Validation of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale in Lithuanian population.

BACKGROUND: Personality traits are related with risk of hazardous alcohol use and alcohol dependence. The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) measures personality traits associated with addictive substance abuse. We examined psychometric properties of the SURPS in Lithuanian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred forty-seven participants (mean age 37.22 ± 0.78 years), were recruited from the local community and from an inpatient addiction treatment centre. Internal consistency, stability, factor structure, content validity, and external validity of the SURPS were examined. Hazardous alcohol use was evaluated by Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Alcohol dependence diagnosis was established by International Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD - 10). We also performed gender analyses for associations of personality traits with alcohol dependence and hazardous use of alcohol. RESULTS: The SURPS scale demonstrated appropriate internal validity, good temporal stability, and adequate criterion validity and construct validity. The SURPS scores of hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity and impulsivity were higher in the alcohol dependence group than in the control group for both males and females. Impulsivity and sensation seeking were associated with hazardous alcohol use and these associations were more prevalent in females. CONCLUSIONS: Lithuanian translation of the SURPS scale was appropriate. The SURPS demonstrated good sensitivity for discriminating on alcohol dependence and was more sensitive for discriminating on hazardous alcohol use for females.

Epistatic effect of Ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 - Dopamine receptor D2 and catechol-o-methyltransferase single nucleotide polymorphisms on the risk for hazardous use of alcohol in Lithuanian population.

AIM: The Lithuanian population has outstanding rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol related mortality. Alteration of brain dopaminergic system play a role in the risk for addiction disorders. We evaluated the association of one single nucleotide polymorphism rs1800497 in the Ankyrin Repeat and Kinase Domain Containing 1 - Dopamine Receptor D2 complex (ANKK1-DRD2) and a catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 single nucleotide polymorphism with the risk for alcohol use disorder and impulsiveness in Lithuanian population. Both genetic polymorphisms are known to alter brain dopaminergic activity, thus we also investigated the possible interaction effect of these polymorphisms. METHODS: The study included 329 participants recruited from the local community. Hazardous alcohol use was evaluated using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Impulsiveness was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - 11 (BIS-11). Between group differences of AUDIT and BIS-11 scores were examined stratified by genetic polymorphisms and their combinations. The independent effect of each polymorphism and their interaction for hazardous alcohol use were evaluated using adjusted logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 polymorphism was associated with total AUDIT score, but not with the hazardous use of alcohol, as indicated by the AUDIT test cut-off of 8. The COMT rs4680 GG genotype was associated with the hazardous use of alcohol (adjusted OR = 2.094, p = 0.029), but this association was not statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Presence of both COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 GGxCT/TT polymorphisms was associated with significantly increased risk for hazardous use of alcohol (adjusted OR = 5.016, p = 0.005). The COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 genetic polymorphisms, and their combination were not associated with impulsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the interaction of COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 genetic polymorphisms is associated with a hazardous use of alcohol.

[Characteristics of depressiveness among adolescents with diabetes mellitus]. / Paaugliu, serganciu cukriniu diabetu, depresiskumo ypatybes.

The objective of this article was to establish the characteristics of depressiveness among adolescents with diabetes. Adolescents aged 14 and 16 years suffering from diabetes, healthy ones, and their parents were enrolled in the study. A total of 260 adolescents (100 adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 160 healthy ones) were interviewed. To measure adolescents' depressiveness, a new scale was constructed using different questionnaires (Maastricht, Hamilton, Beck). Parents' depressiveness was measured with Beck depression scale. This study showed that 16-year-old girls with diabetes were more depressed than the healthy ones. Mothers of 14-year-old adolescents and 16-year-old girls with diabetes are more depressed than the healthy adolescents' mothers. Results of the study confirmed that depressiveness of 14- and 16-year-old girls with diabetes and that of their mothers were related. The relationship between the depressiveness of mothers of 14-year-old boys with diabetes mellitus and bad glycemic control of their sons was determined. The following peculiarities of depressiveness among adolescents with diabetes were found: 14-year-old girls had more negative attitude toward themselves; 16-year-old girls were very sensitive and had depressed mood; 16-year-old boys complained about lowered daily activity.

[The relationship of eating behavior to body dissatisfaction and physical and psychological abuse in childhood]. / Valgymo elgesio sasajos su nepasitenkinimu savo kunu bei vaikysteje patirta fizine ir psichologine prievarta.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of disordered eating behavior to body dissatisfaction and physical and psychological abuse in childhood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 299 first- through fourth-year female students of Kaunas University of Medicine and Vytautas Magnus University took part in the survey. The respondents filled in the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and answered the questions about parental physical and psychological abuse in childhood. RESULTS: Women who are dissatisfied with their body image diet more often (p<0.05), and they are significantly more likely to display bulimic behavior (p<0.05). Women who have experienced parental physical and psychological abuse demonstrate more anorexic behavior (p<0.05). In addition, they diet more often (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Women who are dissatisfied with their body image show more disordered eating behavior: they diet more often and are more likely to display bulimic behavior. Parental physical and psychological abuse in childhood is related to eating behavior characteristic of anorexia nervosa. Parental physical and psychological abuse in childhood is not related to bulimic behavior. Women who have experienced parental physical and psychological abuse in childhood do not differ in body dissatisfaction from women who have not experienced such an abuse in their childhood.

Impact of residential greenness on preschool children's emotional and behavioral problems.

This study investigated the effects of the proximity to city parks and the influence of residential greenness on children's emotional and behavioral problems. This cross-sectional study included 1,468 mothers of children (ages 4 to 6) who were residents of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. The mothers and their children were enrolled in the FP7 PHENOTYPE project study. The mothers reported on their parenting stress and their children's mental health. Residential greenness was characterized as an average of the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in a 300 m buffer around each home address, and the proximity to city parks was defined as the distance from the subject's residence to the nearest park. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association among the residence distances from city parks, greenness and children's mental health problems. Farther residential distance from city parks was associated with worse mental health (except for the emotional problems subscale) in children whose mothers had a lower education level. More residential greenness was associated with worse mental health (more conditional problems and less prosocial behavior) in children whose mothers had a higher education level. These relationships have important implications for the prevention of emotional and behavioral problems in children.