these behaviors among pre-college heavy drinkers.

LaBrie JW; Migliuri S; Cail J. A night to remember: A harm-reduction birthday card intervention reduces high-risk drinking during 21st birthday celebrations. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 659-663, 2009

Objective: In collaboration with Residence Life, the Heads UP research team developed a 21st birthday card program to help reduce the risky drinking often associated with these celebrations. Participants: 81 students (28 males, 53 females) completed a post-21st birthday survey. Of these, 74 reported drinking during their 21st birthday and were included in the analyses. Methods: During the 2005-2006 school year, the authors assigned students celebrating 21st birthdays to either receive an alcohol risk-reduction birthday card or to a no-card condition. The students completed a survey after their birthday. Results: Students who received the card consumed fewer drinks and reached lower blood alcohol content (BAC) levels on their birthday than did students who did not receive it. Female students who received the card consumed 40% fewer drinks and reached nearly 50% lower BAC levels than women who did not receive it. Conclusion: This program is easily replicated, inexpensive, and may be used by universities to reduce risk related to celebratory alcohol consumption.

Lamis DA; Ellis JB; Chumney FL; Dula CS. Reasons for living and alcohol use among college students. Death Studies 33(3): 277-286, 2009. (34 refs.)

Heavy alcohol consumption is prevalent on many college campuses and alcohol use has been linked to suicidal behavior. The present study examined reasons for living in 287 college students with varying levels of risk for alcohol-related problems. With the exception of the moral objections subscale of the Reasons for Living Inventory, significant relationships were not detected between alcohol use risk levels and reasons for living. The field is ripe for additional studies examining alcohol use and suicide in the college population, and results will likely lead to improved interventions to decrease the occurrence of suicidal behaviors.

Larimer ME; Kaysen DL; Lee CM; Kilmer JR; Lewis MA; Dillworth T et al. Evaluating level of specificity of normative referents in relation to personal drinking behavior. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 115-121, 2009. (46 refs.)

Objective: Research has found perceived descriptive norms to be one of the strongest predictors of college student drinking, and several intervention approaches have incorporated normative feedback to correct misperceptions of peer drinking behavior. Little research has focused on the role of the reference group in normative perceptions. The current study sought to examine whether normative perceptions vary based on specificity of the reference group and whether perceived norms for more specific reference-group norms are related to individual drinking behavior. Method: Participants were first-year undergraduates (n = 1,276, 58% female) randomly selected from a university list of incoming students. Participants reported personal drinking behavior and perceived descriptive norms for eight reference groups, including typical student; same gender, ethnicity, or residence; and combinations of those reference groups (e.g., same gender and residence). Results: Findings indicated that participants distinguished among different reference groups in estimating descriptive drinking norms. Moreover, results indicated misperceptions in drinking norms were evident at all levels of specificity of the reference group. Additionally, findings showed perceived norms for more specific groups were uniquely related to participants' own drinking. Conclusions: These results suggest that providing normative feedback targeting at least one level of specificity to the participant (i.e., beyond what the "typical" student does) may be an important tool in normative feedback interventions.

Lee RM; Jung KR; Su JC; Tran AGTT; Bahrassa NF. The family life and adjustment of Hmong American sons and daughters. Sex Roles 60(7-8): 549-558, 2009. (46 refs.)

We examined gender differences in intergenerational family conflict and its associations with psychological and academic adjustment using a United States sample of 121 Hmong American first-year college students. Hmong women and men reported similar levels of family conflict. Family conflict was related to psychological distress, above and beyond neuroticism. Gender moderated the relationship between family conflict and substance usage and academic performance. For Hmong college men, higher family conflict was associated with lower rates of smoking and higher rates of completing the first year of college. For Hmong college women, higher family conflict was associated with greater likelihood of alcohol consumption in their lifetime.

Leigh J; Neighbors C. Enhancement motives mediate the positive association between mind/body awareness and college student drinking. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 28(5): 650-669, 2009. (73 refs.)

This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol consumption among college students, with enhancement and coping motives evaluated as potential mediators. Differences between men and women in drinking and mindfulness (mind/body awareness specifically) were also considered. Undergraduate students (n = 212, 51% male) completed a survey that included measures of mindfulness, drinking motives, and drinking. Results indicated that greater mind/body awareness was associated with more alcohol use in men and women, and non-attachment to thoughts was associated with less drinking in men. Furthermore, enhancement but not coping motives were found to mediate these associations for men only. Results are discussed in terms of the theoretical implications for understanding the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol consumption.

Luke KP. Sexual violence prevention and technologies of gender among heavy-drinking college women. Social Service Review 83(1): 79-109, 2009. (72 refs.)

Feminist scholarship on sexual violence suggests that practices of normative masculinity and femininity, identified by some poststructuralists as technologies of gender, are causally related to sexual violence. Much of that research concentrates on the gendered interactions between men and women but does not sufficiently explore the interactions among women. Through analysis of 31 qualitative interviews, this article shows that interviewed heavy-drinking college women deploy technologies of gender in their interactions with other women and in their strategies for negotiating the risk of sexual violence. The results suggest that deconstructing technologies of gender offers new possibilities for sexual violence prevention in localized (e. g., campus) contexts.

Lum C; Corliss HL; Mays VM; Cochran SD; Lui CK. Differences in the drinking behaviors of Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(4): 568-574, 2009. (41 refs.)

Objective: This study examined alcohol drinking behaviors across ethnic subgroups of Asian college students by gender, foreign-born status, and college-related living arrangements. Method: Univariate and ordinal logistic regression analyses were employed to explore male and female Asian subgroup differences in alcohol drinking behaviors. The sample included 753 male and female undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 27 years who self-identified as Chinese, Filipino, Korean, or Vietnamese and who varied in their foreign-born status. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on their alcohol drinking practices. Results: Ordinal regression analysis assessed risks for increased consumption and found that Korean and Filipino students reported higher levels of alcohol consumption compared with other Asian subgroups. Students living in on-campus dormitories and in off-campus apartments reported higher alcohol consumption than did those living at home. Being born in the United States was a significant predictor of higher levels of alcohol consumption for women but not for men. Conclusions: Results of this study indicate the need for campus alcohol education and prevention programs capable of responding to specific Asian subgroup needs.

Mallett KA; Bachrach RL; Turrisi R. Examining the unique influence of interpersonal and intrapersonal drinking perceptions on alcohol consumption among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(2): 178-185, 2009. (46 refs.)

Objective: Interventions for college student drinking often incorporate interpersonal factors such as descriptive and/or injunctive norms to correct misperceptions about campus drinking (e.g., BASICS [Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students] and social-norms campaigns). Some interventions also focus on intrapersonal factors of alcohol consumption, which can be considered as one's own perception of drinking, one's attitude toward drinking, and one's intended outcome related to drinking. The current study sought to extend previous work by examining relationships between both inter- and intrapersonal perceptions of drinking and reported drinking behavior. Method: College students (N = 303) completed questionnaires assessing drinking behaviors, perceptions of other students' attitudes toward drinking (i.e., injunctive norms), their perception of the quantity and frequency of student/friend drinking (i.e., descriptive norms), and their attitudes and perceptions toward their own alcohol consumption (i.e., intrapersonal factors). Results: Multiple regressions were used to analyze the unique influence between inter- and intrapersonal drinking perceptions and drinking behavior. Conclusions: Among the interpersonal perceptions of drinking, only closest friend's drinking significantly predicted alcohol consumption, whereas all three intrapersonal factors significantly predicted alcohol consumption. Suggestions for enhancing college student drinking interventions are discussed.

Marczinski CA; Fillmore MT. Acute alcohol tolerance on subjective intoxication and simulated driving performance in binge drinkers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 23(2): 238-247, 2009. (57 refs.)

High rates of binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, including drinking and driving, occur among college students. Underlying reasons for the heightened impaired driving rates in this demographic group are not known. The authors, hypothesized that acute tolerance to the interoceptive cues of intoxication may contribute to these maladaptive decisions to drive in binge drinkers. Groups of binge-drinking and non-binge-drinking college students (N = 28) attended sessions during which they received a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) or a placebo. The development of acute tolerance to subjective ratings of intoxication and simulated driving performance was assessed by comparing measures taken during the ascending phase and descending phases of the blood alcohol curve. Compared with placebo, alcohol increased ratings of intoxication and impaired multiple aspects of simulated driving performance in both binge and non-binge drinkers. During the descending phase of the blood alcohol curve, binge drinkers showed acute tolerance to alcohol's effect on subjective intoxication, and this effect was accompanied by an increased rating of willingness to drive. By contrast, non-binge drinkers showed no acute tolerance.

Martens MP; Rocha TL; Cimini MD; Diaz-Myers A; Rivero EM; Wulfert E. The co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling activities in first-year college students. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 597-602, 2009

Objective: Both alcohol use and gambling are behaviors that can be problematic for many college students however, it is not clear whether the relationship between the 2 exists for students who have recently entered college. Participants: The sample included 908 first-year college students who were Surveyed in fall 2005, approximately 1 month after entering college. Methods: Participants completed Web-based surveys on alcohol use and gambling behaviors. Results: Alcohol use and alcohol-related risks were significantly related to both gambling frequency and peak gambling loss. Conclusions: These findings have implications for researchers and clinicians working in the area of addictive behaviors among college students, suggesting that those presenting with problems in 1 domain may also be at risk for problems in the other.

Martin BA; McCoy TP; Champion H; Parries MT; DuRant RH; Mitra A et al. The role of monthly spending money in college student drinking behaviors and their consequences. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 587-596, 2009

Objective: Alcohol use among college students is pervasive and affected by economic factors such as personal income and alcohol price. The authors examined the relationship among students spending money, drinking rate, and alcohol-related consequences. Participants: In 2005, the authors conducted a Web-based survey among a random sample of 3,634 undergraduate students front 2 large universities. Methods: The authors used multiple logistic regression to model drinking behaviors and multiple linear regression to model alcohol-related consequences. Results: The lowest reported levels of average monthly spending money were associated with reduced levels of drinking and getting drunk. Spending money was independently, associated with experiencing alcohol-related consequences caused by a student's own drinking, even after the authors controlled for personal drinking behaviors. The effects for consequences caused by others' drinking were significant for students who had gotten drunk. Conclusions: These findings have implications for alcohol price and marketing, particularly around colleges, and suggest actions for parents to consider.

Mastroleo NR; Mallett KA; Turrisi R; Ray AE. Psychometric properties of the Peer Proficiency Assessment (PEPA): A tool for evaluation of undergraduate peer counselors' motivational interviewing fidelity. Addictive Behaviors 34(9): 717-722, 2009. (26 refs.)

Despite the expanding use of undergraduate student peer counseling interventions aimed at reducing college student drinking, few programs evaluate peer counselors' competency to conduct these interventions. The present research describes the development and psychometric assessments of the Peer Proficiency Assessment (PEPA), a new tool for examining Motivational Interviewing adherence in undergraduate student peer delivered interventions. Twenty peer delivered sessions were evaluated by master and undergraduate student coders using a cross-validation design to examine peer based alcohol intervention sessions. Assessments revealed high inter-rater reliability between student and master coders and good correlations between previously established fidelity tools. Findings lend support for the use of the PEPA to examine peer counselor competency. The PEPA training for use, inter-rater reliability information, construct and predictive validity, and tool usefulness are described.

Mays D; Usdan S; Arriola KJ; Weitzel JA; Bernhardt JM. Development and validation of the Retrospective Alcohol Context Scale. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 35(2): 109-114, 2009. (19 refs.)

Background: Few validated measures exist to capture the context and consequences of specific drinking events among college students. Objectives: This study sought to describe the development and validation of the Retrospective Alcohol Context Scale (RACS), a 30-day measure of drinking context among college students. Methods: A sample of 169 college students completed daily alcohol assessments for 30 days and completed the RACS at follow-up. Results: The RACS captured fewer negative consequences than daily assessments; however, high agreement was observed on context variables. Conclusion: Results support the validity of the RACS as a measure of drinking context among college students. The RACS may be most useful when information about drinking needs to be collected under limited time and resources. Scientific Significance: Further research is needed to examine the RACS among more diverse, probability samples and over longer time periods.

Mccartt AT; Hellinga LA; Wells JK. Effects of a college community campaign on drinking and driving with a strong enforcement component. Traffic Injury Prevention 10(2): 141-147, 2009. (22 refs.)

Objectives: A program of publicized intensive enforcement of minimum drinking age law and drinking and driving laws was implemented in a college community. The effects on driving at various blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were evaluated, particularly for drivers ages 16-24 targeted by the program. Methods: Objective measures of driver BACs were collected through nighttime roadside surveys before and during the program in the experimental college community and a comparison college community. Logistic regression models estimated the program's effects on the likelihood of driving at various BAC thresholds in the program community, after accounting for BAC patterns in the comparison community. Results: Relative to the comparison community, consistent reductions in driving at various BAC levels (positive BAC and BAC at least 0.02, 0.05, or 0.08%) were achieved in the experimental community. Reductions were greatest for 16- to 20-year-olds (from 66% for positive BAC to 94% for BAC 0.05%), followed by 21- to 24-year-olds (from 32% for positive BAC to 71% for BAC 0.08%) and drivers 25 and older (from 23% for positive BAC to 53% for BAC 0.08%). All reductions for 16- to 20-year-olds were significant (p 0.05), and all except the reduction for BAC 0.08 percent were significantly greater than the corresponding reductions for drivers 25 and older. Reductions for 21- to 24-year-olds were significant for BACs at least 0.02, 0.05, and 0.08 percent, but they were not significantly greater than the corresponding reductions for drivers 25 and older. Although large, reductions for drivers 25 and older were not significant, based on 95 percent confidence intervals. Conclusions: A college community program with a strong enforcement component produced substantial reductions in drinking and driving among teenagers and young adults and smaller reductions among older adults. It is hoped that this will encourage colleges and communities to incorporate enforcement into interventions directed at alcohol use among young people.

McCauley J; Ruggiero KJ; Resnick HS; Conoscenti LM; Kilpatrick DG. Forcible, drug-facilitated, and incapacitated rape in relation to substance use problems: Results from a national sample of college women. Addictive Behaviors 34(5): 458-462, 2009. (30 refs.)

This is the first study to examine the relation between rape and substance use problems in college women as a function of three legally recognized forms of rape: forcible, incapacitated, and substance-facilitated rape. Data were collected via structured telephone interview with a large national sample of college women aged 18-34 years (n = 1980). Lifetime prevalence of any type of rape was 11.3% in the sample. Prevalence estimates for binge drinking and substance abuse were 15.8% and 19.8%, respectively. Lifetime experience of incapacitated rape and drug-alcohol facilitated rape, but not forcible rape, were associated with increased odds of past-year binge drinking and substance abuse. Findings have implications for secondary prevention and call for continued differentiation in assessment of rape type.

McCoy TP; Ip EH; Blocker JN; Champion H; Rhodes SD; Wagoner KG et al. Attrition bias in a US internet survey of alcohol use among college freshmen. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(4): 606-614, 2009. (38 refs.)

Objective: Attrition bias is an important issue in survey research on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. The issue is even more salient for Internet studies, because these studies often have higher rates of attrition than face-to-face or telephone surveys, and there is limited research examining the issue in the field of drug usage, specifically for college underclassmen. This study assessed whether measures of high-risk drinking and alcohol-related consequences were related to attrition groups ("stayers" or "leavers") in a cohort of college freshmen. Method: Data were collected in 2003 and 2004 from 2,144 first-year college students at 10 universities in the southeastern United States. Demographics, indicators of high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences were compared between cohort stayers and leavers in statistical analyses using two methods. Results: Analyses indicated that cohort leavers reported significantly higher levels of high-risk drinking (past-30-day heavy episodic drinking, weekly drunkenness) and past-30-day smoking but not significantly increased alcohol-related consequences. The directionality of bias was modestly consistent across outcomes and comparison methods. Conclusions: The current study's findings suggest that intervention efforts to reduce smoking or high-risk drinking need to consider attrition bias during study follow-up or account for it in analyses.

McMillen BA; Hillis SM; Brown JM. College students' responses to a 5/4 drinking question and maximum blood alcohol concentration calculated from a timeline followback questionnaire. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(4): 601-605, 2009. (25 refs.)

Objective: Many surveys employed to study college drinking ask whether students have had a five-drink (for men) or four-drink (for women) episode in one sitting at least once during the previous 2 weeks to indicate risky or heavy episodic drinking. However, some researchers have questioned the predictive validity of the 5/4 measure. This study tested whether such students attained extremely high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) during the previous 30 days. Method: Freshmen students were recruited by presentation of short screening surveys in the classroom or outside the student stores. Students who reported a risky drinking episode were invited to enroll in the study and were given a lengthy survey battery that included a computerized 30-day Timeline Followback recall of their drinking. The amount of alcohol consumed was used along with each subject's gender and weight to calculate an estimated BAC (eBAC) for each event and the maximum eBAC taken for this report. Results: Fifty-five percent of the 953 students who completed the screening survey met criterion for enrollment, and 381 students entered the study. The average peak calculated eBAC was 233 mg/dl. Only 9.2% of subjects did not have an eBAC value at or above the threshold for a driving while intoxicated offense, 80 mg/dl. Conclusions: Students who report one recent risky drinking episode are very likely to have had at least one heavy drinking episode that generated a BAC in excess of the threshold for driving while intoxicated. Many report extremely high consumption levels. The 5/4 screening question is highly predictive of abusive drinking and can be used to identify students at severe risk for adverse events related to the consumption of alcohol.

Messman-Moore TL; Ward RM; Brown AL. Substance use and PTSD symptoms impact the likelihood of rape and revictimization in college women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 24(3): 499-521, 2009. (81 refs.)

The present study utilized a mixed retrospective and prospective design with an 8-month follow-up period to test a model of revictimization that included multiple childhood (i.e., child sexual, physical, and emotional abuse) and situational variables (i. e., substance use, sexual behavior) for predicting rape among 276 college women. It was of particular interest to determine whether traumatic responses (e.g., posttraumatic symptomatology or risky behavior) increased vulnerability for revictimization. During the 8-month follow-up period, 9% of participants were raped; 88% of assaults involved substance use by the victim. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology predicted rape, substance use, and sexual behavior. Substance use, but not sexual behavior, mediated the relation between PTSD symptomatology and rape during the follow-up period. Sexual behavior indirectly impacted risk for rape via substance use. Results suggest that college women with PTSD symptomatology may be at greater risk for rape if they use substances to reduce distress.

Moreira MT; Smith LA; Foxcroft D. Social norms interventions to reduce alcohol misuse in university or college students. (review). Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 3(article CD006748), 2009. (92 refs.)

Background: Drinking is influenced by youth (mis) perceptions of how their peers drink. If misperceptions can be corrected, young people may drink less. Objectives To determine whether social norms feedback reduces alcohol misuse in university or college students. Search strategy: Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group Register of Trials; Central; MEDLINE; EMBASE; PsyInfo; CINAHL (up to March 2008). Selection criteria RCT or cluster RCT that evaluate social normative intervention with no intervention, alcohol education leaflet or other non-normative feedback intervention Data collection and analysis: 2/3 authors extracted data. Included studies were assessed against criteria indicated in the Cochrane Reviewers Handbook version 5.0.0. Main results: Twenty-two studies were included (7,275 participants). Alcohol related problems: Significant reduction with Web/computer feedback (WF) (SMD-0.31 95% CI-0.59 to -0.02), three studies, 278 participants. No significant effect of mailed feedback (MF), individual face-to-face feedback (IFF) or group face-to-face feedback (GFF). Peak Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) : Significant reduction with WF (SMD-0.77 95% CI-1.25 to -0.28), two studies, 198 participants. No significant effect of MF or IFF. Drinking Frequency: Significant reduction with WF (SMD -0.38 95% CI -0.63 to -0.13), two studies, 243 participants and IFF (SMD -0.39 95% Cl -0.66 to -0.12), two studies, 217 participants. No significant effect of MF. Drinking Quantity: Significant reduction with WF (SMD -0.35 95% Cl -0.51 to -0.18), five studies, 556 participants and GFF (SMD -0.32 95% Cl -0.63 to -0.02) three studies, 173 participants. No significant effect of MF or IF. Binge drinking: Significant reduction with WF (SMD -0.47 95% Cl -0.92 to -0.03) one study, 80 participants, IFF (SMD -0.25 95% Cl -0.49 to -0.02) three studies, 278 participants and and GFF (SMD -0.38 95% Cl -0.62 to -0.14) four studies, 264 participants. No significant effect for MF. BAC: No significant effect of MF and IFF Drinking norms: Significant reduction with WF (SMD -0.75 95% Cl -0.98 to -0.52) three studies, 312 participants. Authors' conclusions: WF and IFF are probably effective in reducing alcohol misuse. No direct comparisons of WF against IFF were found, but WF impacted across a broader set of outcomes and is less costly so therefore might be preferred. Significant effects were more apparent for short-term outcomes (up to three months). For mailed and group feedback, and social norms marketing campaigns, the results are on the whole not significant and therefore cannot be recommended.

Myers MG; Doran NM; Trinidad DR; Klonoff EA; Wall TL. A prospective study of cigarette smoking initiation during college: Chinese and Korean American students. Health Psychology 28(4): 448-456, 2009. (59 refs.)

Objective: The present study was a prospective investigation of baseline influences on initial smoking and transition to established smoking among college students who had not smoked prior to college. Design: Included were 267 participants in a longitudinal study of tobacco use. Students of Chinese (52%) or Korean (48%) descent were enrolled during their freshman year in college. Data for the present study were collected during four annual in-person interviews. Main outcome measures: (1) Initial use of a cigarette reflected having first smoked a cigarette (more than a puff) during college. (2) Established smoking was defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes. Results: Over the course of the study, 25% of baseline never-smokers tried their first cigarette, and 9% became established smokers. Overall, men were significantly more likely to experiment and progress to established smoking. Baseline alcohol and drug use, behavioral undercontrol, and parental smoking predicted smoking experimentation but not established smoking. Students of Korean ethnicity were more likely to become established smokers. However, acculturation was not a significant predictor of experimentation or established smoking after accounting for the effects of other predictors. Conclusion: These findings suggest a need for efforts to prevent smoking uptake among Asian American college students.

Nehl EJ; Blanchard CA; Peng CYJ; Rhodes RE; Kupperman J; Sparling PB et al. Understanding nonsmoking in African American and Caucasian college atudents: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Behavioral Medicine 35(1): 23-29, 2009. (24 refs.)

Few studies have considered whether psychological determinants of nonsmoking among college students vary by ethnicity. The authors tested the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain differences in nonsmoking intentions of 238 African American and 197 Caucasian college students who completed an in-class TPB questionnaire and a smoking assessment I week later After removing 35 students who reported smoking at the baseline assessment, regressions were used to examine ethnic effects on TPB constructs when predicting nonsmoking intentions. Caucasians had statistically significant higher nonsmoking intentions than African Americans. Further subjective norms for Caucasians and attitudes for African Americans had small but significant relations to intention, but perceived behavioral control (PBC) was a strongly significant predictor for both ethnic groups. However, the prediction of nonsmoking intentions was not statistically moderated by ethnicity for any of the TPB constructs. This study suggests that the TPB may aid in understanding collegiate nonsmoking intentions and help begin to explain differences in smoking on the basis of ethnicity. Last, because of strong associations shown in this study, PBC should be considered when developing ethnic-specific smoking interventions in college students.

Nelson MC; Lust K; Story M; Ehlinger E. Alcohol use, eating patterns, and weight behaviors in a university population. American Journal of Health Behavior 33(3): 227-237, 2009. (37 refs.)

Objective: To explore associations between alcohol, alcohol-related eating, and weight-related health indicators. Methods: Cross-sectional, multivariate regression of weight behaviors, binge drinking, and alcohol-related eating, using self-reported student survey data (n=3206 undergraduates/graduates). Results: Binge drinking was associated with poor diets, unhealthy weight control, body dissatisfaction, and sedentary behavior. Neither year in school nor age modified these relationships. Alcohol-related eating was associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity. Conclusions: Binge drinking was associated with an array of adverse behaviors. These associations did not differ between undergraduate and graduate students. Initiatives are needed to assist students in overcoming campus norms promoting unhealthy alcohol and dietary patterns.

Nigg CR; Lee HR; Hubbard AE; Min-Sun K. Gateway health behaviors in college students: Investigating transfer and compensation effects. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 39-44, 2009. (29 refs.)

Objective: There is a dearth of studies on the mechanisms of multiple risk behaviors, even though these behaviors are significant public health issues. The authors investigated whether health behavior interventions have transfer or compensatory effects on other health behaviors. Participants and Methods: The authors looked at transfer and compensation effects of 3 health behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity) in a sample of college students aged 18 to 25 years (N = 973; 84% born in the United States 50% female; 25% Japanese, 19% Caucasian, 16% mixed). Results: The study revealed the following evidence for transfer effects: (1) nonsmokers consume less alcohol, (2) regularly active people smoke less, and (3) nondrinkers smoke less. The authors also found the following compensation effects: (1) regularly active people consume alcohol more frequently and (2) alcohol drinkers are more active. Conclusions: Interventions involving college students' smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity need to take into account both transfer and compensation considerations to maximize health impacts.

Norton TR; Lazev AB; Schnoll RA; Miller SM. The impact of email recruitment on our understanding of college smoking. Addictive Behaviors 34(6-7): 531-535, 2009. (34 refs.)

Email recruitment is growing in popularity; however, this convenience sampling method may yield very different results from prior convenience sampling methods. Participants in the current study were 825 undergraduate students, 446 recruited through a campus wide email and 379 recruited through Introductory Psychology courses. who completed an on-line survey on smoking and health. Outcomes varied significantly by group. Introductory Psychology students reported higher smoker self-concept, more pros of smoking, and were more likely to view smoking as a method of negative affect reduction. The current study suggests that recruitment method can bias our understanding of smoking behaviors among college students.

Oster-Aaland L; Lewis MA; Neighbors C; Vangsness J; Larimer ME. Alcohol poisoning among college students turning 21: Do they recognize the symptoms and how do they help? Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 122-130, 2009. (40 refs.)

Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) determine recognition of and self-reported concern regarding alcohol poisoning symptoms versus other alcohol-related behaviors among students turning 21 years old (2) assess the frequency of helping behavior among Students in situations where peers display alcohol poisoning symptoms, (3) assess sources from which students seek help, and (4) consider reasons why students report reluctance to seek help. Method: Students (N = 306; 50% male) completed a Web-based self-report assessment during the week before their 21st birthday focusing on drinking behavior, alcohol-related consequences, concern for symptoms of alcohol poisoning, and observations of and experience with helping behavior. Results: Results indicated most students report having helped another student with symptoms of alcohol poisoning and show concern about the symptoms. Students most often seek help from other students and parents. When students do not help their peers, it is most often because of the perception that help is not needed. Heavier drinkers report a greater likelihood to help a peer showing symptoms of alcohol poisoning. Conclusions: Prevention professionals should incorporate students, friends, and parents in interventions that provide knowledge and helping strategies for alcohol poisoning symptoms. In addition, prevention efforts regarding alcohol poisoning should focus on heavy drinkers, as they are most likely to be in situations requiring help. Finally, administrators implementing medical amnesty policies should couple those policies with educational strategies aimed at recognition of alcohol poisoning symptoms.

Park A; Sher KJ; Wood PK; Krull JL. Dual mechanisms underlying accentuation of risky drinking via fraternity/sorority affiliation: The role of personality, peer norms, and alcohol availability. (review). Journal of Abnormal Psychology 118(2): 241-255, 2009

Heavy drinkers prior to college have been shown to increase their drinking in college via their self-selection into the Greek societies and subsequent Greek influence on their drinking. This study characterized the dual mechanisms underlying these processes: (a) the Greek selection on the basis of personality and precollege drinking and (b) the Greek influence through alcohol-conducive environmental factors. Prospective data obtained in the summer prior to college and over the first 6 semesters of college (N = 3,099) indicated strong precollege drinking-based selection, strong initial influence immediately after college entrance, and sustained influence afterward. Impulsivity/novelty seeking was associated with Greek affiliation both directly and indirectly via precollege drinking, whereas extraversion and neuroticism were associated with Greek affiliation largely independent of precollege drinking. Greek affiliation was related to higher levels of drinking norms immediately after college entrance and alcohol availability by the sophomore year, but not afterward, after controlling for prior drinking. Findings highlight the diverse mechanisms underlying accentuation of risky drinking over the transition to college and during the college years, through dynamic interplay between individuals and high-risk environments.

Petry NM; Weinstock J; Morasco BJ; Ledgerwood DM. Brief motivational interventions for college student problem gamblers. Addiction 104(9): 1569-1578, 2009. (56 refs.)

Aims: College students experience high rates of problem and pathological gambling, yet little research has investigated methods for reducing gambling in this population. This study sought to examine the efficacy of brief intervention strategies. Design: Randomized trial. Setting: College campuses. Participants: A total of 117 college student problem and pathological gamblers. Interventions Students were assigned randomly to: an assessment-only control, 10 minutes of brief advice, one session of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or one session of MET, plus three sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The three interventions were designed to reduce gambling. Measurements: Gambling was assessed at baseline, week 6 and month 9 using the Addiction Severity Index-gambling (ASI-G) module, which also assesses days and dollars wagered. Findings: Compared to the assessment-only condition, those receiving any intervention had significant decreases in ASI-G scores and days and dollars wagered over time. The MET condition decreased significantly ASI-G scores and dollars wagered over time, and increased the odds of a clinically significant reduction in gambling at the 9-month follow-up relative to the assessment-only condition, even after controlling for baseline indices that could impact outcomes. The Brief Advice and MET+CBT conditions had benefits on some, but not all, indices of gambling. None of the interventions differed significantly from one another. Conclusions: These results suggest the efficacy of brief interventions for reducing gambling problems in college students.

Pino NW; Johnson-Johns AM. College women and the occurrence of unwanted sexual advances in public drinking settings. Social Science Journal 46(2): 252-267, 2009. (28 refs.)

Using existing data from the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, this study analyzes the social predictors of unwanted sexual advances experienced by college women and where this type of victimization occurs. Routine activities theory informed the analysis. While attendance and increased alcohol consumption at bars have a significant effect on experiences of unwanted sexual advances, attendance at parties, attendance at drink promotions, and participation in drinking games does not. Furthermore, while less satisfaction with education, having more sexual partners and friends that binge drink, and having more alcohol-related problems increase the likelihood of experiencing unwanted sexual advances, so does drinking less in general, having higher educated parents, and having a higher grade point average. These findings show that the predictors of unwanted sexual advances may differ somewhat from those that predict more serious forms of sexual victimization. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

Quintero G. Controlled release: A cultural analysis of collegiate polydrug use. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 41(1): 39-47, 2009. (51 refs.)

Social science research on polydrug use among young adult college students is scant, adopts definitions of this practice that are often devoid of sociocultural context, and emphasizes a very narrow range of use patterns. This article, based on ethnographic interviews from a study of collegiate prescription drug misuse, expands this focus by offering a cultural analysis of polydrug use. Two specific types of collegiate polydrug use, simultaneous interaction and sequential management, are examined within a cultural framework that relates these practices to the expression of two complementary values-control and release. The college experience provides young people with a culturally sanctioned "time-out" period that affords freedom from many of the roles, responsibilities, and other constraints that come to structure later adult life. At the same time, college students are expected to meet academic and social demands that require organization, initiative, and direction. Specific types of polydrug use provide young adults with a means to navigate these competing prescriptions that are characteristic of contemporary college life.

Quintero G. Rx for a party: A qualitative analysis of recreational pharmaceutical use in a collegiate setting. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 64-70, 2009. (26 refs.)

Objective: Using a qualitative methodology, the author examined the sociorecreational use of pharmaceuticals in a collegiate setting. Participants: In all, 91 college students from a public, 4-year institution for higher learning in the Southwest participated in this study. Methods: The author conducted semistructured interviews between May 2004 and December 2005, they then audio recorded, transcribed, and examined the interviews for themes related to the sociorecreational use of prescription drugs. Results: A variety of prescription drugs are used for a number of purposes, including to experience pleasure, manage the duration or intensity of another drug's effects, party or socialize with friends and peers in leisure settings, facilitate sociorecreational activities, and help structure free time. Conclusions: Pharmaceuticals appear to be well integrated into the recreational drug use practices of college students, and prescription drug misuse presents a significant prevention challenge.

Randolph ME; Torres H; Gore-Felton C; Lloyd B; McGarvey EL. Alcohol use and sexual risk behavior among college students: Understanding gender and ethnic differences. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 35(2): 80-84, 2009. (19 refs.)

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of gender and ethnicity in the relationship between alcohol use and risky sexual behavior. Method: Sexually active college students (n = 425) reported on alcohol expectancies, perceived risk of HIV, and drinking and sexual behavior in the context of a larger health behavior survey. Results: Approximately one-third of participants reported binge drinking 3 or more times in the past two weeks. African-American women reported less drinking and less positive alcohol expectancies than other women. Older men engaged more often than younger men in binge drinking and reported more sexual partners in the past year. Younger age and greater perceived risk for HIV were positively associated with condom use for both women and men. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings suggest that alcohol abuse and HIV prevention efforts among young adults need to consider gender, ethnicity, and age.

Raynor DA; Levine H. Associations between the five-factor model of personality and health behaviors among college students. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 73-81, 2009. (52 refs.)

Objective: In fall 2006, the authors examined associations between the five-factor model of personality and several key health behaviors. Methods: College students (N = 583) completed the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment and the International Personality Item Pool Big Five short-form questionnaire. Results: Highly conscientious individuals were more likely to wear seat belts, utilize alcohol-related harm reduction, exercise, get enough sleep, and consume fruits and vegetables. They were also less likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, and binge drink. Highly extraverted individuals were more likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, binge drink, and have multiple sexual partners, and they were less likely to engage in alcohol-related harm reduction, use condoms, and get enough sleep. Conclusions: These findings are supportive of a growing body of evidence indicating that conscientiousness and extraversion are robust concomitants of health behaviors among college students.

Read JP; Lau-Barraco C; Dunn ME; Borsari B. Projected alcohol dose influences on the activation of alcohol expectancies in college drinkers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33(7): 1265-1277, 2009. (71 refs.)

Background: Alcohol expectancies have been linked to drinking behavior in college students, and vary according to a number of factors, including projected dose of alcohol. Research using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) suggests that drinking may be influenced by activation of differing expectancy dimensions in memory, yet studies have not examined expectancy activation according to projected alcohol doses. Methods: The present study used Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL) to map expectancy networks of college students (n = 334) who imagined varied drinking at high and low alcohol doses. Expectancy activation was modeled by dose, as well as by gender and by drinking patterns (typical quantity, blood alcohol content, heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol consequences). Expectancies were organized along positive-negative and arousal-sedation dimensions. Anticipation of a high dose of alcohol was associated with greater emphasis on the arousal-sedation dimension, whereas anticipation of a lower dose was associated with greater emphasis on the positive-negative dimension. Results: Across heavy, medium, and light drinkers, expectancy dimensions were most distinguishable at higher doses; activation patterns were more similar across drinking groups at lighter doses. Modest evidence for the influence of gender on activation patterns was observed. Findings were consistent across alcohol involvement indices. Conclusions: These data suggest that both dimensionality and context should be considered in the refinement of interventions designed to alter expectancies in order to decrease hazardous drinking.

Reed E; Amaro H; Matsumoto A; Kaysen D. The relation between interpersonal violence and substance use among a sample of university students: Examination of the role of victim and perpetrator substance use. Addictive Behaviors 34(3): 316-318, 2009. (16 refs.)

Objective: To examine the relation between interpersonal violence and substance use and to describe the role of victim and perpetrator substance use within such incidents among university students. Methods: A random sample of students (N = 1197) participating in this cross-sectional study completed an online survey. Logistic regression models assessed the relation between substance use and sexual and physical victimization. Victim and perpetrator substance use at the time of incident were described. Results: Females were more likely to report sexual violence compared to males. whereas males were more likely to report physical victimization (p's<0.05). In logistic regression models, all forms of substance use were significantly associated with physical victimization among males (OR's = 2.0-5.1). Among females, most forms of substance use were associated with sexual victimization (OR's = 2.4-4.7). Both males and females reported high rates of perpetrator and own substance use during victimization incidents. Conclusions: Findings suggest that previous documentation among victimization studies of a relation between substance use and subsequent risk for victimization may also be attributable to the substance use behavior of the perpetrator.

Reingle J; Thombs DL; Weiler RM; Dodd VJ; O'Mara R; Pokorny SB. An exploratory study of bar and nightclub expectancies. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 629-637, 2009

Objective: The authors identified the principal components of bar and nightclub expectancy in college students and the associations between these factors and the risk behavior of night-clubbing. Participants: A total of 4,384 undergraduates enrolled at a large, public university participated. Methods: In the first phase (July-September 2007), the authors collected preliminary data from a convenience sample. In the second phase (March 2008), the authors collected data from a separate probability sample. Results: A principal components analysis revealed 4 reliable and distinct expectancy factors. Regression analyses revealed that after adjusting for the effects of alcohol and demographic variables, expectancies explained a significant proportion of variance in bar/nightclub attendance. Different expectancy profiles distinguished high-frequency night clubbers from the most common bar attendance practice and nonmonogamous nightclubbers from monogamous nightclubbers. Conclusions: From a developmental perspective, nightclubbing appears to assist young adults with establishing and maintaining social networks, romantic and sexual relationships, and collegiate acculturation.

Saltz RF; Welker LR; Paschall MJ; Feeney MA; Fabiano PM. Evaluating a comprehensive campus-community prevention intervention to reduce alcohol-related problems in a college population. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 21-27, 2009. (17 refs.)

Objective: This article evaluates Western Washington University's Neighborhoods Engaging with Students project-a comprehensive strategy to decrease disruptive off-campus parties by increasing student integration into and accountability to the neighborhoods in which they live. The intervention includes increasing the number of and publicity regarding "party emphasis patrols" and collaboration with the city to develop a regulatory mechanism to reduce repeat problematic party calls to the same address. The enforcement components are complemented by campus-based late-night expansion programming, as well as neighborhood engagement strategies including an educational Web site designed to increase students' knowledge of and skills in living safely and legally in the community, service-learning projects in the campus-contiguous neighborhoods, and a neighborhood-based conflict-resolution program. Method: The evaluation comprised data from three public universities in Washington. In addition to the Western Washington University site, a second campus created an opportunity for a "natural experiment" because it adopted a very similar intervention in the same tune frame. creating two intervention sites and one comparison site. Annual, Web-based student surveys in 2005 and 2006 included measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and student perception of alcohol control and prevention activities. Results: Although statistical power with three campuses was limited, results using hierarchical linear modeling showed that the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking was significantly lower at the intervention schools (odds ratio = 0.73; N = 6,150 students). Conclusions: The results Suggest that alcohol control measures can be effective in reducing problematic drinking in college settings. These findings strongly support Conducting a replication with greater power and a more rigorous design.

Schaus JF; Sole ML; McCoy TP; Mullett N; O'Brien MC. Alcohol screening and brief intervention in a college student health center: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 131-141, 2009. (48 refs.)

Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of brief primary care provider interventions delivered in a college student health center to a sample of college students who screened positive for high-risk drinking. Method: Between November 2005 and August 2006, 8,753 students who presented as new patients to the health service at a large public university were screened for high-risk drinking, and 2,484 students (28%) screened positive on the 5/4 gender-specific high-risk drinking question (i.e., five or more drinks per occasion for men and four or more for women). Students who screened positive for high-risk drinking and consented to participate (N = 363; 52% female) were randomly assigned either to a control group (n = 182) or to an experimental group (n = 181). Participants in the experimental group received two brief intervention sessions that were founded in motivational interviewing techniques and delivered by four specially trained providers within the student health center. Data on alcohol use and related harms were obtained from a Web-based Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire, 30-day Time-line Followback alcohol-use diaries, the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), and eight items from the Drinker Inventory of Consequences-2L. Results: Repeated measures analysis showed that, compared with the control group (C), the intervention group (1) had significant reductions in typical estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) (C = .071 vs I = .057 at 3 months; C = .073 vs I =.057 at 6 months), peak BAC (C=.142 vs I = .112 at 3 months; C = .145 vs I = 108 at 6 months). peak [lumber of drinks per silting (C = 8.03 vs I = 6.87 at 3 months; C = 7.98 vs I = 6.52 at 6 months), average number of drinks per week (C = 9.47 vs I = 7.33 at 3 months; C = 8.90 vs I = 6.16 at 6 months), number of drunk episodes in a typical week (C = 1.24 vs I = 0.85 at 3 months C = 1.10 vs I = 0.7 1 at 6 months), number of times taken foolish risks (C = 2.24 vs I = 1.12 at 3 months), and RAPI sum scores, (C = 6.55 vs I = 4.96 at 6 months C = 6.17 vs I = 4.58 at 9 months). Conclusions: Brief interventions delivered by primary care providers in a student health center to high-risk-drinking students may result in significantly decreased alcohol consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related harms.

Schaus JF; Sole ML; McCoy TP; Mullett N; Bolden J; Sivasithamparam J et al. Screening for high-risk drinking in a college student health center: Characterizing students based on quantity, frequency, and harms. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 34-44, 2009. (33 refs.)

Objective: This study examined characteristics of students who presented to a college health center and screened positive for the 5/4 definition of high-risk drinking (five or more drinks in a row for men, or four or more drinks in a row for women, on at least one occasion in the past 2 weeks) and analyzed the students' data according to their reporting of alcohol-related harms. Method: Secondary analysis of data obtained for an intervention study to reduce high-risk drinking in college students was used. Data on alcohol use and alcohol-related harms were obtained from Web-based Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaires and 30-day alcohol recall diaries (Timeline Followback calendar). Students (N = 363; 52% female) were classified as nonheavy, heavy, and heavy and frequent drinkers, based on their self-reported alcohol use. Alcohol-related harms were measured using the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index and eight additional items derived from the Drinker Inventory of Consequences-2L. Results: Students in the nonheavy, heavy, and heavy and frequent groups had mean Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index scores of 10, 14, and 23, respectively. The heavy-and-frequent drinking group comprised 20% of the sample but experienced 31% of the total harms. Conclusions: The 5/4 screening question accurately identified college students presenting to a college health center who were already experiencing significant alcohol-related harms. The addition of a frequency question (drinking 3 or more days per week) to the 5/4 screening question provided a simple method for identifying those students at highest risk and in greatest need of intervention.

Schwartz SJ; Zamboanga BL; Ravert RD; Kim SY; Weisskirch RS; Williams MK et al. Perceived parental relationships and health-risk behaviors in college-attending emerging adults. Journal of Marriage and the Family 71(3): 727-740, 2009. (57 refs.)

The present study investigated the association of perceived parenting with health-risk behaviors in an ethnically diverse sample of 1,728 college-attending emerging adults. Participants completed retrospective measures of perceived maternal and paternal nurturance, connection, psychological control, and disrespect and reported their frequency of binge drinking, illicit drug use, unsafe sexual behavior, and impaired driving. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses indicated that perceived paternal acceptance was associated inversely with 6 of the 12 health-risk behaviors measured, whereas perceived mothering was related only to 2 of these health-risk behaviors. These patterns were consistent across gender, ethnicity, and family structure.

Singleton RA; Wolfson AR. Alcohol consumption, sleep, and academic performance among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(3): 355-363, 2009. (40 refs.)

Objective: Three independent lines of inquiry have found associations between alcohol use and academic performance, sleep and academic performance, and alcohol use and sleep. The present study bridges this research by examining the links among alcohol use, sleep, and academic performance in college students. Method: Personal interview surveys were conducted with a random sample of 236 students (124 women) at a liberal arts college. The interviews measured alcohol consumption, gender, academic class, weekday and weekend bedtimes and rise times, and daytime sleepiness; 95% of the sample granted permission to obtain grade-point average (GPA) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores from official college records. Results: Ordinary least squares regressions showed that alcohol consumption was a significant predictor of four sleep patterns: the duration of sleep, the timing of sleep, the difference between weekday and weekend night-time sleep hours (oversleep), and the difference between weekday and weekend bedtimes (bedtime delay). Women and students with late sleep schedules were more apt to report daytime sleepiness. SAT score was the strongest predictor of GPA. However, gender, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness also were significant predictors when other variables were controlled. In addition to alcohol's direct relationship with GPA, mediational analysis indicated that alcohol had indirect effects on sleepiness and GPA, primarily through its effect on sleep schedule. Conclusions: The findings show how alcohol use among college students is related to sleep-wake patterns and further support the connection between alcohol use and grades.

Sutfin EL; Reboussin BA; McCoy TP; Wolfson M. Are college studt smokers really a homogeneous group? A latent class analysis of college student smokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 11(4): 444-454, 2009. (34 refs.)

College smokers are often considered to be one homogenous group, those reporting smoking on at least one of the past 30 days. However, considerable heterogeneity exists among college students who report current smoking. The aim of this paper is to characterize disparate patterns of smoking among college students using latent class analysis (LCA). The sample consisted of 1,102 past-month smokers from 10 colleges in North Carolina who completed a Web-based survey. LCA was used to create homogeneous groups of smokers with similar patterns defined by multiple indicators of smoking behavior, including quantity and frequency of smoking, smoking contexts, and weekly patterns of smoking. Five subclasses of smokers were identified: "heavy smokers" (28%), moderate smokers (22%), social smokers (19%), puffers (26%), and no-context smokers (4%). Demographic characteristics that varied among these subgroups were year in school, Greek membership, and residence location. Puffers were more likely to be younger students than "heavy and social smokers, suggesting a transition from experimentation to regular use over time. Social smokers and puffers were more likely to be involved in Greek organizations than were heavy and moderate smokers. Moderate and social smokers were more likely to be current drinkers and to have engaged in binge drinking in the past month than were heavy smokers. This finding suggests that, for moderate and social smokers, a strong relationship exists between alcohol and tobacco use. The results highlight the heterogeneity of college student smokers and underscore the need for targeted interventions.

Talbott LL; Umstattd MR; Usdan SL; Martin RJ; Geiger BF. Validation of the College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) for use with non-adjudicated first-year students. Addictive Behaviors 34(5): 471-473, 2009. (17 refs.)

First-year students in transition to college are at increased risk for consuming greater amounts of alcohol and are subject to subsequent alcohol related problems. The 8-item College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) has been used to measure alcohol related problems in adjudicated undergraduates and psychology majors. However. structural validity of the CAPS-r has not been examined in a general first-year student population. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the structural validity of this two-factor model using LISREL 8.5. The original two-factor measurement model for the 8-item CAPS-r represented acceptable fit to the data (chi(2)-37,52, df = 19, p = .007, CFI = .968, SRMR = .0449), supporting its use with first-year college Students. Future studies need to examine invariance across ethnic, gender, and geographical groups.

Testa M; Kearns-Bodkin JN; Livingston JA. Effect of precollege drinking intentions on women's college drinking as mediated via peer social influences. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(4): 575-582, 2009. (36 refs.)

Objective: The study examined the impact of precollege drinking intentions on college heavy episodic drinking (HED) in a sample of women making the transition from high school to college. We hypothesized that the effects of drinking intentions on college first and second semester HED would be mediated by first semester social norms and drinking pressure. Method: High school seniors (n = 416) recruited from the community were assessed at the time of high school graduation and at the end of the first and second semesters of college. Results: The hypothesized model was supported. After controlling for high school HED, precollege drinking intentions predicted first semester descriptive and injunctive social norms and social pressure to drink. Social influence variables were associated with higher frequency HED in the first semester, which in turn predicted higher frequency HED in the second semester. Conclusions: Results suggest that precollege drinking intentions, independent of high school HED, may influence selection of college social environments and play a significant role in actual college HED. Assessment and targeting of these intentions may aid in prevention of college HED.

Tevyaw TO; Colby SM; Tidey JW; Kahler CW; Rohsenow DJ; Barnett NP et al. Contingency management and motivational enhancement: A randomized clinical trial for college student smokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 11(6): 739-749, 2009. (58 refs.)

The efficacy of contingency-management (CM) and motivational enhancement therapy (MET) for college student smoking cessation was examined. Nontreatment-seeking daily smokers (N = 110) were randomly assigned to 3 weeks of CM versus noncontingent reinforcement (NR) and to three individual sessions of MET versus a relaxation control in a 2 x 2 experimental design. Expired carbon monoxide (CO) samples were collected twice daily for 3 weeks. Participants earned U.S.$5 for providing each sample; additionally, those randomized to CM earned escalating monetary rewards based on CO reductions (Week 1) and smoking abstinence (Weeks 2-3). Compared with NR, CM resulted in significantly lower CO levels and greater total and consecutive abstinence during the intervention. Those in the CM and MET groups reported greater interest in quitting smoking posttreatment, but rates of confirmed abstinence at follow-up were very low (4% at 6-month follow-up) and did not differ by group. Findings support the short-term efficacy of CM for reducing smoking among college students. Future research should explore enhancements to CM in this population, including a longer intervention period and the recruitment of smokers who are motivated to quit.

Theall KP; DeJong W; Scribner R; Mason K; Schneider SK; Simonsen N. Social capital in the college setting: The impact of participation in campus activities on drinking and alcohol-related harms. Journal of American College Health 58(1): 15-23, 2009. (29 refs.)

Objectives: The authors aimed to replicate previous findings on social capital and harmful alcohol outcomes in the college setting and to ascertain the protective effects of additional indicators of social capital. Methods: Over 4 years (2000-2004), the authors conducted annual cross-sectional, random-sample student surveys at 32 US institutions of higher education (N = 15,875) and constructed multilevel models to examine the association between individual- and campus-level participation in campus activities and harmful drinking outcomes. Results: At the individual level, community volunteerism was protective against harmful drinking outcomes. In contrast to past research, campus-level volunteerism was not significantly associated with the outcome measures. At both the individual and campus levels, participation in a religious organization was protective. Greek membership and varsity athletic participation were risk factors at the individual level. Conclusions: Results did not corroborate previous findings and revealed mixed results for other measures of participation at the campus level. The influence of social capital on college alcohol consumption deserves further attention.

Thombs DL; O'Mara R; Dodd VJ; Merves ML; Weiler RM; Goldberger BA et al. Event-specific analyses of poly-drug abuse and concomitant risk behavior in a college bar district in Florida. Journal of American College Health 57(6): 575-585, 2009

Objective: The authors describe the epidemiology of risk behavior associated with poly-drug use in a college bar district of a large campus community. Participants: A total of 469 bar patrons participated in the study. Methods: The authors used self-report data and biological measures collected from patrons outside bars in July and August of 2007. Results: The mean breath alcohol concentration of the exiting patrons was 0.09. Illicit and prescription drug use on the nights of data collection and in the recent past were significant features of the profile of patron risk behavior. About one-quarter of the patrons using only alcohol reported an intention to drive a vehicle within 60 minutes of leaving an establishment, compared with almost one-half of those using both alcohol and marijuana. Conclusions: A substantial amount of high-risk behavior was generated from the bar district on 4 typical nights. College bar districts should be a priority focus for prevention efforts.

Thompson MP; Spitler H; Mccoy TP; Marra L; Sutfin EL; Rhodes SD et al. The moderating role of gender in the prospective associations between expectancies and alcohol-related negative consequences among college students. Substance Use & Misuse 44(7): 934-942, 2009. (21 refs.)

This study examined if alcohol expectancies (assessed with the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol-Brief Form) were prospectively related to negative consequences (assessed with the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index) and if these associations varied by gender Data were collectedfirom 558 first-year college students at a university in the southeastern United States as part of an intervention study conducted during their initial residence hall meetings of the fall semester of 2007. Only those students who used alcohol and completed both baseline and 3-month follow-up surveys were included in the analyses (n = 347). Mixed-model multivariate analyses indicated that higher sexuality and tension reduction expectancies were prospectively related to more alcohol consumption-related negative consequences for males but not for females. Findings suggest that intervention efforts to prevent problem drinking would benefit from being gender-specific. The study's limitations are noted.

Toure NO; Kane YD; Diatta A; Ndiaye EM; Thiam K; MBaye FBR et al. Smoking among students at the School of Health and Social Development and the Health Service Institute in Senegal. Revue des Maladies Respiratoires 26(1): 21-28, 2009. (20 refs.)

We have undertaken a transverse study of smoking among students at the National School of Health and Social Development (ENDSS) and the Health Service Institute (ISS) in Senegal. 683 out of 1142 students were questioned. 609 (89%) replied, of whom 313 (52%) were at the ENDSS and 293 (48%) at the ISS. Senior technical students were most strongly represented at 37.8%, followed by student nurses (27.4%) and midwifery students (23.3%). There were more women (n=378) than men with a sex ratio of 0.61. The average age of the population was 27.5 +/- 6.8 years (range 15 to 58). The average age was 26.2 +/- 5.6 years in the women and 29.6 +/- 8 in the men. The group aged 25-34 was significantly the most affected in both men and women (p=0.0000). The population comprised 502 non-smokers (82.4%), 62 ex-smokers (10.2%) and 45 smokers (7.4%).We found variable alcohol consumption in 119 subjects (19.2%) and 5 students admitted using cannabis. The 62 ex-smokers made up 10.2% of the population. The average age was 31.4 years. 25 ex-smokers (40.3%) drank alcohol, with a sex ratio of 1.95. The reasons for stopping smoking were illness and guilt in 27.4% of cases respectively, economic in 24.2%, medical statements on the effects of smoking on health in 17.7% and personal wishes in only 11.3%. The smokers, numbering 45 (7.4%), had an average age of 27.6 +/- 6.6 years with a sex ratio of 2 (p=0.00000). The age of starting smoking was 20.7 +/- 4.2 years forthe women and 19.9 +/- 2.9 years forthe men. The latter had smoked for an average of 9.2 years. Cigarettes were used by the great majority of smokers. It was associated with alcohol consumption in 35.6% and cannabis in 11.1% of cases. In the men the motives for starting smoking were stress (60%), pleasure (55.2%) and social influence (53.3%). By contrast, among the women, the two main reasons were stress and fashion in 60% (P=0.04). Our students smoked mostly in public places and in their homes. 34 smokers (75.6%) wished to stop (p=0.02) but only 27 of them expressed the need for medical or psychological support to do this. Dependence, quantified by the Fagerstrom Score, was medium (score 5-6) in 60% (n=27) and strong (score 7-10) in 31.1% (n=14). The estimated monthly cost of smoking increased with the degree of dependence. It was, on average, 12,143 F CFA (18.5(sic) in cases of high dependence, representing 37% of the minimum wage in Senegal which is 33000F CFA (50(sic). The students understood well the diseases caused by smoking (whether they were smokers, ex-smokers or non-smokers). These comprise mainly pulmonary diseases (96.2%) and cardio-vascular diseases (78.3%) All the recommended methods of the fight against smoking presented in the media, the publicity, national anti-smoking campaigns, personal contact and consultation, received more than 60% of favourable opinions among the total population studied.

Turrisi R; Larimer ME; Mallett KA; Kilmer JR; Ray AE; Mastroleo NR et al. A randomized clinical trial evaluating a combined alcohol intervention for high-risk college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(4): 555-567, 2009. (88 refs.)

Objective: The current study is a multisite randomized alcohol prevention trial to evaluate the efficacy of both a parenting handbook intervention and the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) intervention, alone and in combination, in reducing alcohol use and consequences among a high-risk population of matriculating college students (i.e., former high school athletes). Method: Students (n = 1,275) completed a series of Web-administered measures at baseline (in the summer before starting college) and follow-up (after 10 months). Students were randomized to one of four conditions: parent intervention only, BASICS only, combined (parent and BASICS), and assessment-only control. Intervention efficacy was tested on a number of outcome measures, including peak blood alcohol concentration, weekly and weekend, drinking, and negative consequences. Hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effect were tested. Results: The overall results revealed that the combined-intervention group had significantly lower alcohol consumption, high-risk drinking, and consequences at 10-month follow-up, compared with the control group, with changes in descriptive and injunctive peer norms mediating intervention effects. Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that the parent intervention delivered to students before they begin college serves to enhance the efficacy of the BASICS intervention, potentially priming students to respond to the subsequent BASICS session.

Vantamay S. Alcohol consumption smong university students: Applying a social ecological approach for multi-level prevention. Southwest Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine 40(2): 354-369, 2009. (65 refs.)

This study investigates factors affecting alcohol consumption among university students through a social ecological approach as a theoretical framework. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 1,200 university students in Bangkok, Thailand. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis at the 0.05 level of statistical significance were used to analyze the data. The results showed that all 22 independent variables can co-predict alcohol consumption among univesity students at 41.2% (Adjusted = 40.1%). However, there were only 13 variables that affected alcohol consumption significantly: gender, age, monthly income, living arrangement, attitude toward alcohol use, perceived susceptibility of alcohol use, perceived self-efficacy, peer drinking, relatives drinking, accessibility of alcohol around university, accessibility of alcohol around community, exposure to anti-alcohol campaign, and exposure to alcohol advertising. The findings suggested that alcohol consumption was not only affected by the individual-level factor, but it was also affected by multi-level environmental factors, including interpersonal-level, institutional-level, community-level, and societal-level factors. Consequently, multi-level preventions should be urgently considered to prevent alcohol use among university students in Thailand.

Ven TV; Beck J. Getting drunk and hooking up: An exploratory study of the relationship between alcohol intoxication and casual coupling in a university sample. Sociological Spectrum 29(5): 626-648, 2009. (17 refs.)

Alcohol use and abuse on American college campuses has raised significant concerns among university officials, scholars, and social critics. One of the principal concerns is that heavy drinking is associated with risky sexual behavior and sexual victimization among college samples. The current study seeks to enhance our understanding regarding the relationship between alcohol intoxication and sex by investigating the ways in which college students use alcohol as a tool to facilitate, explain, and justify sexual encounters and casual coupling (e.g., kissing, making out, petting, touching). Guided by theoretical perspectives designed to explain the role of rhetoric in explaining and justifying deviant behavior, we analyze 469 qualitative drinking stories and 32 interviews collected at three university sites. Our findings suggest that college drinkers view alcohol as a disinhibiting force that elevates the potential for sexuality and that alcohol intoxication is also used as a resource to justify casual coupling events, before and after they occur. Finally, our respondents describe the informal strategies they have developed to negotiate the potential for risky sexual encounters in an environment where disinhibited actors draw from widely available cultural scripts to excuse and justify untoward behavior.

Walters ST; Vader AM; Harris TR; Jouriles EN. Reactivity to alcohol assessment measures: An experimental test. Addiction 104(8): 1305-1310, 2009. (27 refs.)

Aims: Previous research has suggested that alcohol screening and assessment may affect drinking. Design: This study was a randomized test of reactivity to alcohol assessment questionnaires among a group of heavy drinking college students. Setting and participants A total of 147 university students completed a screening questionnaire and were randomized to either immediate assessment or delayed assessment. The immediate assessment group completed a set of drinking questionnaires at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months, while the delayed assessment group completed questionnaires only at 12 months. Measurements: Primary outcomes included overall volume of drinking, risky drinking and use of risk reduction behaviors. Findings: We found a significant effect of assessment on measures of risky drinking and risk reduction behaviors, but not on overall volume of drinking. Specifically, at 12 months, participants who had previously completed drinking assessments had a lower peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) (d = -0.373), were more likely to report a low score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; odds ratio = 2.55) and tended to use more strategies to moderate their alcohol consumption (d = 0.352). Risk reduction behaviors that were affected tended to be those that limited alcohol consumption, rather than those that minimized consequences. Conclusions: These results may have implications for the development of brief interventions.

Ward BW; Gryczynski J. Social learning theory and the effects of living arrangement on heavy alcohol use: Results from a national study of college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70(3): 364-372, 2009. (43 refs.)

Objective: This study examined the relationship between living arrangement and heavy episodic drinking among college students in the United States. Using social learning theory as a framework, it was hypothesized that vicarious learning of peer and family alcohol-use norms would mediate the effects of living arrangement on heavy episodic drinking. Method: Analyses were conducted using data from the 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a national survey of full-time undergraduate students attending 4-year colleges or universities in the United States (N = 10,008). Logistic regression models examined the relationship between heavy episodic drinking and various measures of living arrangement and vicarious learning/social norms. Mediation of the effects of living arrangement was tested using both indirect and direct methods. Results: Both student living arrangement and vicarious-learning/social-norm variables remained significant predictors of heavy episodic drinking in multivariate models when controlling for a variety of individual characteristics. Slight mediation of the effects of living arrangement on heavy episodic drinking by vicarious learning/social norms was confirmed for some measures. Conclusions: Although vicarious learning of social norms does appear to play a role in the association between living arrangement and alcohol use, other processes may underlie the relationship. These findings suggest that using theory alongside empirical evidence to inform the manipulation of living environments could present a promising policy strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm in collegiate contexts.

Wolfson M; Mccoy TP; Sutfin EL. College students' exposure to secondhand smoke. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 11(8): 977-984, 2009. (29 refs.)

Introduction: Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and other illnesses. Although substantial numbers of college students smoke, little is known about their exposure to SHS. This paper provides data on self-reported exposure of college students to SHS. Methods: A Web-based survey of a random sample of undergraduate students at 10 universities (eight public and two private) in North Carolina was conducted (N = 4,223). Results: A total of 83% of students reported any exposure in the 7 days preceding the survey. Exposure in a restaurant or bar was the most common (reported by 65% of students), followed by exposure at home or in the same room as a smoker (55%) and in a car (38%). Being a daily or nondaily smoker, binge drinking, being a fraternity or sorority member or pledge, female gender, White race, and higher parental education levels were associated with exposure in one or more contexts. Students younger than 21 years were less likely to report exposure in a bar or restaurant and more likely to report exposure in cars or at home. The overall campus smoking rate was positively associated with reported exposure in cars, at home or in someone's room, and in any location. Discussion: College administrators, other policy makers, and tobacco control advocates should take steps to reduce smoking and concomitant exposure to SHS among college students.

Wood MD; DeJong W; Fairlie AM; Lawson D; Lavigne AM; Cohen F et al. Common ground: An investigation of environmental management alcohol prevention initiatives in a college community. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 16: 96-105, 2009. (32 refs.)

Objective: This article presents an evaluation of Common Ground, a media campaign-supported prevention program featuring increased enforcement, decreased alcohol access, and other environmental management initiatives targeting college student drinking. Method: Phase I of the media campaign addressed student resistance to environmentally focused prevention by reporting majority student support for alcohol policy and enforcement initiatives, Phase 2 informed students about state laws, university policies, and environmental initiatives. We conducted student telephone surveys, with samples stratified by gender and year in school, for 4 consecutive years at the intervention campus and 3 years at a comparison campus. We did a series of one-way between-subjects analyses of variance and analyses of covariance, followed by tests of linear trend and planned comparisons. Targeted outcomes included perceptions of enforcement and alcohol availability, alcohol use, and alcohol-impaired driving. We examined archived police reports for student incidents, primarily those resulting from loud parties. Results: There were increases at the intervention campus in students' awareness of formal alcohol-control efforts and perceptions of the alcohol environment, likelihood of apprehension for underage drinking, consequences for alcohol-impaired driving, and responsible alcohol service practices. There were decreases in the perceived likelihood of other students' negative behavior at off-campus parties. Police-reported incidents decreased over time; however, perceived consequences for off-campus parties decreased. No changes were observed for difficulty finding an off-campus party, self-reported alcohol use, or alcohol-impaired driving. Conclusions: The intervention successfully altered perceptions of alcohol enforcement, alcohol access, and the local alcohol environment. This stud), provides important preliminary information to researchers and practitioners engaged in collaborative prevention efforts in campus communities.

Zakletskaia LI; Mundt MP; Balousek SL; Wilson EL; Fleming MF. Alcohol-impaired driving behavior and sensation-seeking disposition in a college population receiving routine care at campus health services centers. Accident Analysis and Prevention 41(3): 380-386, 2009. (50 refs.)

Accidents stemming from alcohol-impaired driving are the leading cause of injury and death among college students. Research has implicated certain driver personality characteristics in the majority of these motor vehicle crashes. Sensation seeking in particular has been linked to risky driving, alcohol consumption, and driving while intoxicated. This study investigated the effect of sensation seeking on self-reported alcohol-impaired driving behavior in a college student population while adjusting for demographics, residence and drinking locations. A total of 1587 college students over the age of 18 completed a health screening survey while presenting for routine, non-urgent care at campus heath services centers. Student demographics, living situation, most common drinking location, heavy episodic drinking, sensation-seeking disposition and alcohol-impaired driving behavior were assessed. Using a full-form logistic regression model to isolate sensation seeking after adjusting for covariates, sensation seeking remains a statistically significant independent predictor of alcohol-impaired driving behavior (OR = 1.52; CI = 1.19-1.94; p < 0.001). Older, white, sensation-seeking college students who engage in heavy episodic drinking, live off-campus, and go to bars are at highest risk for alcohol-impaired driving behaviors. interventions should target sensation seekers and environmental factors that mediate the link between sensation seeking and alcohol-impaired driving behaviors.

Zalaf MRR; da Fonseca RMGS. Abusing alcohol and other drugs in students' dormitories: Knowing it in order to face it. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP 43(1): 126-132, 2009. (16 refs.)

This article deals with the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in the students' dormitories of the University of Sao Paulo. The purposes of the study were to understand how the health-disease process of the dwellers occurs, regarding drug use, and to analyze the underlying manifestations to the gender issues related to drug use by students. The analysis is supported by the Social Determination Theory. Data collection occurred through semi-structured interviews focusing on the history of the health-disease process related to the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, before and after the students moved into the USP students' dormitories - Conjunto Residencial da USP (CRUSP). With the results obtained, the students' dormitories were identified as another element that favors the abuse of drugs, allied to depression, unemployment and the particular characteristics of this academic space. Gender stereotypes related to drug abuse, such as female subalternity, prejudice and culpability were shown to exist in the students' dormitories.

Zamboanga BL; Olthuis JV; Horton NJ; McCollum EC; Lee JJ; Shaw R. Where's the house party? Hazardous drinking behaviors and related risk factors. Journal of Psychology 143(3): 228-244, 2009. (38 refs.)

The authors examined differences in drinking behaviors and related risk factors across campus housing at a women's liberal arts college. Participants (N = 362) living in residence-style housing or house-style residences completed self-report questionnaires. Results showed that students in residence hall-style houses reported higher levels of hazardous alcohol use and perceived that their college, housemates or roommates, and close peers are more permissive of alcohol use than did students living in house-style residences. Findings highlight the role of the environmental structure of a college campus on students' perceptions of alcohol use and their drinking behaviors. The authors discuss implications for college housing and programming.