Biomedical subjects

Kate B Carey

Publications and source records attributed to Kate B Carey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Associations among health behaviors and time perspective in young adults: model testing with boot-strapping replication.

Previous research suggests that time perspective relates to health behavior; however, researchers have frequently employed inconsistent operational definitions and have often used projective or unpublished measures. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory was created to provide a sound, objective measure of five distinct time perspective components. We examined the independent prediction of both risky and protective health behaviors from future, hedonistic, and fatalistic time perspective in 1,568 undergraduates using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. Health behaviors included alcohol, drug, tobacco, and seat belt use, sex behaviors, and exercise. Future time perspective was related to increased protective and decreased risky health behaviors, whereas hedonism exhibited an opposite pattern though was a stronger predictor; fatalism was related only to health-destructive behaviors. Gender interactions reveal that hedonism is a stronger predictor of risky health behaviors for females.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

An affective and cognitive model of marijuana and alcohol problems.

This study examined a six-month prospective model of marijuana and alcohol problems among college students. Among marijuana users, there was an indirect positive association between use utility and Time 1 (T1) marijuana-related problems through T1 marijuana use, whereas there was a direct positive association between affect lability and T1 marijuana-related problems. A multi-group analysis of alcohol problems compared models for users of alcohol and marijuana and users of alcohol only. For both groups, there was a direct positive association between T1 use utility and T2 alcohol consumption and an indirect association with T2 alcohol problems via alcohol consumption. Impulsivity was directly and positively associated with T1 alcohol problems among the alcohol-only group. For the alcohol-only group, impulsivity moderated the association between T2 consumption and problems, making it stronger. Associations between affect lability and alcohol problems as well as alcohol consumption and problems were stronger in the alcohol and marijuana group. Results support differential pathways to substance-related problems, an indirect pathway, in which problems are an unintended consequence of goal-directed use activity, as well as direct and interactive pathways in which problems may be viewed as consequences of broader regulatory problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Brief motivational interventions for heavy college drinkers: A randomized controlled trial.

In this randomized controlled trial, the authors evaluated brief motivational interventions (BMIs) for at-risk college drinkers. Heavy drinking students (N = 509; 65% women, 35% men) were randomized into 1 of 6 intervention conditions formed by crossing the baseline Timeline Followback (TLFB) interview (present versus absent) and intervention type (basic BMI, BMI enhanced with a decisional balance module, or none). Assessments completed at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months measured typical and risky drinking as well as drinking-related problems. Relative to controls, the TLFB interview reduced consumption but not problems at 1 month. The basic BMI improved all drinking outcomes beyond the effects of the TLFB interview at 1 month, whereas the enhanced BMI did not. Risk reduction achieved by brief interventions maintained throughout the follow-up year.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Patterns and importance of self-other differences in college drinking norms.

College students overestimate other students' drinking behavior (descriptive norms) and attitudes (injunctive norms). This study explored the effects of demographics, norm type, and reference group on the magnitude of self- other differences (SODs). Participants (N = 1,611; 64% women) completed surveys assessing demographics, drinking patterns, and perceived norms. A subset of 122 students provided consumption data 1 month later to test predictors of changes in drinking. Overall, women and non-Greeks (Greek = member of fraternity or sorority) reported larger SODs for both norm types compared with men and Greeks. Heavier drinkers reported smaller SODs. Gender x Reference Group interactions revealed that women had larger SODs for reference groups increasingly distal to them; for men, the largest SODs occur for close friends versus more distal groups. Larger SODs for descriptive norms predicted increases in drinking, consistent with social norms theory.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

How the quality of peer relationships influences college alcohol use.

Peer relationships are consistently linked to alcohol use in college students. However, this disparate literature often reveals contradictory findings regarding the precise mechanisms of peer influence. In this review, we use an organisational framework based on social learning theory (SLT) to demonstrate how the quality of peer relationships may influence personal alcohol use. We propose that the quality of peer relationships enhance the influence of social reinforcement, modelling and cognitive processes on personal alcohol use. Research indicates that the quality of peer relationships influences drinking via three pathways: the lack or breakdown of quality peer relationships, alcohol use being an integral part of peer interactions, and if peers disapprove of alcohol use or do not drink. This conceptualisation of peer influence informs the consistent finding of gender differences in college student drinking. Limitations of the reviewed research include reliance on cross-sectional surveys, self-report and homogeneous populations. Future directions for research on quality peer relationships involve detailed longitudinal assessment and the application of advanced statistical methods.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Decreased substance use following increases in alternative behaviors: a preliminary investigation.

Research derived from behavioral economic theories has demonstrated reciprocal links between substance use and engagement in substance-free activities. The current study used an experimental manipulation to further investigate the relationship between substance use and substance-free behaviors in a nonclinical sample of 133 young adults. Participants completed surveys on substance use and engagement in specific substance-free behaviors (exercise and creative behaviors) on two occasions separated by a 28-day interval. During the 4 weeks separating assessments, the 105 participants who reported recent substance use were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions with corresponding behavioral instructions: substance use reduction (SR), activity increase (AI), and a no-change control. Participants assigned to both the SR and AI conditions reported a significant decrease in their substance use behavior. These results are consistent with previous studies in demonstrating that decreases in substance use can be achieved by increasing engagement in substance-free behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Relations between cannabis use and dependence, motives for cannabis use and anxious, depressive and borderline symptomatology.

This study investigated the relations between anxious, depressive and borderline symptomatology, motivations for cannabis use, and cannabis use and dependence among 212 adolescents and young adults, 114 of whom were cannabis users. Motives for cannabis use were assessed using the Marijuana Motives Measure (Simons, J., Correia, C. J., Carey, K. B., & Borsari, B. E. (1998). Validating a Five-Factor Motives Measure: Relations with use, problems and alcohol motives. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 265-273.). In three sets of regression analyses, motives, cannabis use frequency, and cannabis dependence served as criterion variables. First, when motives were regressed on psychopathological measures, borderline symptomatology predicted expansion motives in both boys and girls. Second, when frequency of use was regressed on motives and psychopathological measures, enhancement motives were the only significant predictor among boys and expansion motives were the only significant predictor among girls. Finally, when cannabis dependence was regressed on motives and psychopathological measures, borderline symptomatology was the only significant predictor in boys and expansion motives were the only significant predictor in girls. This study suggests the importance of motives and borderline symptomatology in the understanding of cannabis use and dependence among adolescents and young adults.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco use and nicotine dependence among psychiatric patients in India.

Tobacco use among psychiatric patients in developing countries has not been well-investigated. To address this issue, we screened consecutive admissions to a major psychiatric hospital in southern India, and assessed the prevalence and correlates of tobacco use and nicotine dependence. Patients (n=988) provided information about their use of tobacco products, and participated in an interview that included the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence as well as measures of other substance use. Three hundred and fifty-one patients (36%) reported current tobacco use, with 227 (65% of all users) reporting moderate to severe nicotine dependence. Current tobacco use as well as nicotine dependence were associated with male gender, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and risk of other substance use problems. The cultural context of these findings, and the implications for tobacco control among psychiatric patients, are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Lack of effect for decisional balance as a brief motivational intervention for at-risk college drinkers.

This study examined the effects of written and in-person decisional balance exercises on measures of risky drinking. College students determined to be at-risk for alcohol-related problems (N=131) were randomly assigned to an in-person decisional balance (IDB), a written decisional balance (WDB), or an assessment-only control (C) group. IDB participants met with an interventionist for individual 30-min discussions of the pros and cons of maintaining versus changing their drinking behavior, whereas WDB participants completed written decisional balance exercises. All participants completed alcohol-use assessments at baseline, 2-week posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Process analyses indicated that IDB participants generated more cons of current drinking and more pros of cutting down than WDB participants. Further, the proportion of pros to cons for cutting down predicted IDB but not WDB group drinking change. On the other hand, analyses of covariance indicated no significant differences among the groups on 2-week alcohol consumption, heavy-drinking episodes, alcohol consumption during peak drinking occasions, and alcohol-related problems. This study did not provide support for decisional balance as a stand-alone brief motivational intervention for at-risk college drinkers.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Two brief alcohol interventions for mandated college students.

Encouraging but limited research indicates that brief motivational interventions may be an effective way to reduce heavy episodic drinking in college students. At 2 campuses, students (83% male) mandated to a substance use prevention program were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 individually administered conditions: (a) a brief motivational interview (BMI; n = 34) or (b) an alcohol education session (AE; n = 30). Students in the BMI condition reported fewer alcohol-related problems than the AE students at 3-and 6-month assessments. Trends toward reductions in number of binge drinking episodes and typical blood alcohol levels were seen in both groups. Process measures confirmed the integrity of both interventions. The findings demonstrate that mandated BMIs can reduce alcohol problems in students referred for alcohol violations.

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

Using calculations to estimate blood alcohol concentrations for naturally occurring drinking episodes: a validity study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of retrospective estimated blood alcohol concentrations (eBACs) for re-creating intoxication resulting from a naturally occurring drinking event. This study identified five eBAC equations, applied them to self-report data and compared the results to actual blood alcohol concentration obtained by a breath test. METHOD: A convenience sample of 109 drinkers was recruited near drinking establishments and asked to provide breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) samples. Participants were contacted by telephone on the next waking day to gather data required for five algorithms that determine eBAC. BrAC and eBAC obtained from each equation were compared to determine the level of agreement between the two approaches. RESULTS: eBACs correlated highly with each other (r > or = 0.99); R2 for all algorithms ranged from 0.54 to 0.55 with BrAC as the criterion. On average, eBAC equations overestimated BrAC. Regression analysis identified the amount of time spent drinking, number of standard drinks, weight and year in school as factors related to discrepancy. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that, although all equations produce eBACs that are highly related, their relationship to BrAC does vary across equations. Using the best fitting equation, eBAC is more strongly correlated with BrAC when intoxication is less than 0.08 g/210 L of breath, and the magnitude of the relationship decreases as intoxication rises.

Adult↗

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↗

PubMed2005

Relationships of linguistic and motivation variables with drinking outcomes following two mailed brief interventions.

OBJECTIVE: This study was a post hoc analysis of linguistic and motivation variables found in writing samples following the administration of two mailed brief interventions. METHOD: At-risk college drinkers (N = 100) received personalized normative feedback (PNF) or an alcohol education (AE) brochure via mail. Participants responded to open-ended questions describing their reactions to the information they received. The writing samples were then coded for linguistic characteristics using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program and for proportions of self-motivational statements using a modified version of the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code. RESULTS: Group comparisons indicated that the PNF group used a significantly higher percentage of first-person-singular and school-related words, whereas the AE group used a higher percentage of discrepancy, second-person and body-related words. Furthermore, the PNF group produced more language consistent with motivation to change than did the AE group. Hierarchical regressions testing mediation and moderation indicated that linguistic references to school and motivation moderated the group effect on changes in consumption during the heaviest drinking week. Further, although the group predicted reduction in heavy, episodic drinking, its effect was completely mediated by linguistic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirmed that PNF elicits distinct verbal responses that are associated with increased motivation and behavior change.

Adult↗

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↗

PubMed2004

The relationship between alcohol and individual differences variables on attitudes and behavioral skills relevant to sexual health among heterosexual young adult men.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of alcohol, alcohol sex expectancies, and sexual sensation seeking on determinants of sexual health behavior according to the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model. The participants were 48 heterosexual young adult males who attended 2 laboratory sessions. During Session 1, participants completed a set of screening and individual differences measures, and during Session 2 they were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 beverage conditions: control, alcohol (0.65 g alcohol/kg body weight), or placebo. Following the experimental manipulation, all participants completed measures regarding attitudes toward condom use, intention to engage in risky sex, and condom use negotiation skills. The results showed that participants who consumed alcohol had poorer negotiation skills and greater intention to engage in risky sex compared to participants who did not drink alcohol. Although alcohol did not affect any dimension of attitude regarding condom use, attitude about condoms' effects on sex, as well as sexual sensation seeking, were correlated with both intention ratings and skills. Multiple regression models, including both attitudes and sensation seeking, showed that attitudes accounted for 20-25% of variance independent of beverage condition in predicting intention ratings and skills. The findings were consistent with past research showing that alcohol consumption can have detrimental effects on determinants of sexual health behavior and that individual differences factors can enhance the power of models like the IMB to predict such behavior.

Adult↗