Associations Between Community Attachments and Adolescent Substance Use in Nationally Representative Samples

Purpose Social capital and social attachment theories of substance use argue that positive bonds to society and the conventional values they promote deter adolescents from substance use. Using nationally representative samples of U.S. high school seniors, we hypothesized that adolescents\u27 community attachments, measured by social trust, social responsibility, and religiosity, would be negatively associated with lifetime and 30-day substance use. Method We used repeated cross-sectional nationally representative high school senior data from 1976 to 2008 Monitoring the Future Study cohorts (weighted N = 64,246; 51.6% female). Participation rate ranged from 77% to 86% across years. A series of multiple linear and logistic regressions examined unique associations of adolescents\u27 social trust, social responsibility, and religiosity with lifetime and 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, hallucinogens, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and narcotics. Models controlled for gender, race, college aspirations, high school grades, parents\u27 education, and survey year. Results Social trust, social responsibility, and religiosity showed independent negative associations with use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and six other types of drugs. After accounting for controls, community attachments related to lower lifetime and past 30-day use. Associations were consistent across measures, except social responsibility was not associated with binge drinking or lifetime illicit drugs besides marijuana. Conclusions Study strengths included nationally representative samples, diverse substance use measures, and inclusion of controls. We extend theory by suggesting that distinct aspects of adolescents\u27 community attachments uniquely relate to lower substance use. Results suggest potential public health benefits of integrating promotion of community attachments with substance use prevention

Effect of televised, tobacco company - Funded smoking prevention advertising on youth smoking-related beliefs, intentions, and behavior

Objective. To relate exposure to televised youth smoking prevention advertising to youths\u27 smoking beliefs, intentions, and behaviors. Methods. We obtained commercial television ratings data from 75 US media markets to determine the average youth exposure to tobacco company youth-targeted and parent-targeted smoking prevention advertising. We merged these data with nationally representative school-based survey data (n = 103 172) gathered from 1999 to 2002. Multivariate regression models controlled for individual, geographic, and tobacco policy factors, and other televised antitobacco advertising. Results. There was little relation between exposure to tobacco company-sponsored, youth-targeted advertising and youth smoking outcomes. Among youths in grades 10 and 12, during the 4 months leading up to survey administration, each additional viewing of a tobacco company parent-targeted advertisement was, on average, associated with lower perceived harm of smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93; confidence interval [CI] = 0.88, 0.98), stronger approval of smoking (OR = 1.11; CI = 1.03,1.20), stronger intentions to smoke in the future (OR = 1.12; CI = 1.04,1.21), and greater likelihood of having smoked in the past 30 days (OR = 1.12; CI = 1.04,1.19). Conclusions. Exposure to tobacco company youth-targeted smoking prevention advertising generally had no beneficial outcomes for youths. Exposure to tobacco company parent-targeted advertising may have harmful effects on youth, especially among youths in grades 10 and 12

Televised state-sponsored antitobacco advertising and youth smoking beliefs and behavior in the United States, 1999-2000

Background: Recent state budget crises have dramatically reduced funding for state-sponsored antitobacco media campaigns. If campaigns are associated with reduced smoking, such cuts could result in long-term increases in state health care costs. Methods: Commercial ratings data on mean audience exposure to antitobacco advertising that appeared on network and cable television across the largest 75 media markets in the United States for 1999 through 2000 were combined with nationally representative survey data from school-based samples of youth in the contiguous 48 states. Multivariate regression models were used to analyze associations between mean exposure to state antitobacco advertising and youth smoking-related beliefs and behaviors, controlling for individual and environmental factors usually associated with youth smoking and other televised tobacco-related advertising. Results: Mean exposure to at least 1 state-sponsored antitobacco advertisement in the past 4 months was associated with lower perceived rates of friends\u27 smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.88), greater perceived harm of smoking (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.11-1.42), stronger intentions not to smoke in the future (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17-1.74), and lower odds of being a smoker (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.88). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the potential impact of state-sponsored antitobacco media campaigns while controlling for other tobacco-related advertising and other tobacco control policies. State-sponsored antitobacco advertising is associated with desired outcomes of greater antitobacco sentiment and reduced smoking among youth. Recent cuts in these campaigns may have future negative health and budgetary consequences. ©2005 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Unbound States of \u3csup\u3e32\u3c/sup\u3eCl relevant for Novae

The 31S(p,γ?)32Cl proton-capture reaction is expected to be the dominant breakout pathway of the SiP cycle, which is important for understanding nucleosynthesis in some novae [1]. At novae temperatures, the 31S(p,γ?)32Cl reaction rate is dominated by 31S+p resonances. Discrepancies in the 32Cl resonance energies were reported in previous measurements [1, 2]. We used the 32S(3He,t)32Cl charge-exchange reaction to produce unbound states in 32Cl and determine their excitation energies by detecting tritons at the focal plane of the Enge Spectrograph at the Yale University\u27s Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory. Proton branching ratios were determined by detecting the decay protons coming from the residual 32Cl states using a silicon array in the spectrometer\u27s target chamber. The improved energy values of excited levels in 32Cl and measurements of the proton-branching ratios should significantly improve our understanding of the 31S(p,γ?)32Cl reaction rate. © Copyright owned by the author(s