Alcohol use and problems at colleges banning alcohol: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines student alcohol use and associated problems, including drinking and driving, at U.S. colleges that ban alcohol for all students on campus. METHOD: A nationally representative sample of students (N = 11,303, 61% women) attending U.S. colleges completed questionnaires regarding alcohol use and related behaviors in the spring of 1999. The responses of 2,252 students at 19 ban schools were compared with those of 9,051 students at 76 nonban schools. RESULTS: Students at ban colleges were 30% less likely to be heavy episodic drinkers and more likely to abstain from alcohol. The lower rates of heavy episodic drinking apply to students whether or not they were heavy episodic drinkers in high school. However, among drinkers, students at ban schools engaged in as much extreme drinking as drinkers at schools that do not ban alcohol and experienced the same rate of alcohol-related problems. At schools that ban alcohol, fewer students experienced secondhand effects of the drinking of others than did students at nonban schools. Students at ban schools were not more likely to drink and drive than were students at nonban schools. CONCLUSIONS: A campus ban on alcohol may support abstention from alcohol use and reduce heavy episodic drinking and the associated secondhand effects in college. Since this is a correlational study, we cannot determine whether the lower rates of heavy episodic drinking are due to the ban or to other factors (e.g., self-selection of students to these schools). Ban schools do not enroll fewer high school heavy episodic drinkers.

Drinking levels, alcohol problems and secondhand effects in substance-free college residences: results of a national study.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines alcohol use, associated problems and secondhand effects among residents of substance-free and alcohol-free housing on U.S. college campuses. METHOD: In the spring of 1999, a nationally representative sample of students completed survey questionnaires regarding alcohol use and related behaviors. The responses of 2,555 (61.25% female) students living in different types of residences (substance-free, alcohol-free and unrestricted) at the 52 campuses at which these housing options existed were compared. RESULTS: Substance-free residences were not substance-free; however, residents drank less heavily and experienced fewer alcohol-related problems and secondhand effects than students living in unrestricted housing. They were less likely (three fifths) to engage in heavy episodic drinking. The difference between students in substance-free and unrestricted housing was greatest for students who had not been heavy episodic drinkers in high school and for those on campuses with lower overall levels of heavy episodic drinking. In contrast, students who lived in alcohol-free halls were no less likely to be heavily involved in alcohol use than were students in unrestricted housing. CONCLUSIONS: Residence in substance-free housing was associated with lower likelihood of heavy episodic drinking in college for students who were not heavy episodic drinkers in high school. Whether or not this is a causal relationship or a result of self-selection needs to be examined in a prospective study. These living arrangements are also associated with lower levels of secondhand effects. College administrators may want to consider offering or increasing their substance-free housing options as one possible method of decreasing heavy student drinking.

Alcohol and college athletes.

PURPOSE: This study examines heavy episodic alcohol consumption and associated harms in collegiate athletes in the United States. The factors which may promote or deter such use are explored. METHODS: Randomly selected students in a nationally representative sample of 4-yr colleges in the United States completed self-report questionnaires in the spring of 1997. Athletes were defined as students who participated in one or more hours of intercollegiate athletics per day. Heavy episodic or "binge" drinking for men was defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks on at least one occasion in the past 2 wk and four or more for women. Athletes were compared with other students at their colleges. RESULTS: Athletes reported more binge drinking, heavier alcohol use, and a greater number of drinking-related harms. Athletes are more likely to exhibit the strong social ties found to be associated with binge drinking. Athletes, despite drinking more heavily than other students, report greater exposure to alcohol prevention efforts and possess unique motivations to limit their alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Athletes are a high-risk group for binge drinking and alcohol-related harms. Although special educational programs have targeted this group they have not sufficiently impacted the problem. Future prevention efforts targeted for athletes should address the unique social and environmental influences on athletes. Programs should also take advantage of motives of athletes for self-limiting alcohol intake. Colleges, athletic departments, coaches, and sports medicine professionals are urged to act to help reduce athletes risk of alcohol-related harms.

Binge drinking and the American college student: what's five drinks?

The use of the term binge drinking and the 5/4 measure have helped to advance the understanding of college alcohol use over the past 10 years. The present article discusses the importance, relevance, and utility of this measure.

The effect of passenger airbags on child seating behavior in motor vehicles.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the presence of passenger airbags on places where children sit when traveling in motor vehicles. Methodology. An observational and driver interview survey of 503 passenger vehicles was conducted in five New England states at randomly selected long- and short-distance travel sites during the summer of 1998. Each vehicle was occupied by at least 1 child <13 years of age. Seating position, vehicle information, and driver and passenger characteristics were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between the presence of passenger airbags in vehicles and the seating positions of children. Results. Controlling for the effects of the driver and vehicle characteristics, children <13 years of age were less likely to be observed riding in the front right seat when a passenger airbag was present in the vehicle (odds ratio:.34; 95% confidence interval:.19-.61). Of the vehicles carrying children, 23% had at least 1 child riding in the front seat. Children rode in the front seat in 17% of vehicles with a passenger airbag, and in 30% of those without a passenger airbag. Half of all vehicles without a teenage or adult passenger carried a child in the front seat. In 91% of vehicles with a child riding in the front seat, there was at least one available seat in the rear. Driver safety belt use, younger child age, and the presence of an adult passenger in the vehicle were all associated with children being seated in the rear. Conclusions. Some New England drivers are protecting children from the risks of passenger airbags by seating them in the rear. There remains, however, a substantial number of children who are being exposed to the risk of passenger airbag deployment.

Airbags: an exploratory survey of public knowledge and attitudes.

The present study examines public knowledge and opinion in the United States on issues related to airbag safety. Data were obtained through a national random digit-dial telephone survey of 1005 people living in the contiguous 48 United States. A majority of respondents (1) know that airbags can harm drivers seated too close to the steering wheel; (2) know that rear-facing infant seats should not be placed in the front seat of a car with passenger-side airbags; and (3) know that airbags are saving more lives of women drivers than are being lost. However, most respondents did not know that (1) airbags are killing more children than they are saving; (2) airbags can injure properly belted drivers; and (3) the majority of the lives saved by airbags have been among people who were not wearing safety belts. Knowledge of airbag risks to children and properly belted drivers was significantly associated with a less favorable attitude toward airbags, and with opposition toward the law mandating airbags on all new cars. Drivers of vehicles equipped with airbags held more favorable attitudes toward airbag technology. Further analysis suggests that as the public begins to understand the risks associated with airbags, the current high level of public support for the technology and the mandatory regulation may decline.

Factors associated with planned avoidance of alcohol-impaired driving in high-risk men.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the factors associated with planning to avoid alcohol-impaired driving and successful avoidance in high-risk young men. METHOD: A targeted telephone survey was conducted with male drivers aged 21-35 years who consume alcohol and live in areas of the country where alcohol-related traffic fatalities occur frequently (N = 750). Heavy episodic drinking drivers (i.e., report driving after consuming five or more drinks) were oversampled (N = 230). Respondents were surveyed to assess their attitudes, behavior and social support regarding drinking-driving. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression revealed that men who believe they can consume six drinks or more before it is too dangerous for them to drive were 45% less likely to report planning to avoid drinking-driving. Men who believe they can drive safely after heavy episodic drinking were 61% less likely to be successful in avoiding drinking-driving. Having friends who disapprove of driving after heavy episodic drinking and believing a close friend would be successful in preventing drinking-driving were significantly associated with making plans to avoid drinking-driving, although this association was less strong for successful avoidance. Men who had their wife/girlfriend along when they were out drinking were two and one-half times more likely to make plans to avoid drinking-driving. The presence of a wife or girlfriend was an even stronger predictor (multivariate odds ratio = 3.74) of successful avoidance. CONCLUSIONS: Attitude and social factors are associated with drinking-driving avoidance in a group of young men at risk for alcohol-related driving fatalities. Friends and wives/girlfriends appear to influence drinking-driving avoidance behavior in high-risk drinking drivers.

Young male drinkers and impaired driving intervention: results of a U.S. telephone survey.

The present study examines the role of interveners in the driving behavior of a group of drivers at higher risk for involvement in a fatal, alcohol-related motor vehicle accident than the general population, based on their demographic characteristics. The sample consisted of men, aged 21-34 years, living in areas where alcohol-involved motor vehicle fatalities most commonly occur. More than one-half (55%) of these men reported having been the target of an intervention to prevent them from drinking and driving. The variables most strongly associated with having been the target of an intervention were: involvement in an accident after drinking; frequency of driving after drinking too much to drive safely; binge drinking; reporting that it takes ten or more drinks to feel drunk. Age, total alcohol consumption and the relationship between the target and the intervener predicted intervention success. Persons who have close relationships with drinking drivers, particularly wives/girlfriends, are most likely to be successful in preventing these men from drinking and driving. To the extent they can be encouraged to safely intervene, wives/girlfriends and close friends may be potential targets for messages promoting informal social control of drinking and driving.

Perception of pain following aerobic exercise.

The literature regarding the effect of exercise on pain is equivocal. The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the influence of an acute bout of exercise on pain threshold (PT) and pain ratings (PR). A secondary purpose was to measure heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and state anxiety (SA) responses. Pressure (3000-g force) was applied to the middle digit of the right forefinger for 2 min with the Forgione-Barber pain stimulator before and following (5 min of cycling at 75% VO2max. Quiet rest consisted of sitting quietly for 30 min in a sound-dampened chamber. Order was counterbalanced, randomly assigned, and performed on different days. Data was analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA for multifactor experiments. PT was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and PR were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the exercise condition 5 min post-exercise in comparison with quiet rest. Changes in pain perception were accompanied by lower SBP (P < 0.03) and higher HR (P < 0.0001). in the exercise condition. It is concluded that an acute bout of exercise is associated with changes in pain perception.

Comparison and expectancy processes in human judgment.

This work explored a judgment model proposed by Manis and Paskewitz (1984a). The model suggests that prior experience with the members of a given category affects the assessment of other category members in 2 ways: (a) by providing a basis for comparison and (b) by leading the judge to expect that new exemplars will resemble those previously encountered. In 4 experiments, respondents judged the height of different people on the basis of full-length photographs. The height of the models in an induction series constituted the main independent variable. The effects of contrasting inductions (e.g., short vs. tall women) affected the judges' subsequent assessments in a test series. Both comparison and expectancy processes played a significant role, sometimes opposing one another and sometimes acting in parallel (i.e., supporting one another).