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PubMed2004

Increased prevalence of depression, smoking, heavy drinking and use of psycho-active drugs among unemployed men in France.

BACKGROUND: We document in the present study the relation between unemployment and the prevalence of health problems and risk behaviour in France. METHODS: Using data from the 1991-1992 French National Health Survey, adjustments are made for potential confounders, and relative risks (RR) are estimated for overweight, major physical diseases, depression, and addictive behaviours. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Unemployed men are found to have significantly higher prevalences of depression (RR: 2.6), smoking (RR: 1.5 for regular and 1.7 for heavy), heavy drinking (RR: 1.7) and consumption of psycho-active drugs (RR: 3.6) than the working population.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Genetic linkage analysis supports the presence of two susceptibility loci for alcoholism and heavy drinking on chromosome 1p22.1-11.2 and 1q21.3-24.2.

BACKGROUND: In order to confirm a previous finding of linkage to alcoholism on chromosome 1 we have carried out a genetic linkage study. METHODS: DNA from eighteen families, densely affected by alcoholism, was used to genotype a set of polymorphic microsatellite markers at loci approximately 10 centimorgans apart spanning the short arm and part of the long arm of chromosome 1. Linkage analyses were performed using the classical lod score and a model-free method. Three different definitions of affection status were defined, these were 1. Heavy Drinking (HD) where affected subjects drank more than the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommended weekly amount. 2. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for alcoholism (RDCA) 3. Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) as defined by Edwards and Gross (1976) and now incorporated into ICD10 and DSMIV. RESULTS: Linkage analyses with the markers D1S1588, D1S2134, D1S1675 covering the cytogenetic region 1p22.1-11.2 all gave positive two point and multipoint lods with a maximum lod of 1.8 at D1S1588 (1p22.1) for the RDCA definition of alcoholism. Another lod of 1.8 was found with D1S1653 in the region 1q21.3-24.2 using the HD affection model. CONCLUSION: These results both support the presence of linkage in the 1p22.1-11.2 region which was previously implicated by the USA Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) study and also suggest the presence of another susceptibility locus at 1q21.3-24.2.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1990

Serum and urinary beta-hexosaminidase as markers of heavy drinking.

Serum and urinary beta-hexosaminidase (SHEX and UHEX) were determined in 32 alcoholic men admitted to inpatient detoxification treatment for seven days, and in 27 teetotallers. On the admission SHEX was increased in 68.8% and UHEX in 81.3% and after seven days of abstinence the corresponding percentages were 37.5 (SHEX) and 71.9 (UHEX). During the treatment SHEX decreased significantly while UHEX did not. On the admission to the treatment UHEX correlated positively with SHEX (r = 0.54; P less than 0.01). The results suggest that UHEX may be a more sensitive marker of heavy drinking than SHEX. Furthermore UHEX stays longer elevated than SHEX.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Gay/Lesbian sexual orientation increases risk for cigarette smoking and heavy drinking among members of a large Northern California health plan.

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Tobacco and alcohol use and related morbidity and mortality are critical public health problems. Results of several, but not all, studies suggest that lesbians and gay men are at elevated risk for smoking tobacco and alcohol misuse. METHODS: Data from random sample general health surveys of adult members of a large Northern California Health Plan conducted in 1999 and 2002 were analyzed using gender-based multivariate logistic regression models to assess whether lesbians (n = 210) and gay men (n = 331) aged 20-65 were more likely than similarly aged heterosexual women (n = 12,188) and men (n = 9342) to be smokers and heavy drinkers. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, and survey year, lesbians were significantly more likely than heterosexual women to be heavy drinkers (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.08, 4.23) and current smokers (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.02, 2.51). Among men, gays were significantly more likely than heterosexuals to be current smokers (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.75, 3.30), with borderline significant increased risk for heavy drinking (OR 1.54, 95% CI 0.96, 2.45). CONCLUSION: Lesbians and gay men may be at increased risk for morbidity and mortality due to higher levels of cigarette and alcohol use. More population-based research is needed to understand the nature of substance use in these communities so that appropriate interventions can be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Heavy drinking among college students is influenced by anxiety sensitivity, gender, and contexts for alcohol use.

In order to quantify relationships between anxiety sensitivity and situational antecedents to heavy alcohol consumption, 245 university student drinkers completed the anxiety sensitivity index-revised (ASI-R) and the inventory of drinking situations (IDS-42). The observed correlations indicated that anxiety sensitivity is related to negatively reinforced drinking, positively reinforced drinking, and temptation-motivated drinking. However, anxiety sensitivity is most clearly implicated as a factor in negatively reinforced drinking, i.e., drinking followed by "tension reduction." Additionally, the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and negatively reinforced drinking is stronger among males than among females. The results point to anxiety sensitivity and gender as interacting individual difference variables that influence incidence of negatively reinforced heavy drinking among college students.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A controlled trial of web-based feedback for heavy drinking college students.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption has been a growing concern at U.S. colleges, particularly among first-year students, who are at increased risk for problems. This study tested the efficacy of the "electronic Check-Up to Go" (e-CHUG), a commercially-available internet program, at reducing drinking among a group of at-risk college freshman. METHOD: The design was a randomized controlled trial: 106 freshmen students who reported heavy episodic drinking were randomly assigned to receive feedback or to assessment only. Assessment measures were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. RESULTS: At 8 weeks, the feedback group showed a significant decrease in drinks per week and peak BAC over control. By 16 weeks, the control group also declined to a point where there were no differences between groups. Changes in normative drinking estimates mediated the effect of the intervention. An additional 245 abstainers and light drinkers who were also randomized to condition did not show any intervention effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of this intervention at reducing short-term drinking among at-risk students.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Heavy drinking and alcohol knowledge among Hastings fifth formers.

One hundred and seventy-nine male and 195 female fifth formers from the five state secondary schools in Hastings/Havelock North completed a 29 item questionnaire. Thirty-one males (17%) and 18 females (9%) reported getting drunk at least twice a month and having five or more drinks on each drinking occasion. These teenagers were classified as heavy drinkers; the males knew less about alcohol, and had different attitudes to its use than their peers. Deficits in the alcohol knowledge of fifth formers were discovered also.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Heavy drinking and its correlates in young men.

This study examined the drinking behavior of a sample of 98 college men and the relationship to drinking of a variety of subject variables. The subjects reported drinking an average of nearly eight days a month, about five drinks each time, and were intoxicated more than three times monthly. Nearly half reported having experienced two or more drinking-related adverse consequences within the past year and over a third were intoxicated four or more times monthly. Forty percent of the subjects could be described as problem drinkers. Illicit drug use and the disinhibition factor of the sensation seeking scale were the most consistent correlates of drinking behavior and its adverse consequences, although belonging to a fraternity, consuming alcohol/drugs before age 15, the Macandrew Alcoholism Scale score, and a family member having received alcoholism treatment were also found to be consistently associated with drinking in the subjects. Sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, mental health treatment, childhood behavior problems, adolescent antisocial behavior, and familial alcoholism were by and large not found to be related to drinking behavior. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that five variables accounted for 51% of the total variance in drinking behavior. The significant predictors included a heavy drug use factor, a smoking factor, fraternity membership, drug/alcohol use before age 15, and having a family member who had received alcoholism treatment. Thus, four of the five significant predictor variables were reflective of drug use in the subject or his family. The findings underline the need for further prospective longitudinal research to understand the origins of problem drinking and its relationship to alcoholism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Age of first intoxication, heavy drinking, driving after drinking and risk of unintentional injury among U.S. college students.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored whether college students who were first intoxicated by alcohol at ages younger than 19 are more likely to become alcohol dependent and frequent heavy drinkers, drive after drinking, ride with intoxicated drivers and be injured after drinking. It also investigated whether these results occur because these students believe they can drink more and still drive legally and safely. METHOD: In 1999, 14,138 of 23,751 full-time 4-year students from a random sample of 119 college and universities nationwide completed self-administered questionnaires (response rate: 60%). This analysis focused on 12,550 who were aged 19 or older. Respondents were asked the age at which they first got drunk, as well as questions about recent alcohol-related behaviors and consequences. RESULTS: Compared with respondents first drunk at age 19 or older, those first drunk prior to age 19 were significantly more likely to be alcohol dependent and frequent heavy drinkers, to report driving after any drinking, driving after five or more drinks, riding with a driver who was high or drunk and, after drinking, sustaining injuries that required medical attention. Respondents first intoxicated at younger ages believed they could consume more drinks and still drive safely and legally; this contributed to their greater likelihood of driving after drinking and riding with high or drunk drivers. CONCLUSIONS: Educational, clinical, environmental and legal interventions are needed to delay age of first intoxication and to correct misperceptions among adolescents first drunk at an early age about how much they can drink and still drive safely and legally.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Alcohol abuse: medical effects of heavy drinking in late life.

As many as 15% of community-dwelling older persons are heavy drinkers, but their alcoholism is often hidden from their physicians. Depression, loneliness, and lack of social support are the most frequently cited antecedents to drinking for older alcoholics. Clinically, the same amount of alcohol once consumed with impunity may cause clinical symptoms in late life. Physiologic changes in volume of distribution make older patients susceptible to acute alcohol toxicity, with its CNS effects and metabolic disturbances. Liver disease, nutritional deficiencies, and impotence are consequences of chronic alcohol abuse.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1994

Neuroendocrine evidence for reduced serotonergic neurotransmission during heavy drinking.

A fenfluramine (60-mg oral dose) challenge test was performed in 19 male heavy drinkers (mean daily consumption 88 g of pure alcohol). Twelve healthy males served as controls. The prolactin and temperature responses to fenfluramine were significantly reduced in the group of heavy drinkers. The results suggest impaired central serotonergic neurotransmission in alcoholism, possibly involving subsensitivity in various serotonin receptor subtypes.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Readiness to change, norms, and self-efficacy among heavy-drinking college students.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the readiness to change of college heavy drinkers and their normative and self-efficacy beliefs. METHOD: A multiple regression method analyzed the association in a heavy-drinker subsample (n=306; men = 53.3%) drawn from a survey of a convenience sample of college students in two large-size midwestern universities. RESULTS: Precontemplation was most strongly associated with the descriptive and injunctive norms of campus peers as well as friends. Contemplation was significantly associated with descriptive and injunctive norms of friends. The size of association between readiness and normative beliefs decreased as the readiness progressed. Both precontemplation and contemplation were negatively associated with self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in readiness to change are related to different normative and self-efficacy beliefs to different degrees. Incorporating these differences could improve the effectiveness of future interventions. In particular, addressing friends' norms in addition to campus norms could help increase self-efficacy and facilitate the behavioral change process of college heavy drinkers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Intake of beer, wine and spirits and risk of heavy drinking and alcoholic cirrhosis.

Studies have suggested that wine drinkers are at lower risk of death than beer or spirit drinkers. The aim of this study is to examine whether the risk of becoming a heavy drinker or developing alcoholic cirrhosis differs among individuals who prefer different types of alcoholic beverages. In a longitudinal setting we found that both the risk of becoming a heavy or excessive drinker (above 14 and 21 drinks per week for women and above 21 and 35 drinks per week for men) and the risk of developing alcoholic cirrhosis depended on the individuals preference of wine, beer or spirits. We conclude that moderate wine drinkers appear to be at lower risk of becoming heavy and excessive drinkers and that this may add to the explanation of the reported beverage-specific differences in morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Heavy drinking and regular psychoactive drug use among gynecological outpatients.

Self-reported patterns of alcohol and drug use were examined in gynecological outpatients (n = 1967). Seventeen percent were heavy drinkers, 14% regularly used psychoactive drugs with the potential for nonmedical use, and over 3% both drank heavily and regularly used psychoactive drugs. Significantly higher alcohol intakes (mean usual number of drinks per occasion was 3.6 compared to 3.1, p less than 0.01) and more heavy drinkers (26% compared to 19%, based on quantity-frequency, p less than 0.01) were associated with regular psychoactive drug use. However, the relationship between other measures of alcohol use and regular psychoactive drug use varied as a function of age, marital status, and employment status. Regular psychoactive drug use was significantly elevated among outpatients who were in their fifties, retired/other (not housewives, employed, or looking for work, e.g. students or disabled), not married, or white. The risk of regular psychoactive drug use was more than 1.5 times higher among heavy drinkers than among nonheavy drinkers. It is estimated that there are over 35 million gynecologic office visits per year; therefore, increased case-finding in this population has the potential to reach large numbers of women at risk who otherwise might not be identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Elderly men with histories of heavy drinking: correlates and consequences.

Recognition that the physical, psychological and social consequences of substance abuse may persist throughout the life span has led to increased study of the impact of lifetime drinking habits on the elderly. We examined the characteristics of elderly men with self-reported histories of having ever been heavy drinker (H+) in a population-based (N = 1,155, mean age = 73.7 years) longitudinal survey of community-dwelling elders; 10.4% of the men reported that they had been heavy drinkers at some time during their lives. H+ men were younger and less educated than non-heavy drinkers (H-) or never drinkers (N). Mortality was higher among H+ men who were current drinkers than among H- or N men. H+ men reported more major illnesses, poorer self-perceived health status, more physician visits, more depressive symptoms, lower levels of life satisfaction and smaller social networks than did H- or N men. Self-reported ability to perform activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was poorest among H+ men, who also scored the lowest on a mental status examination. Thus, a history of having ever been a heavy drinker is predictive of widespread impairments in physical, psychological and social health and functioning among elderly men.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Naltrexone alters subjective and psychomotor responses to alcohol in heavy drinking subjects.

Preclinical studies support endogenous opioid system involvement in alcohol reinforcement and consumption; however, recent clinical trials and human laboratory studies have provided mixed findings of the effects of naltrexone (a non-selective opioid antagonist) on alcohol responses. This study used a within-subject design (n = 23) to investigate naltrexone effects (0, 50 and 100 mg qd) on subjective and psychomotor responses to alcohol (none, moderate, high) in heavy drinkers. Before alcohol administration, subjects reported decreased desire to drink alcohol when maintained on 50 mg compared with placebo naltrexone. Following alcohol administration, active naltrexone significantly increased subjective ratings of sedative, and unpleasant/sick effects and decreased ratings of liking, best effects and desire to drink. Naltrexone generally did not alter subjective or objective indicators of drunkenness. Finally, high doses of naltrexone and alcohol interacted to produce the greatest decreases in liking and best effects. Findings support the role of endogenous opioids as determinants of alcohol's effects and suggest that naltrexone may be particularly clinically useful in those treatment patients who continue to drink heavily.

Adult↗