Prevalence and psychosocial risk factors associated with current cigarette smoking and hazardous alcohol drinking among adolescents in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking are the most common types of substance use and misuse (SUM) among adolescents. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and psychosocial factors associated with current cigarette smoking and hazardous alcohol drinking among adolescents in Taiwan. METHODS: Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires on computers from students at 14 senior high schools in Taipei, Taiwan. Hierarchical multiple regression strategies were used to determine the risk factors for SUM. RESULTS: A total of 5879 participants were recruited, the majority of whom were female (56.7%). The prevalence rates of current smoking and hazardous alcohol drinking were 3.84% and 7.38%, respectively. Risk factors associated with current smoking were similar to those for hazardous alcohol drinking, including male gender, low school ranking, and depression. In addition, current smoking was associated with increasing age, hazardous alcohol drinking, and fewer parents with whom they can talk, whereas hazardous alcohol drinking was associated with current smoking, not living with both biological parents, and more peers with whom they can talk. CONCLUSION: The potential coexistence of adolescent SUM and common psychosocial correlates demands an integrated approach. Health professionals should provide corresponding intervention programs and coordinate with parents and teachers to develop an anti-SUM environment, especially for males and high-risk schools. Preventive psychiatric services as an integral part of anti-SUM strategies for adolescents targeting to depression may be useful in reducing the risk.

A multiple mediation model of trait worry and hazardous drinking among treatment-seeking smokers: the roles of coping and conformity drinking motives.

Alcohol use is associated with poorer smoking cessation-related outcomes, and smokers with elevated levels of worry experience greater smoking cessation problems. Yet, little is known about the explanatory mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between trait worry and hazardous drinking among smokers. Therefore, this study explored the explanatory roles of coping and conformity drinking motives in the relationship between trait worry and hazardous drinking outcomes including alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, maximum number of drinks, and the number of prior alcohol quit attempts among treatment-seeking smokers. Participants included 377 treatment-seeking smokers who consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the last year (48% female; 86.2% Caucasian; Mage = 34.83 years, SD = 13.38). Results showed a significant indirect effect of trait worry through coping-related drinking motives in relation to alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, maximum number of drinks, and number of prior drinking quit attempts. These findings were evident after controlling for gender, cigarette dependence, and current psychopathology. These findings suggest that coping drinking motives are one mechanism that may explain the relation between trait worry and hazardous drinking outcomes among treatment-seeking smokers.

[Determinants of Drinking Relapse after Treatments in Patients with Alcohol Dependence in Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that influent drinking relapse after treatments in patients with alcohol dependence in Sichuan province. METHODS: Data were collected in 10 cities of Sichuan province from September 2014 to June 2015,involving 599 patients who received treatments for alcohol dependence. A questionnaire survey was administered on these patients one year after discharge through face to face interviews,collecting data in relation to their demographic characteristics,drinking over the past year,smoking,mood and level of stress. Ordinal polytomous logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association of these factors with drinking relapse. RESULTS: All of the 599 patients started drinking again after treatments: 18 having low-risk drinking,92 having hazardous drinking,103 having harmful drinking,and 386 having alcohol dependence. Younger patients [odds ratio (OR)=0.978,P=0.009],those who experienced less positive events (OR=0.978,P<0.001) or more negative events (OR=1.014,P=0.003),and those with depression (OR=1.121,P=0.001) were more likely to resume a higher level of alcohol drinking than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: High relapse with alcohol dependence is evident. So does hazardous and harmful drinking. Negative life events and depression are risk factors of drinking relapse,while older age and positive life events are protective factors.

Correlates of hazardous alcohol drinking among trans and non-binary people in Canada: A community-based cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Transgender and non-binary people (TGNB) have a higher rate of heavy episodic drinking than cisgender people; however, extant knowledge about predictors of hazardous alcohol drinking (HAD) among different TGNB groups is limited. This study examined predictors of HAD in a national sample of TGNB people in Canada. METHODS: Logistic regression models were fit to examine the effects of 1) minority stressors and 2) stress-buffering factors on the likelihood of HAD, stratified by gender, among 2324 TGNB individuals from the Trans PULSE Canada survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2019 among trans and non-binary people aged 14+ in Canada. RESULTS: Almost 17% of participants reported past-year HAD. Lifetime day-to-day and lifetime major discrimination were associated with higher odds of HAD in the full sample [(AOR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.44) and (AOR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.55, 1.86) respectively], and across all gender groups. Social support was associated with lower odds of HAD in trans men, non-binary people assigned female at birth (NB-AFAB), and non-binary people assigned male at birth (NB-AMAB) groups, but with higher odds of HAD in the trans women group. Misgendering was associated with lower odds of HAD in trans men and NB-AFAB, but higher odds of HAD in trans women and NB-AMAB. Mixed effects of gender distress, gender positivity, and gender-affirming medical care were also reported across groups. CONCLUSION: The study provided a more detailed understanding of the predictors of HAD across four TGNB groups. Public health interventions should focus on structural discrimination and social support for TGNB people.

Determinants of Alcohol Consumption among Medical Students: Results from POLLEK Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of alcohol is a serious public health concern all over the world, especially among young people, including students. Medical students are often exposed to higher levels of distress, which may lead to a higher prevalence of psychoactive substance use and psychiatric co-morbidities. Alcohol abuse can be one of the detrimental methods of coping with distress. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use among medical students in Poland. METHODS: We analyzed data from the POLLEK cohort study on alcohol consumption and possible influencing factors. RESULTS: Among the 540 students included, 167 (30.9%) were hazardous drinkers (HAZ) according to the AUDIT test. The main identified risk factors of hazardous/harmful drinking were male gender and smoking cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Given the fairly widespread alcohol abuse among medical students, it is necessary to implement screening (and intervention in the next stage) programs in these groups.

Effect of fear of victimization on hazardous alcohol drinking, tobacco, and marijuana use among university students: A tale of two sexes.

BACKGROUND: Fear of victimization has been associated with poorer physical and mental health, yet is understudied in public health. Few studies have examined sex differences in the effects of fear of victimization on substance use. We examined associations between fear of victimization and hazardous alcohol drinking, tobacco, and marijuana use among female and male university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in an urban location (n = 1415). Socio-demographics, substance use, and fear related to various crimes were measured using online surveys. All fear types were summed into a total fear score and categorized into quartiles: no/little fear, moderate fear, high fear, and very high fear. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression models were used to examine associations between fear of victimization, hazardous alcohol drinking, tobacco and marijuana use, by sex. RESULTS: Females were more likely to report high and very high fear of victimization (26.6% and 33.1%) than male students (19.8% and 16.3%; p < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression models, associations differed by sex: moderate, high, and very high fear were all independently associated with hazardous drinking among females but not males. Female students with very high fear of victimization were more likely to report tobacco use. High and very high fear was also independently associated with marijuana use among female only. CONCLUSIONS: Higher fear of victimization was associated with substance use among females but not male students. Public health and health care professionals should acknowledge fear of victimization as a potential risk factor for substance use, particularly among women.

Hazardous Alcohol Drinking as Predictor of Smoking Relapse (3-, 6-, and 12-Months Follow-Up) by Gender.

Diverse studies have found a relation between alcohol consumption and smoking relapse. Few studies have analyzed the relation of smoking relapse with pretreatment alcohol consumption and gender differences. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of alcohol consumption in smoking relapse over 12 months (3-, 6-, and 12-months follow-up) and to determine possible gender differences. The sample included 374 smokers who quit smoking by participating in a psychological smoking cessation treatment. We assessed hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking (AUDIT), cigarette consumption (FTND; number of cigarettes) and sociodemographic variables. Higher scores on hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking predict smoking relapse at 3-, 6-, and 12-months after smoking cessation. In males, higher scores on hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking predict relapse at 6 and at 12 months. In females, higher scores on hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking predict tobacco relapse at 3 months. Hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking predicts relapse at all intervals after smoking cessation (3-, 6-, and 12-months follow-up). However, the influence of hazardous pretreatment alcohol drinking on smoking relapse differs as a function of gender, as it is a short-term predictor in women (3 months) and a long-term predictor in men (6 and 12 months).