Do drinking motives mediate the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and alcohol use among adolescents?

Funding: Funding for the Scottish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children was provided by NHS Scotland. This work was also supported by the 600th Anniversary Ph.D. Scholarship which was awarded to Gina Martin by the University of St Andrews.Adolescents not only vary in their alcohol use behavior but also in their motivations for drinking. Young people living in different neighborhoods may drink for different reasons. The aims of this study were to determine if neighborhood characteristics were associated with adolescent drinking motives, and whether drinking motives mediate the relationship between neighborhood context and regular alcohol use. Data from the Scottish Health Behaviours in School-aged Children 2010 survey of students in their 4th year of secondary school were used. The study included 1119 participants who had data on neighborhood characteristics and had used alcohol in the past year. Students were asked questions about the local area where they lived, their alcohol use, and their motives for drinking alcohol, based on the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQR-SF). Multilevel multivariable models and structural equation models were used in this study. Coping motives showed significant variation across neighborhoods. Structural equation models showed coping motives mediated the relationships between neighborhood deprivation, living in an accessible small-town, and neighborhood-level disorder with regular alcohol use. Public health policies that improve neighborhood conditions and develop adaptive strategies, aimed at improving alcohol-free methods for young people to cope better with life’s stresses, may be particularly effective in reducing inequalities in adolescent alcohol use if targeted at small towns and areas of increased deprivation.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

How do impulsivity traits influence problem gambling through gambling motives? The role of perceived gambling risk/benefits.

Although substantial research suggests that motivations have been found to mediate the relationships between impulsivity traits and various forms of substance use, no studies have examined how gambling motives may mediate the relationships between impulsivity traits and problem gambling. The primary purpose of this study was to test an integrative model linking impulsivity traits and gambling problems, evaluating the mediating effects of gambling motives. Participants were 594 students (73% male; mean age =19.92; SD=2.91) enrolled in public high schools or universities. Young people who tend to act rashly in response to extremely positive moods, showed higher enhancement and coping motives, which in turn were positively related to gambling problems. Individuals with higher levels of sensation seeking were more likely to have higher levels of enhancement motives, which in turn were also positively related to gambling problems. The model was examined in several groups, separately for the level of perceived gambling risk/benefits (lower perceived gambling risk, higher perceived gambling risk, lower perceived gambling benefits, and higher perceived gambling benefits). There were significant differences between these groups for this division. These findings suggest that prevention and/or treatment strategies might want to consider the model’s variables, including impulsivity traits and gambling motives, in accordance with individual levels of perceived gambling risk/benefits

Psychometric Properties of the Alcohol Expectancy Scale in Argentinean Adolescents Applying the Rating Scale Analysis

The goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Alcohol Expectancy Scale (AES-AA) applying item response theory. Data were obtained from 592 adolescents enrolled in private and public schools of the city of Córdoba (Argentina). This psychometric study was carried out with the Rating Scale Model (RSM), a polytomous Rasch model. Out of the 45 items that make up the scale, 42 items had adequate fit indexes, explaining 91.3% of the adolescents’ response patterns. The estimation error of the parameters was low, indicating adequate precision of the items. In general, the participants’ scores fell within the range of the continuum where the test is most precise. Adolescents’ least frequent expectancies about alcohol consumption were related to sexual behavior (positive expectancies), whereas their most frequent expectancies corresponded both with the Sociability Scale (positive expectancies) and to the Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment Scale (negative expectancies). Implications for preventive programs are discussed.Fil: Pilatti, Angelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudio sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Psicología - Grupo Vinculado CIPSI; ArgentinaFil: Godoy, Juan Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología. Laboratorio de Psicologia; ArgentinaFil: Lozano, Oscar. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Brussino, Silvina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudio sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Psicología - Grupo Vinculado CIPSI; Argentin

Drinking Motives among Spanish and Hungarian Young Adults: A Cross-National Study

Aims: To investigate differences and similarities in college students' drinking motives in Spain and in Hungary. Methods: A total of 550 Spanish (mean age 22.7, SD=3.2) and 997 Hungarian (mean age 22.4, SD=2.7) college students completed the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF) and answered other alcohol-related questions. Data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, t-test and structural equation modeling. Results: The DMQ-R SF demonstrated good psychometric properties in both countries. The rank order of the motives (social>enhancement>coping>conformity) was identical in the two countries. However, Hungarian students scored higher on enhancement, social and coping motives than Spanish students. In both the Hungarian and the Spanish population, enhancement motives were associated with drinking frequency and drunkenness, while coping motives were associated with alcohol-related problems. Among Spanish students, a significant relationship was found between alcohol-related problems and enhancement motives as well. Conclusion: Despite the substantial differences in the drinking culture of both countries, drinking motives showed overwhelming similarities (e.g. rank order of motives and the particular relationships between motives and alcohol outcomes). Only few differences (e.g. Hungarian college students indicated a higher level of motives) were found in cross-national comparison. Our results imply that programs targeting risky drinking motives are likely to be successfully adapted to different drinking cultures in Europ

Disordered eating and alcohol consumption among adolescents: the role of motivations and emotion regulation

The present dissertation was aimed to better understand and clarify the potential mechanisms and dynamics underlying three common heath-risk behaviors among adolescents, which refer both to alcohol use and disordered eating, such as binging behaviors (binge drinking and binge eating) and drunkorexia. Specifically, Study 1 was aimed to examine the motivations that can lead adolescents to engage in binge drinking and binge eating. Although there is a growing interest in analyzing the reasons why some individuals repeatedly engage in eating and drinking behaviors, only few studies have investigated the motivations for binging behaviors in adolescents and, moreover, to our knowledge no study no far has explored underlying motives for both of these behaviors. Study 2 was aimed at contributing to the investigation of drunkorexia, a behavior that only recently has caught the interest of scholars and thus, research on drunkorexia is still understudied especially among adolescents. The goal of the present study was threefold; the first goal was to examine the relation between drunkorexia and various disordered eating behaviors, as well as aspects of alcohol use in male and female adolescents. More specifically, we aimed to explore whether drunkorexia was most strongly related to disorder eating or alcohol use. Furthermore, the second goal was to investigate motivations that may drive adolescents to engage in drunkorexia. The third and last goal was to explore the association between drunkorexia and different dimensions of emotion dysregulation; to our knowledge, this is the first attempt addressed to his topic. Our results showed that binge drinking and binge eating may be triggered by the same motivations; adolescents may be motivated by the desire and need to regulate their emotions, because probably they have not learned to use more adaptive and healthy strategies, especially when they experience intense negative emotions. Furthermore, our findings suggest that adolescents may also engage in both binging behaviors because of driven by social reasons; thus, food or alcohol may be consumed when adolescents are involved in social activities, where probably they are more exposed and sensitive to peer pressure to adhere to eating and drinking norms. Thus, the current study support the argument that the motivations underlying both binging behaviors may be similar and perform the same function. In addition, our work have provided further information on drunkorexia; in particular, the present results highlighted that both disordered eating and alcohol use contribute to drunkorexia in male and female adolescents; specifically, the use of fasting and engaging in binge drinking and getting drunk were found to play an important role in predicting drunkorexia in both males and females. Our results highlighted also important gender differences; females were more likely than males, to report preoccupation with dieting and weight, concern about gaining weight and the use of laxatives as eating behaviors exhibited prior to consuming alcohol beverages. Moreover, females were resulted to engage in drunkorexia mainly because of enhancement motives; thus, drunkorexia seems to be used as a strategy to enhance positive affect, such as to have fun or to get high when they drink. Conversely, males seem to be characterized by eating patterns which involve alternation of excess and deprivation that results in constantly limiting caloric intake often accompained by binge eating episodes, probably triggered by aversive emotional states. Indeed, our results suggest that drunkorexia in males is significantly predicted by difficulties regulating emotions; specifically male adolescents reported difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when they experience negative emotions and clarity regarding their emotional responses

The Role of Personality in Predicting Drug and Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minorities

Research consistently demonstrates that sexual minority status is associated with increased risk of problematic substance use. Existing literature in this area has focused on group-specific minority stress factors (e.g., victimization and internalized heterosexism). However, no known research has tested the incremental validity of personality traits as predictors of substance use beyond identified group-specific risk factors. A sample of 704 sexual minority adults was recruited nationally from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community organizations and social networking Web sites and asked to complete an online survey containing measures of personality, sexual minority stress, and substance use. Hierarchical regression models were constructed to test the incremental predictive validity of five-factor model personality traits over and above known sexual minority risk factors. Consistent with hypotheses, extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with drug and alcohol use after accounting for minority stress factors, and all factors except agreeableness were associated with substance use at the bivariate level of analysis. Future research should seek to better understand the role of normal personality structures and processes conferring risk for substance use among sexual minorities

Impulsivity and drinking motives predict problem behaviours relating to alcohol use in University students

Aims: This study used a four-factor model of impulsivity to investigate inter-relationships between alcohol consumption, impulsivity, motives for drinking and the tendency to engage in alcohol-related problem behaviours. Methods: 400 University students aged 18-25 completed an online survey consisting of the following measures: Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance and Sensation Seeking Scale (UPPS) to measure impulsivity; Student Alcohol Questionnaire to assess drinking quantity, frequency and rates of problem behaviours; Drinking Motives Questionnaire to assess motives for drinking. Results: The majority of the sample (94.5%) drank alcohol at least monthly. Path analysis revealed direct effects of urgency, sensation seeking and premeditation, as well as the quantity of alcohol consumed, on the tendency to engage in risky behaviours with negative consequences. The effect of urgency was mediated by drinking for coping motives and by a combined effect of drinking for social motives and consumption of wine or spirits. Conversely the effect of sensation seeking was mediated by the quantity of alcohol consumed, irrespective of drink type, and the effect of premeditation was mediated by the consumption of wine and spirits, in combination with enhancement motives. Conclusions: Sensation seeking, urgency and lack of premeditation are related to different motives for drinking and also demonstrate dissociable relationships with the consumption of specific types of alcohol (beer, wine and spirits) and the tendency to engage in risky behaviours associated with alcohol consumption. Screening for high levels of urgency and for severe drinking consequences may be useful predictors of alcohol-related problems in UK University students aged 18 to 25 years