Genome­-wide association study of alcohol consumption and genetic overlap with other health-­related traits in UK Biobank (<i>N </i>=112,117)

Alcohol consumption has been linked to over 200 diseases and is responsible for over 5% of the global disease burden. Well-known genetic variants in alcohol metabolizing genes, for example, ALDH2 and ADH1B, are strongly associated with alcohol consumption but have limited impact in European populations where they are found at low frequency. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of self-reported alcohol consumption in 112 117 individuals in the UK Biobank (UKB) sample of white British individuals. We report significant genome-wide associations at 14 loci. These include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in alcohol metabolizing genes (ADH1B/ADH1C/ADH5) and two loci in KLB, a gene recently associated with alcohol consumption. We also identify SNPs at novel loci including GCKR, CADM2 and FAM69C. Gene-based analyses found significant associations with genes implicated in the neurobiology of substance use (DRD2, PDE4B). GCTA analyses found a significant SNP-based heritability of self-reported alcohol consumption of 13% (se=0.01). Sex-specific analyses found largely overlapping GWAS loci and the genetic correlation (rG) between male and female alcohol consumption was 0.90 (s.e.=0.09, P-value=7.16 × 10(-23)). Using LD score regression, genetic overlap was found between alcohol consumption and years of schooling (rG=0.18, s.e.=0.03), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (rG=0.28, s.e.=0.05), smoking (rG=0.40, s.e.=0.06) and various anthropometric traits (for example, overweight, rG=-0.19, s.e.=0.05). This study replicates the association between alcohol consumption and alcohol metabolizing genes and KLB, and identifies novel gene associations that should be the focus of future studies investigating the neurobiology of alcohol consumption

Religião e uso de drogas por adolescentes Religion and drug use by adolescents

INTRODUÇÃO: Estudos internacionais e nacionais mostram que a religiosidade é um modulador importante no consumo de álcool e drogas entre estudantes adolescentes. OBJETIVOS: verificar se diferentes variáveis da religiosidade influenciam o uso freqüente e/ou pesado de álcool e drogas entre estudantes de 1º e 2º graus. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com uma técnica de amostragem do tipo intencional. Foi utilizado um questionário anônimo de autopreenchimento. A amostra foi constituída por 2.287 estudantes de escolas públicas periféricas e centrais e escolas particulares da cidade de Campinas, SP, entrevistados no ano de 1998. As drogas estudadas foram: álcool, tabaco, solventes, medicamentos, maconha, cocaína e ecstasy. As variáveis independentes incluídas na análise de regressão logística foram: filiação religiosa, freqüência de ida ao culto/missa por mês, considerar-se pessoa religiosa e educação religiosa na infância. Para identificar como as variáveis de religiosidade influenciam o uso de álcool e drogas utilizaram-se análises bivariadas e a análise de regressão logística para resposta dicotômica. RESULTADOS: O uso pesado de pelo menos uma droga foi maior entre os estudantes que tiveram educação na infância sem religião. O uso no mês de cocaína e de "medicamentos para dar barato" foi maior nos estudantes que não tinham religião. O uso no mês de ecstasy e de "medicamentos para dar barato" foi maior nos estudantes que não tiveram educação religiosa na infância. CONCLUSÕES: Várias dimensões da religiosidade relacionam-se com o uso de drogas por adolescentes, com possível efeito inibidor. Particularmente interessante foi que uma maior educação religiosa na infância mostrou-se marcadamente importante em tal possível inibição.<br>INTRODUCTION: Many international studies show that religion is an important dimension modulating the use of alcohol and drugs by adolescents. OBJECTIVES: to determine which religious variables are associated to frequent or heavy use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs among adolescents in intermediate and high schools in Campinas, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-report anonymous questionnaire was administered to 2.287 students from a convenience sample of seven schools: five from central areas (two public and three private schools) and two public schools from the outskirts of the city, in 1998. The study analyzes data regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco, medicines, solvents, marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy. The religious variables included in the regression analysis were: religious affiliation, church attendance, self-assessed religiousness, and religious education in childhood. For the substances, nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and "abuse of medicines" a logistic regression analysis for dicotomic answer was applied. RESULTS: The heavy use of at least one drug during the last month was more frequent among students that did not have a religious education during childhood. The use in the last month of cocaine, ecstasy and (abuse of) medicines was more frequent among those students that had no religion (cocaine and medicines) and that did not have a religious education during childhood (ecstasy and medicines). CONCLUSIONS: this study is consistent with previous investigations demonstrating a strong influence of religious variables over the use of drugs among adolescents. Interesting, it was found that no or weaker religious education during childhood was markedly associated with significant more use of drugs during adolescence

Atitudes de estudantes de enfermagem frente questões relacionadas ao álcool, alcoolismo e alcoolista Actitudes de estudiantes de enfermería frente a cuestiones relacionadas al álcool, alcoolismo e alcoolista Attitudes of nursing students facing questions related to alcohol, alcoholism and the alcoholic

OBJETIVO: Examinar as atitudes de uma amostra de estudantes de enfermagem frente ao álcool, alcoolismo e alcoolista. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório realizado com 144 estudantes do último ano de graduação em enfermagem de duas escolas do setor privado da cidade de Ribeirão Preto - SP. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se a Escala de atitudes frente álcool, alcoolismo e alcoolista. RESULTADOS: as atitudes frente ao alcoolista foram mais negativas do que aquelas que vêm sendo reportadas na literatura. A maioria dos participantes considerou o alcoolista culpado por seus problemas de saúde e preferiu não trabalhar com esse tipo de paciente. CONCLUSÃO: As atitudes dos estudantes frente às questões relacionadas ao álcool e alcoolismo tendem à ambivalência e à negatividade, o que pode ser atribuído à falta de preparo recebida durante a graduação. Apesar das recomendações feitas pelos especialistas no País pouco tem sido investido na formação do enfermeiro em álcool e outras drogas sobretudo nas escolas privadas.<br>OBJETIVO: Examinar las actitudes de una muestra de estudiantes de enfermería frente al alcohol, alcoholismo y al alcohólico. MÉTODOS: Estudio exploratorio realizado con 144 estudiantes del último año del pregrado en enfermería de dos escuelas del sector privado de la ciudad de Ribeirão Preto - SP. Para la recolección de datos, se utilizó la Escala de Actitudes frente al alcohol, alcoholismo y alcohólico. RESULTADOS: las actitudes frente al alcoholismo fueron más negativas que aquellas que vienen siendo reportadas en la literatura. La mayoría de los participantes consideró al alcohólico culpable por sus problemas de salud y prefirió no trabajar con este tipo de paciente. CONCLUSIÓN: Las actitudes de los estudiantes frente a las cuestiones relacionadas al alcohol y alcoholismo tienden a la ambivalencia y a la negatividad, el que puede ser atribuído a la falta de preparación recibida durante el pregrado. A pesar de las recomendaciones realizadas por los especialistas en el País poco ha sido invertido en la formación del enfermero en alcohol y otras drogas sobre todo en las escuelas privadas.<br>OBJECTIVE: To examine the attitudes of a sample of nursing students toward alcohol, alcoholism and the alcoholic. METHODS: An exploratory study conducted with 144 students in their final year of undergraduate nursing in two private schools in the city of Ribeirão Preto - SP. For data collection, we used the scale of attitudes towards alcohol, alcoholism and the alcoholic. RESULTS: Attitudes toward alcohol were more negative than those that have been reported in the literature. The majority of participants considered the alcoholic to blame for his health problems and preferred not to work with this type of patient. CONCLUSION: The students' attitudes to questions related to alcohol and alcoholism tended toward ambivalence and negativity, which can be attributed to lack of preparation received during their education. Despite recommendations made by specialists in the country, little has been invested in nursing education on alcohol and other drugs, especially in private schools

Drinking games and contextual factors of 21st birthday drinking.

Background: 21st birthday celebrations are among the highest risks for alcohol use throughout emerging adulthood and celebrants often experience a range of alcohol-related consequences. Objectives: The present research considered what happens when drinking games are paired with an already high-risk event (i.e., 21st birthday celebrations) and how drinking games compare with other contextual factors on 21st birthdays. Methods: Approximately four days after turning 21, 1124 college students (55% women) completed an online survey assessing alcohol use and related consequences experienced during their birthday celebrations. Participants were also asked whether drinking games and other contextual factors were associated with their celebrations. Results: Overall, 18% of participants reported playing drinking games during their 21st birthday celebrations. These individuals reported consuming more alcohol, had higher estimated BACs, and experienced more negative consequences than those who did not play drinking games. The association between playing drinking games and alcohol use and negative consequences was stronger for men. The effect of drinking games on negative consequences was mediated through elevated BAC levels. Receiving bar specials, having drinks purchased, playing drinking games, and loud music were uniquely and significantly associated with all alcohol outcomes. Conclusion: Together, these results suggest that drinking games are part of a larger context of risk contributing to extreme drinking on 21st birthdays. Furthermore, these results will help to facilitate interventions that are more individually tailored to target specific contextual risks, behaviors, and events