Patterns of alcohol use and marijuana use among students at 2- and 4-year institutions

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand substance use patterns of alcohol, marijuana, and simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use among 2- and 4-year college students. Participants: Participants were 526 young adults aged 18–23 (n?=?355 4-year students; n?=?171 2-year students) recruited from February 2015 to January 2016 who were participating in a larger longitudinal study. Methods: Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify past-month classes of alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use. Results: Among both 2- and 4-year students, a four-class solution yielded the best-fitting model, with 2-year classes tending to include greater marijuana use and less alcohol use and 4-year classes tending to include heavy alcohol use. Demographic characteristics were largely similar across classes. Conclusions: Classes of alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use differed by education status. Screening and prevention efforts for 4-year students may need to be tailored for the needs of 2-year students.     

Peer cluster theory and adolescent alcohol use: an explanation of alcohol use and a comparative analysis between two causal models

This study tests the premise of peer cluster theory as it applies to individual alcohol use, and makes a comparative analysis between its ability to explain alcohol use and marijuana use. Using the results of a 1996 drug and alcohol survey of 1312 Western Kentucky University students, path analysis was used to measure the influence of six of peer cluster theory's psychosocial characteristics on the percentage of the respondent's college friends who use alcohol. All of these variables were then regressed on the respondent's alcohol use. The results of the causal models did show some support for peer cluster theory. The direct effect of the student's association with alcohol-using peers on individual alcohol use was shown to have the strongest direct influence on this outcome variable. However, a few limitations of this theoretical perspective were identified. The causal model for alcohol use showed that the indirect influence of two of these psychosocial characteristics (parental attitudes on alcohol use and success in school) was weaker than their direct influence on individual alcohol use. And, the comparative analysis showed that peer cluster theory is better suited to explain the use of marijuana than the use of alcohol.     

Cigarette,alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents in foster family homes

Data from a cross-sectional study conducted in a random sample of children who were placed in foster family homes were used to examine the prevalence and associated factors of substance use (i.e., cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana), and to explore if adolescents in foster family homes had different rates of substance use than those in the general population matched on age, gender and race/ethnicity. Logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with substance use and McNemar tests were used to compare prevalence rates of substance use. Substance use was common among adolescents in foster family homes. A higher number of placement settings were significantly associated with current cigarette use (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.60), and being placed in special study homes (i.e., fictive kin) was significantly associated with current marijuana use (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.40–29.52). Compared to adolescents in the general population, those in foster family homes had lower rates of current alcohol (9.1% vs. 38.3%, p < 0.0001) and marijuana (13.6% vs. 29.7%, p = 0.005) use. No significant difference was observed for current cigarette use (18.2% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.08). More research is needed to confirm the lower rate of current substance use in foster family homes than those matched in the general population, and to explore why adolescents in special study homes were more vulnerable to marijuana use.     

Exploring the association between alcohol,marijuana, and secondhand effects with rural college students

ABSTRACT

The current study investigated the association between secondhand effects and personal consequences with substance use in a sample of rural college students (N = 412; 55.1% women; 92.2% white/non-Hispanic). The study extends the body of secondhand effects research by (a) investigating the association of marijuana use with the experience of secondhand effects; (b) examining the association of onset risk of substance use (< 18 years old) with the experience of secondhand effects; (c) exploring the multiplicity of experienced effects associated with substance use by employing a four-category typology that exhaustively represents exposure to secondhand effects and personal consequences. Bivariate and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the data. The majority of students (90.3%) experienced undesirable effects from substance use, with 15% reporting only secondhand effects, 28.5% only personal consequences, and 46.8% reporting both secondhand effects and personal consequences. Residing on-campus, onset risk, and past 30-day alcohol or marijuana use increased risk for experiencing personal consequences and the combination of secondhand effects and personal consequences. Secondhand effects are likely to compound the harm for substance users because they often experience both secondhand effects and personal consequences.     

Internet use, abuse, and dependence among students at a southeastern regional university

OBJECTIVE: To assess Internet use, abuse, and dependence. PARTICIPANTS: 411 undergraduate students. RESULTS: Ninety percent of participants reported daily Internet use. Approximately half of the sample met criteria for Internet abuse, and one-quarter met criteria for Internet dependence. Men and women did not differ on the mean amount of time accessing the Internet each day; however, the reasons for accessing the Internet differed between the 2 groups. Depression was correlated with more frequent use of the Internet to meet people, socially experiment, and participate in chat rooms, and with less frequent face-to-face socialization. In addition, individuals meeting criteria for Internet abuse and dependence endorsed more depressive symptoms, more time online, and less face-to-face socialization than did those not meeting the criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health and student affairs professionals should be alert to the problems associated with Internet overuse, especially as computers become an integral part of college life.     

Characteristics of university students who mix alcohol and energy drinks

Objective: Research has identified correlates (eg, drug use, risky sex, smoking) of using alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMEDs). Few studies have investigated common mental health-related concerns (eg, depression, sleep). Participants: Alcohol-using college students (n = 380 never used AMEDs, n = 180 used AMEDs) were recruited in the study during the fall 2011 semester. Methods: The study examined demographics, substance use, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems in association with AMED use. Results: Multivariable logistic regression indicated that alcohol use severity (AOR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.14+1.34), drug use severity (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.04–1.39), depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.01–1.12), and smoking (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.22–3.68) were independently associated with AMED use; sleep problems were non-significant. Conclusions: Administrators may consider policies regarding energy drink availability on campus, and campus health personnel may increase screening and education surrounding AMED use to reduce risks among students.     

Alternative medicine and herbal use among university students

In this study, the authors investigated the predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and herbal supplement use among university students. They investigated demographic factors, trait affectivity, symptom reports, and individuals' worries about modernity as potential contributors to use of CAM and herbals. The authors surveyed 506 undergraduates at a large southeastern state universityand administered the following questionnaires to participants in a group setting: a CAM survey, an herbal use survey, a negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) scale, Modern Health Worries scale, and the Subjective Health Complaint scale. Overall, 58 % of the participants had used at least one type of CAM, and 79 % of the students had used at least one herbal substance in the past 12 months. A hierarchical regression determined that increased age, female gender, flu-like symptoms, musculoskeletal symptoms, pseudoneurological symptoms, and modern health worries were significantly related to students' CAM use. Herbal use was related to increased age, musculoskeletal, pseudoneurological, and gastrointestinal symptoms.     

Polysubstance use patterns in underground rave attenders: a cluster analysis

Drug use in mainstream rave parties has been widely documented in a large number of studies. However, not much is known about drug use in underground raves. The purpose of this study is to find out the polysubstance use patterns at underground raves. Two hundred and fifty-two young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who went to underground raves were interviewed. They were given a questionnaire to collect information on drug use at raves. Ravers used a mean of 4.9 different drugs at the last rave they had been to. Over 75% of them used tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and amphetamine, and over half also used powder ecstasy. Two differentiated use patterns were found: one pattern concentrated more on the use of stimulants and the other on the use of hallucinogens. Underground ravers have a "standard" sociodemographic profile. The use of drugs is much higher than equivalent age group. Higher drug use prevalence than in mainstream rave parties is also observed. Different patterns of use appear which will be necessary to consider in designing preventions and risk reduction strategies,     

Reducing alcohol use in college students: a controlled trial of two brief interventions

This study tested two forms of alcohol reduction programming for college students. Thirty-seven moderate to heavy drinkers completed measures of quantity/frequency, drinking consequences, and attitude questionnaires. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) a two-hour information and motivation session plus mailed personal feedback on their drinking; 2) mailed feedback only; or 3) no treatment. At a 6-week follow-up session, the feedback-only group decreased drinks per month as compared to control. No other differences were statistically significant, though decreases favored the treatment conditions about equally over control. Implications for research and treatment are discussed.     

Reciprocal relationships among alcohol use, risk perception, and sexual victimization: a prospective analysis

OBJECTIVE: The authors' purpose in this study was to assess longitudinally the relationships among alcohol use, risk perception, and sexual victimization. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and seventy-two women from 2 midsized universities made up the sample. METHODS: Participants filled out questionnaires regarding history of sexual victimization, alcohol use, and perceived personal risk for sexual assault in the following 2 months. The authors then reassessed participants at 2 follow-up periods. RESULTS: The pattern of results suggested that that the relationship between alcohol use and sexual victimization was complex and that alcohol use may moderate the relation between history of victimization and revictimization for women with sexual assault histories. In particular, results indicated an increase in risk for sexual revictimization with increases in alcohol use for women with a history of sexual victimization. The data did not, however, support a reciprocal relationship between sexual assault and drinking (eg, in that a sexual victimization during one time period did not predict drinking behaviors in subsequent time periods). CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the importance of both alcohol and sexual assault programming on college campuses.     

Moving targets: bicycle-related injuries and helmet use among university students.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate bicycling habits and helmet use in a sample of university students in a southwestern state university. Thirty-one of 100 students in our sample owned bicycle helmets; of these, 17 (54.8%) wore helmets during most (more than three fourths) of their bicycle trips. Almost half of the students reported that more than 25% of their bicycling was done in heavy traffic but they rarely used bicycle trails. Sixty-five students in the sample had sustained at least one minor injury during the previous 5 years, and 18 had been hospitalized as a result of bicycle-related injuries. We found no substantial differences between male and female subjects in bicycle-related hospitalizations, although male subjects were more likely to sustain minor injuries than were females. Helmet ownership was most strongly associated with previous injury experience, especially hospitalization resulting from bicycling injuries (OR = 3.6; 95% CI = 1.3, 10.1). We also observed an association between helmet ownership and possession of insurance coverage for bicycling injuries (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.2, 7.6). Ethnicity was a factor in helmet ownership--helmets were owned by 26 of 69 (37.7%) of non-Hispanic whites, in contrast to 1 of 24 (4.2%) of all other ethnic groups combined. Our survey data suggest that perceived risk is an important factor in bicyclists' use of safety helmets.     

Religiousness as a predictor of alcohol use in high school students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between religiousness and alcohol use of adolescents. A sample of high school seniors was drawn based on the second follow-up National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Multiple regression was employed using a hierarchical strategy to determine the impact of religiousness on alcohol use when accounting for other factors that have been shown to affect alcohol use. The results provide support for examining religiousness variables as predictors of alcohol use patterns for adolescents. Also, inconsistent patterns between Asian-American, Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian students were detected. Implications of the study and suggestions for future research are offered.     

Decision making processes and alcohol use among college students

Abstract

Objective: The neurobiological model of risk-taking and the dual-process model of decision making each provide possible explanations of risky behavior among youth, but their interconnections have rarely been explored, especially among college students, a time of increased alcohol use. Participants: n?=?382; Mage?=?19.25, SD?=?1.33. Method: Participants completed a survey about their deliberative and intuitive decision making style (based on the dual-process model), their socioemotional and cognitive control processes (based on the neurobiological model), and alcohol use. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that dual-process variables and neurobiological variables were positively related. Deliberative decision making and cognitive control were negatively related to alcohol use whereas intuitive decision making was not. Comment: Discussion focuses on the integration of theoretical models with real-world health behaviors and considers implications of the current findings in terms of prevention and intervention to reduce drinking among college students.     

Screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems among college students treated in a university hospital emergency department

The authors evaluated a protocol to screen and provide brief interventions for alcohol problems to college students treated at a university hospital emergency department (ED). Of 2,372 drinkers they approached, 87% gave informed consent. Of those, 54% screened positive for alcohol problems (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score < or = 6). One half to two thirds of the students who screened positive drank 2 to 3 times a week, drank 7 or more drinks per typical drinking day, or had experienced alcohol dependence symptoms within the past year. Ninety-six percent of screen-positive students accepted counseling during their ED visit. Three quarters of those questioned at 3-month follow-up reported that counseling had been helpful and that they had decreased their alcohol consumption. The prevalence of alcohol problems, high rates of informed consent and acceptance of counseling, and improved outcomes suggest that the ED is an appropriate venue for engaging students at high risk for alcohol problems.     

Substance abuse and dependency risk: the role of peer perceptions, marijuana involvement, and attitudes toward substance use among college students

Many college students are using substances at levels consistent with Substance Abuse or Dependence, yet little explanation for this phenomenon exits. The aim of this study was to explore a risk factor profile that best separates those with low and high potential for having a substance use disorder (SUD). A discriminant function analysis revealed that participants with a high probability of having a SUD misperceive others' alcohol and marijuana use to a greater extent than those with a low probability of having a SUD. Implications for educators and counselors on college campuses are discussed.     

Efficacy of interventions targeting alcohol,drug and smoking behaviors in university and college students: A review of randomized controlled trials

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting alcohol consumption, drug use and smoking for college/university students.Participants: College/University students.Methods: Studies were eligible if: (1)included students attending universities/colleges; (2)implemented in a university/college setting; (3)aimed to improve at least one of the following behaviors: alcohol and/or drug use and/or smoking; (4)were RCTs. The effect of the interventions on behaviors was determined by the percentage of studies that reported an effect. Due to the heterogeneity of outcomes meta-analysis was not conducted.Results: 88 studies met criteria. University-based interventions were effective for reducing alcohol-related outcomes (drinking patterns, BAC, consequences, problem drinking). Inconsistent findings for drug and smoking were observed.Conclusions: University-based interventions have the potential to improve health for students. While there is a breadth of research examining the efficacy of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption, further research is needed to determine the best approach for addressing smoking and drug use among students.