Social norms information for alcohol misuse in university and college students

Drinking is influenced by youth perceptions of how their peers drink. These perceptions are often incorrect, overestimating peer drinking norms. If inaccurate perceptions can be corrected, young people may drink less.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adolescent alcohol use and misuse : the influence of perceived family socialization factors

Alcohol-related problems are a worldwide phenomenon and, in the latter part of the twentieth century, have generated substantial academic interest. Some of this research has focussed on the alcohol use and misuse of young people. The present thesis falls squarely into this area, bringing to the investigation of adolescent drinking behaviour an emphasis on family environment from recent studies into problem drinking. The aim of this study, therefore, was to increase understanding of the formation of early drinking patterns by investigating perceived family socialization factors associated with self-reported adolescent alcohol use and misuse. The results should have implications for alcohol education and intervention strategies in the U.K.. Research into problem drinking and drug use/misuse, previous adolescent drinking research, developmental psychology, social psychology, family psychology, family systems and the sociology of deviance all informed this thesis, by contributing to the development of a theoretical model of family socialization influences on adolescent drinking behaviour. Two main areas of family environmental influence are outlined in this model, and demographic and structural variables form a third component of the model. In this study, family process behaviours are viewed as those aspects of family relationships and interactional styles which are important in the socialization of adolescent behaviours and the internalization of norms, are non-alcohol specific, and are characterized by two major dimensions of family functioning - support and control. Underlying the role of alcohol-specific family behaviours in the development of adolescent drinking is family social learning, which is characterized by family models and social reinforcement for drinking. The main study involved administering a fully piloted questionnaire to a large, cross-sectional, random sample of school students, aged 11-18, in Humberside (N=4386). In addition, a small number of semi-structured interviews were carried out, and each written up as a case study, to supplement the quantitative questionnaire data. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed on three levels. Descriptive statistics are presented and comparisons made with information from previous studies. ANOVA's tested for disordinal interactions and for nonlinear effects of family socialization variables on adolescent drinking behaviour. As no marked non-linear patterns or disordinal interactions were found a third level of analysis was carried out, involving structural equation modelling techniques. The main results from the study are summarized below: (i)As expected, both heavy drinkers and non/very light drinkers were more likely to report extreme patterns of family socialization behaviours. Low support and control, indifferent parents and more frequent family drinking were all linked with more self-reported adolescent drinking, whilst high support and control, disapproving parents and non/light family drinking were all linked with less adolescent drinking. The family profile linked with normative levels of adolescent drinking was moderate support and control, a moderating parental attitude, and moderate (mid-range) family drinking. (ii)Multivariate analyses pointed to the predominantly independent and additive effect of each family socialization variable on adolescent drinking behaviour. (iii)On the whole, family social learning variables, particularly parental attitude, were more important statistical predictors of adolescent drinking behaviour than family process variables. (iv)Contrary to predictions, when each school year/sex group was examined separately, an interesting transitional effect was found. For younger males and females, family social learning variables were significant predictors of drinking behaviour, but family process variables were not. However, in older year groups, the effect of family support and control on , drinking behaviour increased whilst, in a complementary fashion, the effect of family models and, in particular, parental attitude, decreased. (v)As expected, knowledge of friends' drinking predicted the respondent's drinking behaviour, but the impact and pattern of family socialization influences on drinking behaviour was not moderated by this peer influence variable. In addition, knowledge of friends' drinking was not as important, statistically, as family social learning influences. The thesis concludes by discussing the above findings and commenting on the generalizability of the results and the implications of the results for current alcohol education paradigms and for future research. The value of the family socialization model for the investigation of other adolescen

SPRING: an RCT study of probiotics in the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus in overweight and obese women

Background: Obesity is increasing in the child-bearing population as are the rates of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is associated with higher rates of Cesarean Section for the mother and increased risks of macrosomia, higher body fat mass, respiratory distress and hypoglycemia for the infant. Prevention of gestational diabetes through life style intervention has proven to be difficult. A Finnish study showed that ingestion of specific probiotics altered the composition of the gut microbiome and thereby metabolism from early gestation and decreased rates of gestational diabetes in normal weight women. In SPRING (the Study of Probiotics IN the prevention of Gestational diabetes), the effectiveness of probiotics ingestion for the prevention of gestational diabetes will be assessed in overweight and obese women

The effectiveness of brief personalized normative feedback in reducing alcohol-related problems amongst University students: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies have shown that university/college students tend to have an exaggerated view of the quantities of alcohol being consumed by their peers. Making students aware of this misperception may help change behaviour and reduce problem drinking.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>A Solomon Three Group Design will be used. There is one intervention group and two control groups, controlling separately for measurement and for intervention effects. Recruitment, consent, randomisation and data collection are all on-line. The primary outcomes are AUDIT Score, weekly consumption, perceived social norms, and alcohol related problems; secondary outcomes include alcohol expectancies and other health behaviours.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will provide information on the effectiveness of an on-line personalized normative feedback intervention for alcohol misuse in university students.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number: ISRCTN30784467</p

Diet and the risk of unipolar depression in adults: systematic review of cohort studies.

Background: Nutrition may be a risk factor for unipolar depression. We aimed to review the association between dietary variables and the risk of depression. Methods: Fifteen databases were searched up to May 2010. Only longitudinal studies for which outcomes were unipolar depression and/or depressive symptoms in adults were eligible for inclusion. Eleven studies were included and critically evaluated. Participants were in the age range 18–97 years and the study sample size was in the range 526–27 111. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 13 years. The diversity of dietary variables and nonlinear associations precluded formal meta-analysis and so a narrative analysis was undertaken. Results: Variables inversely associated with depression risk were the consumption of nutrients such as folate, omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids; foods such as olive oil and fish; and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. Some of these associations varied by sex and some showed a nonlinear association. Conclusions: At the study level, weaknesses in the assessment of exposure and outcome may have introduced bias. Most studies investigated a cohort subgroup that may have resulted in selection bias. At the review level, there is a risk of publication bias and, in addition, narrative analyses are more prone to subjectivities than meta-analyses. Diet may potentially influence the risk of depression, although the evidence is not yet conclusive. Strengthening healthy-eating patterns at the public health level may have a potential benefit. Robust prospective cohort studies specially designed to study the association between diet and depression risk are neededye

Insights for Care:The Healthcare Utilisation and Cost Impact of Managing Type 2 Diabetes-Associated Microvascular Complications

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the UK imposes a significant burden on the National Health Service (NHS). Despite the availability of effective treatments, the loss of glycaemic control over time results in significant comorbidities, including nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy. The cost of treating these microvascular complications has not been well documented, and this study aimed to provide an accurate assessment of the healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) associated with managing T2DM and its complications. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilised electronic medical records from patients with T2DM from the Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT), which captures data from patients using secondary care services. Patients were diagnosed with microvascular complications based on ICD-10 or OPCS codes. HCRU over a 2-year period was based on NHS Tariffs for healthcare services for inpatient, accident and emergency, and dialysis clinic usage. Results: The study cohort comprised 26,629 patients with T2DM who used HEFT services during the study period, 22.6%, 20.8% and 3.1% of whom had comorbid nephropathy, retinopathy or neuropathy, respectively. While the prevalence of diabetes in the overall HEFT population was reported to be 7% in 2012, diabetes and its associated complications accounted for more than 30% of secondary care costs. Furthermore, while patients with diabetes represent only 17% of HEFT inpatients, they account for more than 20% of service usage. The economic burden of microvascular complications increased substantially with the severity of the condition, with the overall cost exceeding £70 million over the 2-year period. Conclusion: This study of patients with T2DM in a typical secondary care provider in the UK showed that avoiding the progression of microvascular complications could provide substantial cost savings through targeted interventions that improve outcomes and lower resource use. Funding: Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited

Implicit alcohol attitudes predict drinking behavior over and above intentions and willingness in young adults but willingness is more important in adolescents: implications for the Prototype Willingness Model

Objectives: Dual process models, such as the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM), propose to account for both intentional and reactive drinking behaviour. Current methods of measuring constructs in the PWM rely on self-report, thus require a level of conscious deliberation. Implicit measures of attitudes may overcome this limitation and contribute to our understanding of how prototypes and willingness influence alcohol consumption in young people. This study aimed to explore whether implicit alcohol attitudes were related to PWM constructs and if they would add to the prediction of risky drinking. Design: The study involved a cross-sectional design. The sample included 501 participants from the United Kingdom (Mean age 18.92; range 11-51; 63% female); 230 school pupils and 271 university students. Methods: Participants completed explicit measures of alcohol prototype perceptions, willingness, drunkenness, harms, and intentions. They also completed an implicit measure of alcohol attitudes, using the Implicit Association Test. Results: Implicit alcohol attitudes were only weakly related to the explicit measures. When looking at the whole sample, implicit alcohol attitudes did not add to the prediction of willingness over and above prototype perceptions. However, for university students implicit attitudes added to the prediction of behaviour, over and above intentions and willingness. For school pupils, willingness was a stronger predictor of behaviour than intentions or implicit attitudes. Conclusions: Adding implicit measures to the PWM may contribute to our understanding of the development of alcohol behaviours in young people. Further research could explore how implicit attitudes develop alongside the shift from reactive to planned behaviour