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...on substance abuse and the college campus
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www.ProjectCork.org
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Fall 2007
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Smoking expectancies for flavored and non-flavored cigarettes among college students.
Ashare RL; Hawk LW; Cummings KM; O'Connor RJ; Fix BV; Schmidt WC. Addictive Behaviors 32(6): 1252-1261, 2007. (20 refs.)
Several tobacco companies have introduced specially flavored cigarettes, yet little is known about their appeal among college student nonsmokers, regular smokers, and those susceptible to smoking. Undergraduates (N=424) rated 12 brands of cigarettes on multiple attributes based on manufacturer advertisements. This paper focused on two brands with flavored and non-flavored versions (Camel and Salem). Despite brand, regular smokers and those susceptible to smoking initiation had higher positive expectancies and lower negative expectancies about smoking than nonsmokers. Flavored cigarettes elicited higher positive expectancies than non-flavored counterparts across all groups, including nonsmokers. Indeed, the degree to which flavored Camels had higher positive expectancies than Camel Lights was at least as large in a group of susceptible nonsmokers and experimenters (susceptible/experimenters). Despite being present in nonsmokers and susceptible/experimenters, negative expectancies were significantly lower for flavored versus non-flavored brands. Logistic regressions revealed that positive expectancies predicted "intention to try" each brand for regular smokers and susceptible/ experimenters. These findings suggest that targeting the marketing of positive attributes may be useful in preventing smoking behavior. Copyright 2007, Elsevier Science.
College attendance and its effect on drinking behaviors in a longitudinal study of adolescents.
Timberlake DS; Hopfer CJ; Rhee SH; Friedman NP; Haberstick BC; Lessem JM et al. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31(6): 1020-1030, 2007. (37 refs.)
Background: While college attendance has been shown to be associated with increased drinking behaviors, there are no studies to our knowledge that have examined whether college attendance moderates genetic influences for drinking. We first tested for changes in alcohol consumption in adolescents who did and did not subsequently attend college, and then tested for variation of the genetic and environmental determinants of drinking in these 2 groups. Methods: Participants eligible for this study were selected from 2 samples from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a national probability sample (n=7,083) and a sample of sibling pairs (n=855 pairs). Participants were assessed for measures of drinking behaviors as adolescents (wave I) and reinterviewed at 1 (wave II) and 6 years (wave III) following the initial survey. Changes in binge drinking and average quantity of alcohol consumed in the past year were estimated among 4 groups (2-year college students, 4-year college students, college withdrawers, noncollege participants) in sequential cohorts which spanned the ages of 13 to 24 across the 3 Add Health waves. Gene by environment interactions were then tested at wave III using biometrical models in the genetically informative pairs. Results: Participants who did not attend college reported more binge drinking and consumed greater quantities of alcohol as adolescents than participants who subsequently attended college. However, the college students not only surpassed their noncollege peers in alcohol use as young adults, but also exhibited a greater genetic influence on quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking episode. Conclusions: Exposure to a college environment acts as an environmental moderator, supporting the hypothesis that the magnitude of genetic influence on certain aspects of alcohol consumption is greater in environments where drinking behaviors are more likely to be promoted. Copyright 2007, Research Society on Alcoholism. .
Stepped care for mandated college students: A pilot study.
Borsari B; Tevyaw TO; Barnett NP; Kahler CW; Monti PM. American Journal on Addictions16(2): 131-137, 2007. (36 refs.)
In the past decade, colleges and universities have seen a large increase in the number of students referred for the violation of alcohol policies. Stepped care assigns individuals to different levels of care according to treatment response, thereby maximizing efficiency. This pilot study implemented stepped care with students mandated to attend an alcohol program at a private northeastern university. High retention rates and participant satisfaction ratings suggest the promise of implementing stepped care with this population. Considerations for future applications of stepped care with mandated students are discussed. Copyright 2007, Taylor & Francis. .
Substance use among college athletes: A comparison based on sport/team affiliation.
Ford JA. Journal of American College Health 55(6): 367-373, 2007. (36 refs.)
Objective: Prior research shows that college athletes have higher rates of substance use, especially alcohol, than do college students who are not involved in athletics. To augment the literature, the author sought to determine which sports/teams are at the greatest risk for substance use. Participants: The author used data from the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a national survey of college and university students in the United States. Methods: A series of chi-square and logistic regression models examined variation in substance use among college athletes on the basis of sport/team affiliation. Results: Findings indicated that male hockey and female soccer athletes were the most likely to report substance use and that male basketball and cross-country/track athletes reported lower levels of substance use. Conclusion: There is variation in substance use on the basis of sport/team affiliation, and future researchers should examine why certain groups of athletes have higher rates of substance use. Copyright 2007, American College Health Association. .
Results of National Alcohol Screening Day: College demographics, clinical characteristics, and comparison with online screening.
Wallenstein GV; Pigeon S; Kopans B; Jacobs DG; Aseltine R. Journal of American College Health 55(6): 341-349, 2007. (15 refs.)
Objective: The authors evaluated the efficacy of the 2002 college-based National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) by determining: (1) the demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants that were screened and (2) the degree to which those scoring at hazardous drinking levels received clinical intervention or were referred for further assessment or treatment. Participants: Of 45.368 participants, 23,334 were screened and 14,598 received some form of clinical intervention, defined as advice or referral. Methods: The authors conducted nonparametric and univariate analyses to test for statistical differences in demographics, clinical-characteristics, and interventions-as a function of-screening mode. Results: Nearly 34% of those screened in person had an AUDIT score of 8 or higher, indicating harmful or hazardous drinking. Of these, only 10% had ever undergone alcohol treatment. More than 58% of those screened online scored 8 or higher. and of this group, fewer than 6% had ever undergone alcohol treatment. Conclusions: These data suggest that the in-person event and the online interactive program associated with NASD are serving markedly different populations, particularly with regard to clinical indicators. Copyright 2007, American College Health Association. .
Peer crowds in a commuter college sample: The relation between self-reported alcohol use and perceived peer crowd norms.
Sessa FM. Journal of Psychology 141(3): 293-305, 2007. (33 refs.)
The author studied peer crowds on a college commuter campus and examined the relation between self-reported alcohol use and perceived peer crowd norms for alcohol use. College students (N = 271) completed questionnaires to determine their peer crowd affiliation and frequency and amount of alcohol use. The author assessed perceived peer-crowd affiliation norms with a series of vignettes describing the typical student that would be associated with each peer crowd. Analyses revealed identifiable peer crowds among college students that represent different patterns of alcohol use both in self-reported alcohol use among students in a peer crowd and in the perceived norms for alcohol use in each peer crowd. The author described the relation between self-reported use and the perceived use by members of one's peer crowd. Copyright 2007, Heldref Publications. .
Prevalence of illicit use and abuse of prescription stimulants, alcohol, and other drugs among college students: Relationship with age at initiation of prescription stimulants.
Kaloyanides KB; McCabe SE; Cranford JA; Teter CJ. Pharmacotherapy27(5): 666-674, 2007. (20 refs.)
Study Objective. To examine associations between age at initiation of prescription stimulants and illicit use and abuse of prescription stimulants, alcohol, and other drugs among college students in the United States. Design. Web-based survey of college students. Setting. A large (full-time undergraduate population > 20,000) university. Intervention. A Web-based survey was sent to a random sample of 5389 undergraduate college students plus an additional 1530 undergraduate college students of various ethnic backgrounds over a 2-month period. Measurements and Main Results. Alcohol abuse was assessed by including a modified version of the Cut Down, Annoyance, Guilt, Eye-opener (CAGE) instrument. Drug use-related problems were assessed with a slightly modified version of the Drug Abuse Screening Test, short form (DAST-10). The final sample consisted of 4580 undergraduate students (66% response rate). For the analyses, five subgroups were created based on age at initiation of prescription stimulant use: no prescription stimulant use, grades kindergarten (K)-4, grades 5-8, grades 9-12, and college. Undergraduate students to whom stimulants were prescribed in grades K-4 reported similar rates of alcohol and other drug use compared with that of the group that had no prescription stimulant use. For example, students who started prescription stimulants in grades K-4 were no more likely to report coingestion of alcohol and illicit prescription stimulants (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2-11.5, NS] than the group that had no prescription stimulant use. However, undergraduate students whose prescription stimulant use began in college had significantly higher rates of alcohol and other drug use. For example, students who started a prescription stimulant in college were almost 4 times as likely (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.9-7.1, p < 0.001) to report at least three positive indicators of drug abuse on the DAST-10 compared with the group that had no prescription stimulant use. Conclusions. In concordance with results of previous research, these results indicate that initiation of prescription stimulants during childhood is not associated with increased future use of alcohol and other drugs. Copyright 2007, Pharmacotherapy Publications Co. .
Fake ID ownership and heavy drinking in underage college students: Prospective findings.
Martinez JA; Rutledge PC; Sher KJ. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 21(2): 226-232, 2007. (25 refs.)
The authors examined the ownership of false identification (fake ID) for the purpose of obtaining alcohol and the relation of fake ID ownership to heavy drinking in a longitudinal sample of college students under 21 years of age. A sample of 3,720 undergraduates was assessed the summer prior to college entrance and during the 4 semesters comprising freshman and sophomore years. Regression analyses were used to estimate bidirectional relations between consumption and fake ID ownership. Sex, Greek membership, and prior drinking were controlled. Results showed that fake ID ownership increased over time (12.5% precollege to 32.2% fourth semester) and that Greek members were more likely than others to own fake IDs. Fake ID ownership predicted concurrent and next-semester heavy drinking with increasing strength over time. Also, the acquisition (onset) of fake ID ownership at each time point was predicted by previous-semester consumption. When traditional, robust risk factors of consumption are controlled, fake ID ownership meaningfully relates to heavy drinking in college. It thus presents a significant public health problem, addressable through training for alcohol servers and retailers, punitive measures toward fake ID owners, and other possible interventions. Copyright 2007, American Psychological Association. .
Perceived awareness and caring influences alcohol use by high school and college students.
Wetherill RR; Fromme K. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 21(2): 147-154, 2007. (47 refs.)
Perceived awareness and caring, or beliefs about how much parents and peers know and care about students' behavior, was assessed in relation to students' drinking patterns. Prior to and at the end of the first semester at college, participants completed Web-based surveys assessing alcohol use, family and social motives, and perceived awareness and caring from parents and peers. Family motives moderated the effect of perceived parental awareness and caring on the quantity of high school alcohol use, whereas social motives moderated the effect of perceived peer awareness and caring on frequency and quantity of college drinking. Longitudinally, college alcohol use was predicted by perceived awareness and caring from parents. Perceived awareness and caring may affect alcohol use whereby parents exert influence during high school but peers are more influential in college. Copyright 2007, American Psychological Association. .
College alcohol use and the embodiment of hegemonic masculinity among European American men.
Peralta RL. Sex Roles 56(11-12): 741-756, 2007. (80 refs.)
This article concerns alcohol use as it pertains to the construction of White masculinity through an analysis of students' accounts. Seventy-eight face-to-face interviews were conducted with volunteer female and male, African American, European American, heterosexual and homosexual students at a mid-sized university. Results suggest that the meaning of public drinking is to express a form of masculinity. In students' gendered descriptions of their own and peers' drinking behavior, alcohol use among White men was found to symbolize the embodiment of hegemonic masculinity. Masculinities were constructed via drinking stories, the body's ability to tolerate alcohol, and the relevance of drinking too little or not at all, which symbolized weakness, homosexuality, or femininity. Implications for social policy and future research are discussed. Copyright 2007, Springer. .
Sports fan binge drinking: An examination using low self-control and peer association.
Higgins GE; Tewksbury R. Sociological Spectrum 27(4): 389-404, 2007. (56 refs.)
Research has shown a connection between being a college sports fan and binge drinking; however, no research uses criminological theories when examining this connection. The purpose of the present study is to examine the ability of self-control and differential association theories to determine whether the relationship between college sports fans and binge drinking is individual or group situated. Using self-report data from (n = 693) college students from four southern universities, the results show that the connection between being a college sports fan and binge drinking can be accounted for by both low self-control and differential association. These results are discussed and policy implications are presented. Copyright 2007, Taylor & Francis.
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