Biomedical subjects

Dan J Neal

Publications and source records attributed to Dan J Neal.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B, syphilis, and chlamydia among adults seeking treatment for a mental disorder in southern India.

This study estimated the prevalence, and identified the correlates, of HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, and Hepatitis B among patients seeking treatment for a mental disorder in India. Patients (n = 948) submitted a blood sample for serologic testing and participated in a brief interview. Lifetime prevalence rates were nearly 2% for HIV, 10% for chlamydia, 3% for Hepatitis B, and 3% for syphilis; 15% of patients had evidence of at least one infection. Bivariate associations between infection status and patient characteristics, including age, gender, psychiatric diagnosis, did not reveal any consistent risk profile. Instead, behavioral characteristics (i.e., multiple partners, exchanging sex for money, and engagement in anal sex) were associated with infection status. Recommendations for the sexual health care of psychiatric patients in India are provided.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Measurement of alcohol-related consequences among high school and college students: application of item response models to the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index.

The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI; H. R. White & E. W. Labouvie, 1989) is a frequently used measure of alcohol-related consequences in adolescents and college students, but psychometric evaluations of the RAPI are limited and it has not been validated with college students. This study used item response theory (IRT) to examine the RAPI on students (N = 895; 65% female, 35% male) assessed in both high school and college. A series of 2-parameter IRT models were computed, examining differential item functioning across gender and time points. A reduced 18-item measure demonstrating strong clinical utility is proposed, with scores of 8 or greater implying greater need for treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Risk for marijuana-related problems among college students: an application of zero-inflated negative binomial regression.

METHOD: This study examined the association between marijuana-related problems and social norms, impulsivity, and perceived use utility among 292 college students. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to simultaneously predict expected nonusers as well as predict counts of reported marijuana-related problems among expected users. Gender, social norms, impulsivity, and perceived use utility were used to predict expected nonusers as well as number of marijuana-related problems among expected users. RESULTS: Only social norms were associated with the prediction of zero-values. In contrast, only perceived use utility was associated with the prediction of number of marijuana-related problems. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally are consistent with theories of the differential association of social-environmental and biopsychological variables with use and problems, respectively. Zero-inflated regression models are a useful strategy to examine risk behaviors with low base rates.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Capturing the moment: innovative approaches to daily alcohol assessment.

This article is a summary of a symposium presented at the 2005 Research Society on Alcoholism annual conference organized by Dan J. Neal and chaired by William R. Corbin. Event-level data, wherein each "event" (e.g., day) is captured as its own data point, capture the complex patterns of drinking and other high-risk behaviors in ways that the typical aggregate approach cannot. Because of their richness, methodologies that incorporate event-level data are becoming more common in alcohol research. At least 3 distinct forms of event-level data can be gathered: retrospective data (those collected on a single occasion, using memory aids to help each participant reconstruct all drinking events over a specific period of time), daily monitoring data (reporting on all events for that day), and momentary assessment (those recorded immediately following a drinking event or in response to a prompt from researchers). The goal of this symposium was to address many issues associated with event-level methodology, as well as demonstrate projects that are currently implementing such innovative data collection. The 4 presentations included in this symposium were "Realizing the Promise and Avoiding the Pitfalls of Retrospective Daily Estimation Assessments of Alcohol Use" by Frances K. Del Boca; "Using Interactive Voice Response Technology to Assess the Alcohol-Victimization Link" by Kathleen Parks, Linda King, and Ann Pardi; "Methodological Issues in Using Personal Data Assistants to Self-monitor Alcohol Consumption" by R. Lorraine Collins, Mark Muraven, and Charlene Vetter; and "Collecting Event-level Data Using the World Wide Web" by Dan J. Neal and Kim Fromme.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Screening for sexually transmitted infections at a DeAddictions service in south India.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the lifetime prevalence of four sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and to identify correlates of these infections among patients seeking care for a substance use disorder at a specialized DeAddictions Unit in southern India. METHODS: Consecutive inpatients (n=361; 98% male; M age=36.7 years) admitted to DeAddictions Unit of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bangalore, India, participated in a structured interview to obtain demographic, psychiatric, sexual behavior, and substance use data; each patient also provided a blood sample for serologic testing for HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, and hepatitis B. RESULTS: One-quarter of all patients tested positive for at least one STI. Lifetime seroprevalence rates were 12.9% for syphilis, 10.3% for chlamydia, 3.1% for hepatitis B, and 1.1% for HIV. Analyses did not reveal any consistent pattern of associations between STI status and sociodemographic, psychiatric, and sexual behavioral characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: All patients should receive a comprehensive sexual assessment during standard care; for those patients who report risky sexual practices, we recommend voluntary counseling and testing for STIs. Although we do not recommend universal testing for STIs at this time, this should be revisited based upon national surveillance data.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A follow-up psychometric analysis of the self-regulation questionnaire.

Self-regulation skills, which subsume goal-directed behavior and short-term delay of gratification for long-term gains, have been shown to be differentially related to alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. J. M. Brown, W. R. Miller, and L. A. Lawendowski (1999) described the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ), and K. B. Carey, D. J. Neal, and S. E. Collins (2004) provided preliminary psychometric evidence for the SRQ and proposed a short version (SSRQ) of the measure. The goals of this study were to further examine the psychometric properties of the SSRQ. Participants (N = 237) were recruited from an introductory psychology course and completed a questionnaire packet that included the SSRQ. Factor analyses indicated that the SSRQ showed 2 distinct factors, an Impulse Control factor and a Goal Setting factor. Validity evidence showed differential patterns of relations between these 2 subscales and measures of self-control, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

It's all fun and games...or is it? Collegiate sporting events and celebratory drinking.

OBJECTIVE: Heavy drinking is prevalent on college campuses, and collegiate sporting events may precipitate heavy drinking. Despite this, relatively few studies have examined student drinking on the days of sporting events. In 2003, Syracuse University won the men's National College Athletic Association basketball championship; ongoing data collection allowed an investigation of alcohol consumption at Syracuse University during the two Final Four game days, when the semifinals and championship games are played. The goals of the study were to examine the level of alcohol use on these days and to examine factors related to game-day consumption. METHOD: As a part of an ongoing study, 206 undergraduate students completed several questionnaires, then returned daily drinking diaries at 1-week intervals for 4 consecutive weeks. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption levels on the two game days exceeded what is typical on campus. Further analyses conducted using zero-inflated negative binomial regression modeling demonstrated that heavier drinkers were more likely to drink alcohol, and drink alcohol heavily, on both game days. Furthermore, lack of impulse control was independently associated with an increased likelihood of drinking on both days. CONCLUSIONS: Although results from this study should be considered preliminary, these data document heavier drinking associated with high-profile athletic events. Sporting events may be a particularly opportune time and venue for collegiate risk-reduction programs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Problems assessment for substance using psychiatric patients: development and initial psychometric evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Persons with co-occurring Axis I mental disorders and substance use disorders often experience multiple negative consequences as a result of their substance use. Because no existing measure adequately assesses these population-specific problems, we developed the Problems Assessment for Substance Using Psychiatric Patients (PASUPP). This paper describes the scale development and factor structure, and provides initial reliability and validity evidence for the PASUPP. METHODS: An initial pool of 54 items was assembled by reviewing existing measures for relevant items and generating new items. Then, 239 patients (90% male, 61% White) with documented Axis I psychiatric and current substance use disorders rated the lifetime and last 3-month occurrence of each problem, and completed additional measures of substance use and related functioning. RESULTS: Lifetime endorsements ranged from 31 to 95%, whereas 3-month endorsements ranged from 24 to 78%. Item analyses reduced the set to 50 items. The PASUPP is internally consistent (alpha = 0.97) and unidimensional. Scale validity was suggested by moderate correlation with other measures of substance problem severity. CONCLUSIONS: Promising psychometric properties are reported for a population-specific measure of substance use problems. Such a measure could be useful for initial assessments and outcome evaluations with substance using psychiatric patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A psychometric analysis of the self-regulation questionnaire.

The self-regulation questionnaire (SRQ) is a 63-item instrument designed to measure the generalized ability to regulate behavior so as to achieve desired future outcomes. This study extended previous psychometric evaluations of the SRQ by determining the factor structure and internal consistency of the SRQ and providing convergent and discriminant evidence for its validity. Participants were undergraduates (N=391; 55% women) from two consecutive semesters (n(1)=208; n(2)=183). A single-factor solution emerged (31 items), invariant across gender and semester. These items were combined to create a short version of the SRQ (SSRQ; alpha=.92), which was highly correlated with the original SRQ (r=.96). Unrelated to demographic variables and alcohol use, the SSRQ correlated significantly with alcohol-related problems. The association between the SSRQ and problems remained even after controlling for social desirability and alcohol consumption. These results support the use of the SSRQ in young adult samples. Further psychometric evaluation of the SSRQ is necessary, however, to further establish its validity and utility as a measure of generalized self-regulation capacity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Developing discrepancy within self-regulation theory: use of personalized normative feedback and personal strivings with heavy-drinking college students.

Efforts to reduce the frequency of high-risk drinking have included the use of motivational interventions. Both the technique used in motivational interventions and an underlying theory of behavior change (i.e., self-regulation theory) invoke the construct of discrepancy development. This study was designed to determine whether techniques purported to develop discrepancy actually do so and to compare methods of developing discrepancy on indices of intention to reduce alcohol use. Male and female college drinkers (N=92) were selected if they reported two or more binge episodes in the last month, or scored 4 or higher on the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Participants were randomly assigned by gender to three conditions all conducted in a small group format: attention-control, personalized normative feedback (PNF), and personal strivings assessment (PSA). Personalized normative feedback was designed to develop discrepancy based on behavioral comparisons of self and others. Personal strivings assessment was designed to develop discrepancy between current and ideal self. It was hypothesized that participants who engage in discrepancy building activities would experience discrepancy specific to the activity in which they engaged, and that all participants who developed discrepancy would show higher levels of intention to reduce alcohol use. Results indicated that only the personalized normative feedback increased discrepancy and intention to reduce alcohol use.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Predictors of HIV risk among men seeking treatment for substance abuse in India.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk among men receiving treatment for substance abuse in India. Consecutive inpatients from the major substance abuse hospital in southern India were screened using a structured interview and standardized measures to obtain demographic, psychiatric, sexual behavior, and substance use data at the time of admission. Seventy-seven percent of the 352 men who were screened reported that they were sexually active during the past year, and 13% reported that they had engaged in sexual practices associated with greater risk. The most common risk practices in the past year included having multiple sexual partners (7%), paying for sex (5%), and having unprotected anal sex (4%). Engaging in risky sexual practices was associated with the presence of a co-occurring psychiatric disorder and higher scores on a drug abuse screening measure. Assessing HIV risk in substance abuse settings can help to identify patients who may benefit from HIV-risk reduction programs.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Test-retest reliability of alcohol measures: is there a difference between internet-based assessment and traditional methods?

This study compared Web-based assessment techniques with traditional paper-based methods of commonly used measures of alcohol use. Test-retest reliabilities were obtained, and tests of validity were conducted. A total of 255 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: paper-based (P&P), Web-based (Web), or Web-based with interruption (Web-I). Follow-up assessments 1 week later indicated reliabilities ranging from .59 to .93 within all measures and across all assessment methods. Significantly high test-retest reliability coefficients support the use of these measures for research and clinical applications. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between assessment techniques, suggesting that Web-based methods are a suitable alternative to more traditional methods. This cost-efficient alternative has the advantage of minimizing data collection and entry errors while increasing survey accessibility.

Adolescent↗