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Biomedical subjects

B D Caudill

Publications and source records attributed to B D Caudill.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Do drivers drink more when they use a safe ride?

PURPOSE: Offering drinkers free safe rides (SRs) home can prevent DWI, but some suggest that it may also promote excessive drinking. METHODS: Forty-two respondents to surveys completed by 472 drinkers in barrooms reported that they used a SR during the first 9 months they were offered. RESULTS: Their usual estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was significantly greater when they used a SR than on all occasions when they drank outside their homes. However, only 24% of respondents increased their usual BAC from a " low risk" category (BAC <0.10) when drinking outside the home, to a "high risk" category (BAC > or = 0.10) when using a SR. The majority (72%) of respondents did not change their BAC categories. One decreased his/her BAC from > or = 0.10 when drinking outside the home to <0.10 when using a SR. IMPLICATIONS: These findings, coupled with data showing that respondents tended to use SRs infrequently (3.69 times per year), reduce concerns about the mean increase in their BACs when using SRs. Findings do not, however, resolve the issue of whether respondents whose drinking increased when they used a SR did so because a SR was available, or decided not to drive because they drank more. Recommendations for improving SR programs are discussed.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗

Do companions of designated drivers drink excessively?

PURPOSE: A common criticism of designated driver programs (DDPs) is that they promote excessive drinking among companions of the designated driver (DD). METHODS: Data were collected from two representative samples of drinkers using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATIs), and questionnaires administered to customers in barrooms. RESULTS: Most respondents drank moderately--had usual estimated blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of less than 0.10 when they used DDs. Differences between respondents' estimated BACs when they used a DD and when they drank outside their homes were very small: 0.017 in both samples. Additional analyses examined shifts between lower and higher categories of risk defined as a BAC of less than 0.10 and a BAC of 0.10 or greater. A minority, 15% of CATI and 30% of barroom respondents, switched to the higher risk category when using a DD. These CATI and barroom respondents increased their BACs by an average of 0.089 and 0.11, respectively. Risk associated with this increase was mitigated, however, by respondents' infrequent use of DDs. IMPLICATIONS: Use of DDs was not generally associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Since a minority of respondents did drink heavily when using a DD, programs promoting DD use should caution drinkers that the availability of a DD is not an excuse for excessive consumption, and remind hosts and servers that they should not overserve their guests or customers even when they have a DD.

Adult↗

Social approval and facilitation in predicting modeling effects in alcohol consumption.

PURPOSE: An important question for alcohol abuse prevention and treatment is whether individuals with high needs for social approval, or those who drink heavily in social contexts, are particularly vulnerable to modeling effects in alcohol consumption. METHODS: Male and female heavy social drinkers (N=202), as distinguished by these cognitive and situational variables, participated in a multisession dyadic modeling effects study along with a same-sex confederate model who exhibited alternating patterns of heavy and light consumption in an experimental barroom. RESULTS: Subjects with high needs for social approval, and those who tend to drink heavily in social contexts, were particularly vulnerable to imitating directional changes in modeled drinking levels across heavy and light consumption experimental sessions. Additionally, modeling effects were revealed, including reductions in drinking levels, regardless of individual characteristics such as demographics or levels of intoxication achieved on "usual drinking occasions." IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest that individuals exhibiting high needs for social approval, and those who tend to drink heavily in social contexts, may benefit from (1) befriending lower risk models and (2) prevention and/or intervention efforts to reduce risk for substance use by reducing excessive needs for social approval and/or reducing exposure to social contexts where heavy drinking and related risk behavior is normative.

Adult↗

At-risk drinkers use safe ride services to avoid drinking and driving.

PURPOSE: A central question pertinent to the efficacy of safe rides (SRs) in preventing driving while intoxicated (DWI) is whether individuals at high risk for DWI use them. METHODS: Barroom surveys (N = 472) and in situ breath tests (N = 51) were conducted as part of an assessment of an alternative transportation intervention in a Maryland community. Bivariate analyses and stepwise logistic regression were performed comparing 42 barroom respondents who reported using a SR in the last 12 months to non-users. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses showed that SR users drank more frequently outside the home and achieved higher estimated blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) when they did. Also, they were more likely to be heavy drinkers, to have driven when feeling intoxicated, and to have been arrested for DWI. Although SR users were more likely to ride with an intoxicated driver, they were also more likely to use a designated driver (DD). Stepwise logistic regression showed SR users were more likely to be heavy drinkers and to use DDs. In situ breath test data showed SR users' BACs ranged from 0.031 to 0.248, with a mean of 0.146. IMPLICATIONS: SR programs attract drinkers at high risk for DWI. DWI prevention efforts would benefit from future research exploring how at-risk drinkers make drinking and driving decisions.

Accidents, Traffic↗

DWI prevention: profiles of drinkers who serve as designated drivers.

This study was designed to profile drinkers who serve as designated drivers (DDs) and to determine if drinkers who are at risk for driving while intoxicated (DWI) serve as DDs. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses on data from 1,393 computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATIs) and 913 bar-room surveys showed that DDs, relative to non-DDs, tend to be at-risk, heavier drinkers. Logistic regression using CATI data showed that DDs were more often heavy drinkers and reported higher levels of driving after drinking and riding with intoxicated drivers (RID). Logistic regression using bar-room data showed that DDs reported more driving after drinking, in spite of drinking less often outside the home. DDs were also much more likely to have used a DD. These findings are consistent with those from several related studies that showed that drinkers who used DDs or free safe (taxi) rides tended to be heavier drinkers who reported more DWI and RID (B. D. Caudill, W. M. Harding, & B. Moore, in press-a, in press-b). Future research may benefit from examining why at-risk drinkers take steps to avoid DWI on some occasions but not others.

Adult↗

Comparative cocaine abuse treatment strategies: enhancing client retention and treatment exposure.

The current investigation explores the clinical utility in providing a series of enhanced clinical services to a sample of 303 cocaine-abusing clients (primarily crack smokers) relative to a standard group therapy treatment program. In addition to examining the comparative impact of six varying psychosocial treatment approaches for cocaine abuse on client retention and treatment exposure rates, an additional emphasis has been to examine the ability of fixed and dynamic client variables in predicting client outcome in this regard. No fixed (e.g., sex, income, marital status, income level, or employment status) or dynamic (e.g., recent alcohol use, antisocial personality disorder diagnoses, or motivational variables) client characteristics were useful in predicting client retention or treatment exposure rates. Program characteristics, however, or the frequency, intensity, and/or type of treatment services offered, were related to client retention and treatment exposure. Treatment exposure and retention were significantly enhanced by providing clients with more frequent and intensive group therapy, or by adding individual treatment services to a standard group therapy treatment regimen. With a population such as cocaine abusers, who typically have an extremely high treatment dropout rate, an obvious strategy is to focus efforts on engaging and retaining clients in treatment, and maximizing levels of treatment exposure. The current findings suggest that one successful approach towards enhancing psychosocial treatments for cocaine abuse is to increase the frequency, intensity, and/or types of treatment services offered.

Adult↗

Parental history of substance abuse as a risk factor in predicting crack smokers' substance use, illegal activities, and psychiatric status.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if parental substance abuse places children at a higher risk regarding their own substance abuse, illegal activities, and psychological functioning. An intake assessment was conducted with 299 crack smokers currently undergoing treatment. It revealed that clients with a parental history of substance abuse were at over twice the risk for antisocial personality disorders, had been arrested significantly more times as an adult, were more likely to report illicit drug use in the past year, and had received prior treatment more often than clients without a parental history of substance abuse. Surprisingly, no relationship was observed between parental history of substance abuse and preadult behaviors including age-of-onset of drug use, childhood conduct disorders, age at first antisocial behavior, or number of arrests before age 18. Future prevention and treatment efforts with similar populations should recognize the strong influence of the family in the development of substance abuse.

Adolescent↗

Driving while intoxicated: increased deterrence or alternative transportation for the drunk driver.

The current investigation was designed to examine the community impact from introducing free alternative transportation for the drunk/drugged driver in Sacramento, California. Baseline data were obtained from 1,522 bar and nightclub patrons in Sacramento and San Jose, California. The major findings show that drinking and driving is commonplace, as is riding with intoxicated motorists, in spite of the perceived unacceptability of this behavior. The majority of customers also noted they felt confident in their ability to drive safely when "feeling intoxicated." Increased law enforcement patrols are not seen as a deterrence to drunk driving behavior by the majority of respondents. If free alternative transportation was available for the drunk/drugged driver in the area surveyed, however, 85% of respondents said they "might use" to "definitely would use" the service.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Alcohol and self-disclosure: analyses of interpersonal behavior in male and female social drinkers.

We examined the effects of alcohol and expectations about drinking on self-disclosure in male and female social drinkers. Consistent with cognitive social learning theory, these effects were shown to vary as a function of dose, expectations about alcohol consumption and gender-related social learning history. In men, alcohol increases self-disclosure, but only at a moderate blood alcohol level. Expectations emerged as a powerful influence on self-disclosure. Men who believed that they and their female partner were both intoxicated showed increased self-disclosure although no alcohol was consumed. Women who believed that they were intoxicated showed the opposite pattern of a decrease in self-disclosure. Another gender difference was that moderate alcohol had no effect on women's self-disclosure. The self-awareness model of alcohol use failed to receive support.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Modeling influences on alcoholics' rates of alcohol consumption.

Two experiments were designed to examine modeling influences on alcoholics' alcohol consumption. Three male alcoholics were paired with confederates, posing as alcoholics. In Experiment 1, alcoholic-confederate pairs participated in a 1-hour taste-rating task, which involved rating different wines on a list of adjectives. Experiment 2 consisted of 1-hour ad lib access to wine in a naturalistic bar setting. In both experiments, confederates alternated 15-minute periods of heavy and light consumption, drinking fluids resembling wine. The amount of wine consumed by alcoholics in each period was secretly recorded and the data examined on a single subject basis. In Experiment 1, two subjects increased and decreased consumption along with their confederate. The third subject followed the confederate's pattern only after the confederate demonstrated heavy consumption. All three subjects varied consumption with the confederate during Experiment 2, performed later on the same day. These results suggest that alcoholics' alcohol consumption can be modified by the social influences of modeling. The implications of this finding for the loss of control hypothesis and alcoholism treatment maintenance were discussed.

Adult↗

Psychosocial treatments for cocaine abuse. 12-month treatment outcomes.

The 12-month posttreatment outcome results for a randomized clinical trial that tested the effectiveness of various combinations of 4-month psychosocial treatment interventions are reported for 184 clients who used cocaine. Clients primarily used crack (93%), and the majority were African American (95%). Overall, clients exhibited substantial pre-post treatment gains: reduced regular cocaine use, reduced other drug use, reduced regular alcohol use, and reduced involvement in illegal activities. Logistic regression models produced significant odds ratios showing that those who used cocaine regularly during the year after treatment were more likely to have attended fewer treatment sessions, to be female, to be less educated, to have been regular cocaine users prior to treatment, and to have spent fewer days incarcerated during the 12-months after treatment. It was concluded that treatment positively impacted posttreatment gains, and it was suggested that selective tailoring of additional treatment services may produce additional treatment gains.

Adolescent↗

DWI prevention: profiles of drinkers who use designated drivers.

The effectiveness of designated driver (DD) use in preventing driving while intoxicated (DWI) depends on whether drinkers at risk for DWI use DDs. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses conducted on data from 1,391 Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATIs) and from 902 barroom patron surveys showed that DD users, compared to nonusers, tended to be at-risk, heavier drinkers. For example, logistic regression using the CATI sample indicated that DD users were more likely to drink more often outside the home, to achieve higher blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) when drinking outside the home, to ride with intoxicated drivers (RID), and to be heavy drinkers on D. Cahalan et al.'s (1969) Quantity-Frequency-Variability (QFV) index. Similarly, logistic regression using the barroom sample showed that DD users tended to be heavy drinkers on the QFV index, and were more likely to drive after drinking and to ride with intoxicated drivers. Additional analyses showed that DD users also were more likely than nonusers to engage in other behavior to avoid DWI, such as drinking less, waiting to drive until the effects of alcohol diminish, walking home, and staying overnight. These results are consistent with other findings from a related study by the current authors which showed that at-risk drinkers also used free safe (taxi) rides to avoid DWI, however were still more likely to report DWI and RID behavior (B. D. Caudill, W. M. Harding, & B. Moore, in press). Consequently, DWI prevention efforts may be improved by future research aimed at learning why such at-risk drinkers sometimes take steps to avoid DWI and sometimes do not.

Adult↗