Examining alcohol-related social norms among international and domestic students in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study is to examine college student status (international vs. domestic) across alcohol social norms perception. METHODS: Undergraduates (n = 3081) were recruited for the study. Most participants were female (69.9%) and White (98.2%), with the average age of participants was 19.97 (SD = 1.61). Approximately 17.3% (n = 534) of the students were international (i.e., nonresident alien who are in the US for a bachelor's degree). It is a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: International students reported significantly lower social norms than domestic students. International students in later college years reported norms closer to domestic students. International women endorsed social norms at a higher level than international men. CONCLUSIONS: Assimilation into U.S. drinking culture may be linked with increased support of drinking norms among International students. This study shows the importance of incorporating drinking norms prevention strategy and cultural diversity awareness training to increase international students' knowledge and prevent misconceptions. International students' social norms should be examined for future drinking interventions. Interventions for college drinking should target specific events and context with short-term increase in hazardous drinking behavior but long-lasting effects.

Lifetime use of alcohol and cannabis among U.S. adolescents across age: Exploring differential patterns by sex and race/ethnicity using the 2019 NSDUH data.

Background: Early use of alcohol and cannabis is associated with health and social problems. It is unclear how lifetime use changes for each additional year of age during adolescence, and whether this change varies by sex and race/ethnicity. This study characterized lifetime rates of alcohol and cannabis use by age among 12- to 17-year-old American youth and explored differential patterns by sex and race/ethnicity. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Analyses were restricted to 12-17-year-olds who were non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, or Hispanic/Latino (n = 11,830). We estimated the increase in lifetime use of alcohol and cannabis by age for the full sample and stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. Slopes of the regression lines were compared to assess differential patterns across groups. Results: In these cross-sectional analyses, reported lifetime use increased substantially from age 12 to 17 for alcohol (6.4 % to 53.2 %) and cannabis (1.3 % to 35.9 %). The increase in lifetime alcohol use was slightly, but not significantly, steeper among girls than boys (F1,8 = 3.40, p = 0.09). White and Latino youth showed similar rates of increase in lifetime alcohol use, which was significantly flatter among Black youth (F2,12=21.26, p<0.0001). Latino youth had a slightly, but not significantly, steeper increase in lifetime cannabis use than White and Black youth (F2,12=3.17, p = 0.07). Conclusions: Reports of lifetime alcohol and cannabis use substantially increase from age 12 to 17 and the rates are different according to sex and race/ethnicity, highlighting the need for early and tailored substance use prevention in adolescents.

Sexual minority status and food and alcohol disturbance among college students: The moderating role of body esteem.

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD; restricting caloric intake before, during, or after drinking to either offset calories or to increase intoxication) is common among college students and poses a threat to students' health. In conjunction, sexual minority (SM; i.e., not exclusively heterosexual) college students may be at increased risk of engaging in alcohol misuse and disordered eating compared to their heterosexual peers due to exposure to minority stress. However, little research has examined whether engagement in FAD differs by SM status. Body esteem (BE) is an important resilience factor among SMs that may influence SM students' risk of participating in FAD. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to understand the association between SM status and FAD with additional interest in BE as a moderating factor. Participants were 459 college students who engaged in past 30-day binge drinking. Most participants identified as White (66.7 %), female (78.4 %), heterosexual (69.3 %), with a mean age of 19.60 (SD = 1.54) years. Participants completed two surveys (3 weeks apart) over the course of an academic semester. Analyses revealed a significant interaction between SM status and BE, such that SMs with lower BE (T1) reported more engagement in FAD-intoxication (T2), whereas SMs with higher BE (T1) reported less engagement in FAD-calories (T2) and FAD-intoxication (T2) than their heterosexual peers. Stressors associated with body esteem may contribute to increased FAD engagement among SM students. Consequently, BE may be an especially important target for interventions aimed at reducing FAD among SM college students.

The relationship between drunkorexia, alcohol, and blackouts among college students: An exploratory study.

College drinkers commonly report blacking out (i.e., alcohol-induced amnesia), and those who drink with the intention to blackout are at risk for harmful consequences. Drunkorexia (i.e., restriction of calories on planned drinking days) is a high-risk behavior potentially associated with blacking out. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study explores blackout experiences and intentions to blackout association with drunkorexia. College students (n = 2335) who primarily identified as female and White participated via an online survey. Participants received a $3 coupon for completion of the study. Consistent with the literature, 40% and 60.7% of participants reported experiencing blackouts and drunkorexia, respectively, in the last year. Informed by the TPB, a structural equation model assessed whether more frequent blackout experiences (IV) were related to drunkorexia behaviors (DV1) and alcohol behaviors (DV2), and whether there was a significant indirect effect through blackout intention. The model fit the data well (CFI = .98, TLI = .95), which suggests that more frequent blackout experiences relate to more drunkorexia experiences (R2 = .04) and higher levels of alcohol consumption (R2 = .44). In addition, the relationship between blackout experiences and drunkorexia flows through intentions to blackout (i.e., a significant indirect effect). Findings are consistent with TPB, which suggests that intentions predict health behavior. Future interventions should consider modifying intentions and other possible TPB constructs to minimize high-risk alcohol consumption and drunkorexia behaviors.

Drunkorexia and trait mindfulness among college students.

Objective: Combined alcohol and disordered eating (drunkorexia) are alcohol fueled weight management behaviors. Mindfulness negatively relates to both disordered eating and alcohol use. Participants: Participants (n = 344, average age 20) were primarily female (85.2%, n = 293), and Caucasian (82.6%, n = 284). Methods: Students reported drunkorexia and mindfulness. Results: Drunkorexia behaviors were negatively correlated with Acting with Awareness (AA; full attention to a present moment; r = -.21, p < .001) and Nonjudgment (NJ; understanding and leniency toward oneself; r = -.22, p < .001). Drunkorexia motivations are significantly correlated with AA (r = -.13, p = .01) and NJ (r = -.18, p = .001). Structural equation modeling revealed higher levels of NJ related to higher levels of drunkorexia. Conclusion: The objective was to determine a potential relationship between drunkorexia behaviors and motivations, and trait mindfulness. Findings suggest a nonjudgmental disposition relates to lower levels of drunkorexia.

Baseline cortisol predicts drunkorexia in female but not male college students.

OBJECTIVE: "Drunkorexia" or compensatory eating behaviors in response to alcohol consumption, resembles a subclinical eating disorder, and is a current public health concern. Eating disorders and alcohol abuse are associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). One index of HPA function is cortisol. As causes of drunkorexia remain elusive, the present study examined cortisol function as it relates to drunkorexia. Participants:n = 73 (49 women) college students. Method: Participants provided daytime saliva samples for cortisol analyses prior to completing an online survey measuring alcohol consumption, drunkorexia, and alcohol problems as measured by the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Results: Multiple regressions indicated that baseline cortisol significantly positively correlated with drunkorexia behaviors in women but not men. Higher baseline cortisol and aspects of drunkorexia related to alcohol problems. Conclusion: Programs educating about stress management and health risks of drunkorexia may decrease engagement in drunkorexia behaviors among college students.

The effectiveness of constraint induced movement therapy in two young children with hemiplegia.

Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) for hemiplegia involves constraining use of the unaffected limb while providing intensive shaping and practice of movements in the hemiplegic limb. The technique had been shown to be highly effective in improving upper limb function in adults following stroke, but there is only a limited literature on the use of this intervention in children. This paper provides a brief overview of the theory and background of this procedure, and reviews the literature on use of the technique in children. It then provides detailed case reports for two hemiplegic children, ages 19 and 38 months, each of whom underwent a trial of CIMT. Both children made significant gains in upper arm function that were reflected in a variety of domains, including aspects of everyday functional limb use. Gains persisted to variable degrees and some unexpected new gains were noted following cessation of CIMT. Practical challenges for the children, parents, and therapists in implementing this intensive but promising intervention are also discussed.