Participation in Drinking Games and Predrinking Among University Students in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

The limited existing research on drinking games and predrinking among university students in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand suggests that participation in these risky drinking practices is relatively widespread among this population. Drinking norms and alcohol use can vary across countries and in different regions of the globe. The measurement of drinking games and predrinking participation between studies also differs, making cross-country comparisons difficult. The present study explored differences in past month participation in drinking games and predrinking among university students from a large public university in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Methods: The data analytic sample consisted of 1,134 university students (ages 18-25, Mage=20.2 years; 72.6% women) from Argentina (n=349), Australia (n=280), Canada (n=262), and New Zealand (n=243) who reported weekly alcohol consumption. Students completed a confidential survey on drinking attitudes and behaviors. Results: Controlling for age, gender, and weekly drink consumption, there were no cross-country differences in past month participation in predrinking. In contrast, university students from Canada and New Zealand were more likely to have played a drinking game in the past month than students from Australia and Argentina. Conclusions: The present finding suggest that university students from Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are equally likely to participate in predrinking regardless of country; however, the likelihood of playing drinking games differs as a function of country site.Fil: Zamboanga, Byron L.. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: George, Amanda M.. University of Canberra; AustraliaFil: Van Hedger, Kathryne. Western University; CanadáFil: Olthuis, Janine V.. University Of New Brunswick.; CanadáFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Dresler, Emma. Massey University; Nueva Zeland

Severe necrotizing stomatitis and osteomyelitis after chemotherapy for acute leukaemia

Leukaemia is a malignant neoplasm characterized by clonal proliferation of white blood cells within the bone marrow. Despite an increase in the white blood cell count, the leukaemic leukocytes are non-functional. The oral complications arising in leukaemic patients can be attributed to the direct and indirect effects of immunosuppressive chemotherapy. This case report describes severe maxillary and mandibular necrotizing stomatitis and osteomyelitis in a young female patient after chemotherapy for acute leukaemia. On physical examination, the patient presented malnourished with pale skin, cervical lymphadenitis, frequent fever and generalized pain. The intra-oral clinical examination found halitosis, multiple ulcers, necrotizing stomatitis and osteomyelitis located in the maxillary and mandibular regions. The necrotizing stomatitis and osteomyelitis were treated locally with atraumatic removal of the necrotized tissues. The patient received a daily preventive protocol consisting of oral hygiene care, including twice daily brushing, and mouthrinses with a solution of chlorhexidine. She was also treated with systemic metronidazole and amoxicillin for 21 days. During the course of management the patient's oral condition improved with some re-epithelialization being noted. However, severe alveolar bone destruction remained evident. Thirty-two months after presentation of the initial symptoms, the patient died due to complications related to leukaemia recurrence (haemorrhage, sepsis and respiratory distress syndrome). Dental monitoring during cancer treatment is imperative in order to emphasize the importance of dental plaque control and the maintenance of a healthy periodontal condition throughout medical treatment54326226

The Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire: A cross-country examination among university students in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina, and the United States

Background: The Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) was designed to measure alcohol consequences and identify at-risk students. It was developed and originally validated among university students in the United States (U.S.), yet it is widely used in both the U.S. and abroad. Using the alignment method, we tested whether the B-YAACQ measures alcohol consequences similarly across university students in several countries where heavy alcohol use and related outcomes are prevalent. Methods: The sample consisted of 1473 university students (ages 18–30) from five university sites: Australia (n = 315), New Zealand (n = 270), Canada (n = 276), Argentina (n = 232), and the U.S. (n = 380). Participants completed a confidential, online alcohol use survey which included the B-YAACQ. Results: Overall, 12 of the 24 B-YAACQ items had invariant factor loading and threshold parameters, suggesting that these items exhibited similar reliability and difficulty among university students across the five countries. Of the 24 B-YAACQ items, 21 exhibited comparable reliability across the five countries; the remaining 3 items were slightly less reliable indicators of alcohol consequences among U.S. students. Thus, several items on the B-YAACQ may be particularly informative for identifying students who are experiencing high levels of drinking harm across multiple countries. Conclusions: The present study is an important step toward (a) validating the B-YAACQ among university students in New Zealand and Canada, and (b) furthering our understanding of the psychometric properties of the BYAACQ among university students in Australia, Argentina, and the U.S.Fil: Zamboanga, Byron L.. University of Arkansas; Estados UnidosFil: Wickham, Robert E.. Palo Alto University; Estados UnidosFil: George, Amanda M.. University Of Canberra; AustraliaFil: Olthuis, Janine V.. University of New Brunswick Fredericton; CanadáFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Madson, Michael B.. University of Southern Mississippi; Estados UnidosFil: Ford, Kayla. University of Arkansas; Estados UnidosFil: Dresler, Emma. Massey University; Nueva Zeland

Why Do University Students From Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina Play Drinking Games? A Mixed-Method Cross-Country Study

Qualitative work suggests that young people’s motives for playing drinking games (DGs) extend beyond those assessed in the Motives for Playing Drinking Games (MPDG) measure. Using a mixed-methods approach, we tested whether the 7-factor model of the MPDG would emerge among university students from Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, and whether their open-ended responses regarding their reasons for playing would map onto the MPDG subscales. Students (N = 895; ages = 18–30 yrs) completed the MPDG-33 measure and an open-ended-question regarding their reasons for playing DGs. We found support for the 7-factor model of the MPDG among students across sites. Open-ended responses revealed that students were motivated to play for a variety of reasons, some of which overlapped with the MPDG subscales while others did not. We present a conceptual model that considers motives specific to alcohol consumption in the context of a DG and reasons/possible motives for playing a DG given its specific features.</p