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...on substance abuse and the college campus |
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www.ProjectCork.org |
Summer 2004 |
Athletic status and drinking behavior in college students: The influence of gender and coping styles.
Wilson GS; Pritchard ME; Schaffer J. Journal of American College Health 52(6): 269-273, 2004. (30 refs.)College students' alcohol use as well documented, and published studies have indicated that athletes drink more frequently and more often to the stage of intoxication than do nonathletes. Some researchers have cited sociological factors to explain these behaviours, but neither the underlying emotional factors that drive students' alcohol use nor the interaction of gender and athletic status have been examined. The authors' twofold purpose in conducting this study was (1) to examine the influence of the interaction of gender and athletic status on the drinking behaviours of college students, and (2) to examine whether differences in male and female athletes' and nonathletes' coping styles influenced their drinking behaviours.
Copyright 2004, Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation.
Colleges respond to student binge drinking: Reducing student demand or limiting access.
Wechsler H; Seibring M; Liu IC; Ahl M. Journal of American College Health 52(4): 159-168, 2004. (22 refs.)Administrators at 68% of 4-year colleges nationwide (N = 747) responded to a survey concerning the types of programs and policies they used in response to students' heavy drinking. Most schools conducted targeted alcohol education and invested in institutional prevention efforts; half conducted social norms campaigns; a sizeable minority restricted alcohol on campus. Schools that focused on demand reduction were less likely to ban alcohol use. One in 3 schools received funding for these programs from governmental agencies, and I in 5 from the alcohol industry. Such schools were more likely to conduct targeted alcohol education and social norms programs and were less likely to restrict alcohol use on campus or at college events. Colleges may want to reconsider prevention initiatives that focus exclusively on demand or supply. They may also want to examine the extent to which funding is the driving force shaping the direction of their alcohol initiatives.
Copyright 2004, Heldref Publications.
Correlations of religious belief and practice with college students' tattoo-related behavior.
Koch JR; Roberts AE; Armstrong ML; Owen DC. Psychological Reports 94(2): 425-430, 2004. (25 refs.)This research builds on a large body of literature which suggests that religious belief and practice suppress deviant behavior. Survey data from 520 undergraduates (64% freshmen and sophomores; 70% female; 80% Euro-American) at a large public university in the southwest were examined for whether students' strength of religious faith, church attendance, or frequency of prayer correlated with their having a tattoo, being interested in tattoos, or being likely to get a (or another) tattoo. Analysis showed strength of religious faith had a weak, negative correlation with having a tattoo, being interested in tattoos, and being likely to get a (or another) tattoo. Church attendance also weakly correlated with a reduced interest in tattooing. Since the strength of the numerous correlations was very low and barely reached statistical significance, religious belief and behavior do not appear to be associated substantively with attitudes and behavior regarding tattoos. This suggests increasing cultural acceptance of tattooing.
Copyright 2004, Psychlogical Reports Inc.
Do parents still matter? Parent and peer influences on alcohol involvement among recent high school graduates.
Wood MD; Read JP; Mitchell RE; Brand NH. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 18(1): 19-30, 2004. (71 refs.)This study investigated the influences of peer and parent variables on alcohol use and problems in a sample of late adolescents in the summer immediately prior to entry into college. Participants (N = 556) completed a mail survey assessing peer influences (alcohol offers, social modeling, perceived norms), parental behaviors (nurturance, monitoring), and attitudes and values (disapproval for heavy drinking, permissiveness for drinking), and alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated significant associations between both peer and parental influences and alcohol involvement, and showed that parental influences moderated peer-influence-drinking behavior, such that higher levels of perceived parental involvement were associated with weaker relations between peer influences and alcohol use and problems. These findings suggest that parents continue to exert an influential role in late adolescent drinking behavior.
Copyright 2004, Educational Publishing Foundation.
A national survey of alcohol screening and referral in college health centers.
Foote J; Wilkens C; Vavagiakis P. Journal of American College Health 52(4): 149-157, 2004. (55 refs.)To determine the extent and nature of alcohol screening and referral services provided by college health centers, the authors conducted a state-stratified, random sampling of 25% of 327 4-year accredited US colleges and universities with health centers. Of the 249 survey respondents, 32% routinely screened students for alcohol use. Urban, public, and large institutions were most likely to screen routinely. Only 11.7% of the sample reported they used standardized instruments, predominantly the CAGE. The health centers used an average of 3.4 referral options, but only 27.5% offered students access to campus programs specifically designed for students who are substance abusers. Findings suggest that the majority of college health centers are not providing routine alcohol screening for students or using standardized screening instruments. In addition, students are often referred to services that may be inappropriate or ineffective in addressing the needs of college drinkers.
Copyright 2004, Heldref Publications.
Personal strivings, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems. [rapid communication].
Simons JS; Christopher MS; Mclaury AE. Addictive Behaviors 29(4): 773-779, 2004. (14 refs.)This study examined relations between personal strivings and alcohol use among college students. Personal strivings are ongoing goals that individuals are characteristically trying to achieve through their behavior. Participants generated lists of personal strivings following standard instructions and then completed an assessment of alcohol use and related problems. Participants returned to complete a follow-up assessment of drinking behavior after 30 days. Personal strivings were coded into content categories by trained raters using a coding manual. Four content categories were examined for this study: achievement, affiliation, health, and self-presentation. A series of t tests revealed that participants endorsing achievement strivings reported less alcohol-related problems and marginally fewer instances of binge drinking during the 30-day follow-up period. In contrast, participants endorsing self-presentation strivings reported more alcohol-related problems during the follow-up period.
Copyright 2004, Elsevier Science Ltd.
Serious health consequences associated with alcohol use among college students: Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients seen in an emergency department.
Turner JC; Shu JF. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 65(2): 179-183, 2004. (12 refs.)Objective: Heavy episodic alcohol use has been associated with numerous consequences among college students. However, neither the incidence nor the demographic and clinical characteristics of serious health consequences have been clearly defined in this population. This study is conducted to better understand clinical outcomes associated with alcohol use in college students. Method: In a prospective observational study, medical records of students presenting to a large university medical center emergency department were examined. Demographic and clinical features of alcohol-related visits were gathered on patients who were enrolled as undergraduates at a 4-year public institution during 2 academic years from July 2000 through June 2002. Enrollment was similar to12,500 undergraduates per year. Results: Of all emergency visits. 13% were alcohol related; and of all undergraduate students, 0.7% presented with alcohol-related medical conditions each year. Injuries accounted for 53% of all visits, and acute intoxication accounted for 34%. Nine of 185 patients were hospitalized. Men aged 21 years and older had the highest odds of visiting the emergency department. Trauma occurred more frequently among men, students >18 years of age and white students. Accidents (84%) and fights (16%) were the sources of injuries. Acute intoxication occurred more frequently among women, students less than or equal to18 years of age and nonwhite students. Conclusions: Alcohol use contributes to a small yet significant proportion of emergency room visits for college students. Distinctive subgroups of college students, including legal-age drinkers, experience patterns of serious health consequences as a result of problem use of alcohol.
Copyright 2004, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc.
The relation of coping strategies to alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences in a college sample.
Britton PC. Addiction Research & Theory 12(2): 103-114, 2004. (26 refs.)According to the SLT (social learning theory) of alcohol abuse, problem drinkers exhibit coping deficits and hold positive expectancies or beliefs about the effects of alcohol that promote the use of alcohol as a generalized coping strategy. Coping is often conceptualized as consisting of emotion-focused, problem-focused, and avoidance coping categories. An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample. The results of the current investigation indicate that researchers should consider the relation of individual coping strategies to different aspects of consumption and alcohol-related consequences, and suggest that the tendency to use substances to cope may be an especially important determinant of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences for college students.
Copyright 2004, Harwood Academic Publishing GMBH.
Profiling the druggie lifestyle: Characteristics related to southern college students' use of illicit drugs.
Mustaine EE; Tewksbury R. Sociological Spectrum 24(2): 157-189, 2004. (67 refs.)Drawing on self-report survey data from a sample of 1,2 18 Southern college/university students collected in 1998, this study examines the relationship of demographics, family and background statuses, peer influences, experiences of alcohol and tobacco use, and academic activities as they influence the use of illicit drugs. Separate examinations are conducted to construct the profile of individuals who use marijuana only and those who use harder (i.e., cocaine, stimulants, LSD, opiates, ecstasy) drugs. Results reveal that marijuana-only users received little/inconsistent supervision as children, are members of fewer social clubs/organizations, are more likely to skip class, smoke, party with friends, get drunk often, and get drunk in public. Harder drug users report little/inconsistent supervision as children, getting drunk frequently and In public, are less far along in their schooling, spend their leisure time partying at friends' homes or bars where they are regulars, and/or going to concerts, and/or attending club functions, and are tobacco smokers.
Copyright 2004, Taylor and Francis, Inc.