Alcohol use among university students in Sweden measured by an electronic screening instrument

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Electronic-based alcohol screening and brief interventions for university students with problem drinking behaviours forms an important means by which to identify risky drinkers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study an e-SBI project was implemented to assess drinking patterns, and to provide personalised feedback about alcohol consumption and related health problems, to students in a Swedish university. In this study, third semester university students (n = 2858) from all faculties (colleges) at the University were invited to participate in e-SBI screenings. This study employed a randomised controlled trial, with respondents having a equal chance of being assigned to a limited, or full-feedback response.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study shows that high risk drinkers tend to underestimate their own consumption compared to others, and that these high risk drinkers experience more negative consequences after alcohol intake, than other respondents. There was a strong belief, for both high- and low-risk drinkers, that alcohol helped celebrations be more festive. This study also confirms findings from other study locations that while males drank more than females in our study population; females reached the same peak alcohol blood concentrations as males.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Obtaining clear and current information on drinking patterns demonstrated by university students can help public health officials, university administration, and local health care providers develop appropriate prevention and treatment strategies.</p

Being questioned and receiving advice about alcohol and smoking in health care: Associations with patients' characteristics, health behavior, and reported stage of change

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alcohol habits are more rarely addressed than other health behavior topics in Swedish health care. This study examined whether differences between topics could be explained by their different associations with patient characteristics or by the differences in the prevalence of the disadvantageous health behavior, i.e., excessive alcohol use and smoking. The study moreover examined whether simply being asked questions about behavior, i.e., alcohol use or smoking, was associated with reported change.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was based on a cross-sectional postal survey (n = 4 238, response rate 56.5 percent) representative of the adult population in Stockholm County in 2003. Retrospective self-reports were used to assess health care visits during the past 12 months, the questions and advice received there, patients characteristics, health behavior, and the present stage of change. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations among the 68 percent who had visited health care.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the health care visitors, 23 percent reported being asked about their alcohol habits, and 3 percent reported receiving advice or/and support to modify their alcohol use - fewer than for smoking, physical exercise, or diet. When regression models adjusted for patient characteristics, the differences between health behaviors in the extent of questioning and advice remained. However, when the models also adjusted for smoking and alcohol consumption there was no difference between smoking and alcohol-related advice. In fact one-third of the present smokers and two-fifths of the persons dependent on alcohol reported having receiving advice the previous 12 months. Those who reported being asked questions or receiving advice more often reported a decreased alcohol use and similarly intended to cease smoking within 6 months. Questions about alcohol use were moreover related to a later stage of stage of change independently of advice among women but not among men.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While most patients are never addressed, many in the target groups seem to be reached anyway. Besides advice, already addressing alcohol habits appears to be associated with change. The results also indicate that gender possibly plays a role in the relationship between advice and the stage of change.</p

Self-reported disability in relation to alcohol and other drug use and mental health among emerging adults : an international comparison

The present study includes baseline data from 2867 students (77.8% from Sweden, 22.2% from US) and evaluates the relationships among self-reported disabilities, alcohol use, other substance use, and psychosocial adjustment. There were 114 (4.6%) ‘‘hard-of-hearing’’ (HH) students, 129 (5.2%) reported visual disabilities, 33 (1.3%) reported motor disabilities, 223 (9.0%) reported a reading/writing disability, and 97 (3.6%) reported they had ‘‘other’’ disabilities. Of these, 70 (14.1%) reported more than one disability. Presence of a disability was significantly higher among Sweden students (2 (1)=19.93, p< 0.001), with 19.1% of Sweden students and 11.5% of US students reporting at least one disability. Reporting any type of disability was associated with significantly greater alcohol use frequency, intensity, and related problems (all p < 0.02), significantly more mental health symptoms and conduct problems (p < 0.005), and significantly greater likelihood of illicit and prescription drug use (all p < 0.001). With respect to specific disabilities, individuals with motor disabilities reported the highest levels of alcohol use and mental health symptoms, whereas individuals who reported ‘‘other’’ disabilities had higher rates of illicit drug use and conduct problems. Further, there was a significantly positive correlation between the number of disabilities and intensity of alcohol use, mental health symptoms, conduct problems, illicit and prescription drug use, and alcohol related problems (all p < 0.001). The association between conduct problems and disability (any disability and number of disabilities) was moderated by country of origin, gender, and drinking for coping reasons on the Drinking Motives Questionnaire. Participants in Sweden, males, and those who drank for coping reasons were more likely to report a relationship between disability and conduct problems (p < 0.001). Participants who drank for coping reasons were also more likely to report a relationship between disability and alcohol related problems (p=0.001). These findings indicate students with disabilities are an important risk group for preventive interventions for alcohol, substance, and mental health problems, and may benefit from interventions which target healthy coping skills. This research was supported by NIAAA # 5R01AA018276 awarded to Drs. Larimer & Berglun