Student perceptions of the danger of drug use: a factor analysis.

Australian secondary school students from three Year levels were asked to rate the danger involved in various uses of alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, marijuana and other illicit drugs. These ratings were then factor analyzed for each Year level. The results showed a more refined discrimination among the older students, with type of drug and frequency of use being important considerations. Familiarity was a major consideration for the younger students. The cognitive factors derived from the data are consistent with expectations based on the gateway theory of drug use.     

Risk factors for drug use in rural adolescents.

This study tested the relevance of a risk factor model for predicting drug use among rural adolescents. A questionnaire battery assessing drug use and the presence/absence of twenty risk factors derived from a previous study of urban adolescents was administered to a sample of seventh graders (N = 235) in the public school system of a rural community. All but one of these risk factors were found to be significantly related to at least one category of drug use. In addition, a risk factor index based on a subset of ten risk factors was significantly associated with the prevalence and frequency of use for cigarettes, beer and wine, hard liquor, marijuana, and other drugs. These findings support the generalizability of a risk factor approach to predicting drug use, and underscore the need for increased prevention and research efforts directed at rural adolescents.     

A prospective study of sexual assault and alcohol use among first-year college women

This study prospectively examined the relation between alcohol use and sexual assault in a sample (N = 319) of first-year college women. Both frequency of drinking and frequency of binge drinking were measured. Over the course of their freshman year, 19.3% reported experiencing at least one sexual assault. Frequent binge drinking and frequent drinking predicted a subsequent sexual assault; however, experiencing a sexual assault did not predict changes in alcohol use. Frequent binge drinking demonstrated a stronger association with sexual assault than did frequent drinking. Findings help clarify the relation between alcohol use and sexual assault in college women and call for continued differentiation in assessment of alcohol use.     

Sexual assault while in the military: violence as a predictor of cardiac risk?

The purpose of this article is to determine whether known cardiac risk factors are more prevalent among women veterans who report having sustained sexual assault while in the military. We surveyed a random sample of 3,632 women veterans using Veterans Administration (VA) ambulatory care nationally. Obesity, smoking, problem alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, and hysterectomy before age 40 were found to be more common in women reporting a history of sexual assault while in the military than in women without such history. An association between myocardial infarction and prior sexual assault history may be mediated in part by known cardiac risk factors.     

The Impact of Pubertal Timing on Adolescents’ Alcohol Use

The relation between pubertal timing and alcohol use was investigated in a nationally representative sample (N= 4,686) of junior high school students who were followed up 2 years later (N= 3,862). Information regarding pubertal timing and status, sex‐role identification, number of alcohol intoxications, substance use, sexual behavior, friends’ alcohol use, and involvement in other types of problem behaviors was obtained. The results showed that early timing of pubertal development correlated with number of alcohol intoxications and number of units consumed on each occasion, and, to a lesser degree, with the frequency of alcohol use. Moreover, correlations were stronger among males than among females. Substantial parts of the association between pubertal timing and alcohol intoxications were mediated through friends’ problem behavior. Pubertal timing predicted alcohol use at follow‐up, but the effect was mostly due to increased alcohol intoxications at initial testing.     

Profiles of African American College Students’ Alcohol Use and Sexual Behaviors: Associations With Stress,Racial Discrimination,and Social Support

Though studies show that alcohol use and sexual activity increase during emerging adulthood, few studies examine within–ethnic group differences, particularly among African American college students. This investigation utilized a latent class analytic methodology to identify risk behavior profiles of alcohol use (frequency and amount of alcohol consumed), sexual activity (number of intimate partners), and co-occurring risk behaviors (drinking before sexual intercourse) among 228 African American college students. This investigation also examined whether identified risk behavior profiles were associated with stress (interpersonal, intrapersonal, academic, and environmental), experiences of racial discrimination, and social support (from family, friends, and the college community). Results identified five distinct profiles within this sample: (a) High Sexual Risk—above-average sexual activity; (b) Abstainers—below-average alcohol use and sexual activity; (c) Low Risk—average alcohol use and sexual activity; (d) Alcohol Risk—above-average alcohol use and below-average sexual activity; and (e) Co-Occurring Risk—above-average alcohol use and sexual activity. Identified profiles differed across interpersonal and environmental stress, and self-reported frequency of experiences with racial discrimination. Implications for prevention programs and interventions aimed at reducing alcohol and sexual activity for African American college students are discussed.     

Cumulative Social-Environmental Adversity Exposure as Predictor of Psychological Distress and Risk Behavior in Urban Youth

The present study examines exposure to adversity as a predictor of psychological distress and risk behavior among 266 elementary students in 14 low income neighborhood schools in Chicago. Two indices of adversity exposure were created, reflecting neighborhood, school, and peer group risk (NSP) and the lack of protective resources within the family and neighborhood (LPR). Regression analyses investigated these indices as independent and potentially interacting predictors of self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, frequency of substance use, and involvement in violence-related behavior. The LPR index was found to be a linear predictor of greater reported anxiety and exhibited a significant curvilinear association with reports of depression, substance use, and violence-related behavior. Similarly, the NSP index was a linear predictor of greater reported levels of substance use and violence-related behavior. Significant interaction between the two indices was found. Implications for research and school clinicians (social workers and psychologists) are offered.     

History of sexual abuse and parental alcohol misuse: Risk,outcomes and protective factors in adolescents

This study examined the school performance, suicidal involvement, disordered eating behaviors, pregnancy risk and chemical use of teenagers with a history of sexual abuse or parental alcohol misuse and found that they had higher rates of these adverse outcomes than among a comparison group of teenagers without such background risk factors. Adolescents with dual-risk background reported higher levels of suicide risk, disordered eating, sexual behaviors and chemical abuse than teenagers with only one background risk factor. Among index group members, protective factors against these adverse outcomes included a high degree of religiosity and the ability to discuss problems with family or friends. Risk factors that increased the likelihood of adverse outcomes included depression, perceived substance use in school and worries about family financial security.The first author was supported in the preparation of this article by a grant from the Lois and Samuel Silberman Fund of New York.     

Revisiting the Association between Pornography Use and Risky Sexual Behaviors: The Role of Early Exposure to Pornography and Sexual Sensation Seeking

Among the suggested problems and harms associated with widespread pornography use among young people, risky sexual behaviors have been frequently mentioned. To further explore this public health concern, this article analyzed sexual sensation seeking (SSS) as a potential confounder of the association between pornography use and sexual risks using data collected in 2010 from a population-based sample of young Croatian adults aged 18 to 25 (n = 1,005). Significant, but small, correlations were found between the indicators of pornography use (age at first exposure, frequency of use in the past 12 months, and personal importance of pornography) and sexual risk taking. However, in a multivariate analysis, only age at first exposure to pornography remained a significant, albeit weak, predictor of sexual risk taking among both women and men. SSS, defined as the dispositional tendency toward the impulsive pursuit of sexual arousal and stimulation, neither confounded nor moderated this association. Overall, the findings do not support the notion that pornography use is substantially associated with sexual risk taking among young adults, but suggest that early exposure to sexually explicit material and high SSS are additive risk factors for sexual risk taking.     

Results of a social norm intervention to prevent binge drinking among first-year residential college students

The effects of a primary prevention social norm intervention on binge drinking among 1st-year residential college students were examined. Six hundred thirty-four students attending a medium-sized public university in the South were randomly assigned to receive a two-phase social norm intervention or the standard campus psychoeducational prevention program. At posttest, no differences were found between intervention and control group students on any of the alcohol use and alcohol-use risk factor measures. Significant subgroup differences were found by stage of initiating binge drinking behaviors, for frequency of alcohol use, F(3, 507) = 3.69, p = .01; quantity of alcohol use, F(3, 507) = 2.51, p = .05; and social norms, F(3, 505) = 2.53, p = .05. These findings suggest the need for tailoring social norm binge drinking interventions to students' stage of initiating heavy drinking and carefully monitoring for potential negative, as well as positive, effects of norm-based prevention messages.     

Sources of Social Influence on Adolescents’ Alcohol Use

The present research examines social influences on self‐reported frequency of drunkenness in a longitudinal sample of 1,439 adolescents (46% female, 90% White, mean age = 14 at baseline) with social network measures from friends, romantic partners, and romantic partners’ friends. We build on past research by addressing multiple mechanisms of social influence—peers’ frequency of drunkenness, alcohol‐related attitudes, and unstructured socializing—across relationship types. Adolescents’ drunkenness frequency increased when their friends’ and partners’ friends’ drunkenness frequency increased and when their romantic partners’ positive alcohol‐related attitudes increased. Furthermore, the association between unstructured socializing and frequency of drunkenness was stronger for older than younger adolescents. Results advance understanding of the social transmission of alcohol use in adolescence and inform intervention efforts.     

Correlates of Alcohol Use Likelihood for Latino Immigrant Youth in an Emerging Context

Using a three-wave prospective longitudinal design spanning 3 years, we assessed alcohol use likelihood trajectories and their correlates among a community sample of Latino immigrant adolescents in the emerging immigrant context of Western Oregon. Results from growth mixture modeling revealed two distinct classes: lower risk youth who reported little likelihood of alcohol use but whose trajectory was increasing, and higher risk youth who reported higher likelihood of alcohol use and whose trajectory was stable. We found significant differences between the two classes such that lower risk youth reported greater levels of Latino cultural orientation and parental monitoring, whereas higher risk youth reported greater levels of family cultural stress and delinquency. Results are discussed in terms of prior research and theory.     

Drug use and mental well being among a sample of undergraduate and graduate college students.

Stress related disorders in college students are widespread and largely preventable. Students do not have the preventative skills necessary to manage stress in their lives and, because of the inability to cope, students may turn to alcohol and drugs to alleviate the pressures they are experiencing. The purpose of this study was to describe the association between stress and alcohol and drug use. A total of 772 undergraduate and graduate students from a small, elite, private university were randomly selected from 4000 students to complete two anonymous questionnaires. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey identified the frequency and consequences of alcohol and drug use, and the General-Well Being Schedule was used to assess subjective well being and mental health status. The results of this study revealed that, for this sample of students, health behaviors such as using drugs recreationally and drinking alcohol played an associative role with general well being. A significant relationship was also found between student participation in intramural or club sports and positive mental well being.     

Risky alcohol use, peer and family relationships and legal involvement in adolescents with antisocial problems

The aim of the study was to examine risk and vulnerability factors contributing to problems with alcohol use in adolescence. Data relating to seven life areas (medical status, school status, social relationships, family background and relationships, psychological functioning, legal involvement, and alcohol use) was gathered using the ADAD (Adolescent Drug Abuse Diagnosis) interview. A total of 1163 Swedish adolescents (809 boys and 354 girls) between the ages of 12 and 20 years old were interviewed. All had antisocial problems and were detained at special youth homes. It was found that for those aged between 12 and 18 years, the general risk factors for alcohol use were leisure and peer problems, problems associated with family background and relationships, and criminal behavior. These results suggest that drug abuse treatment planning should focus on altering the predisposing factors that exist in these domains. It was also found that the ADAD problem areas seem to be most useful as prognostic indicators of treatment outcome for adolescents with antisocial problems who are under 18 years of age.     

Sexual Risk-Taking among High-Risk Urban Women with and without Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Mediating Effects of Contextual Factors

This study investigated the mechanisms of risk for urban women at high risk for HIV with and without childhood sexual abuse histories. Childhood sexual abuse survivors reported more unprotected intercourse and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The association of STI locus of control with frequency of unprotected sex was fully mediated by being intoxicated during sex and engaging in sex work, whereas the association between relational control and unprotected sex was not mediated by contextual factors for the childhood sexual abuse group. The mechanisms of risk are different for those with divergent childhood sexual abuse histories and thus interventions should be developed to educate women with a history of childhood sexual abuse about ways to avoid revictimization, particularly within a context of poverty, prostitution, and drug use.     

The role of alcohol use in intimate partner violence and non-intimate partner violence

Alcohol use is a risk factor for violent victimization in general, and intimate partner violence in particular. However, there has been limited empirical attention on whether alcohol use is more often associated with IPV or non-IPV offenses. Further, few studies on the association between alcohol use and victimization have assessed for incident-specific alcohol use, or examined both victim and perpetrator alcohol use. We used data from the National Violence Against Women Survey to determine if incident-specific alcohol use is more prevalent in IPV or non-IPV physical assaults, and to determine if the association varied by gender. Results indicated that among women, perpetrator alcohol use was twice as likely in IPV incidents than in non-IPV incidents, but among men, perpetrator alcohol use was four times less likely in IPV incidents than in non-IPV incidents. Our results highlight the important role of gender in understanding the association between alcohol use and victimization risk.     

Self-efficacy for refusal mediated by outcome expectancies in the prediction of alcohol-dependence amongst young adults

The present study examined the relative importance of outcome expectancies and self-efficacy [1] in the prediction of alcohol dependence [2] and alcohol consumption in a sample of young adult drinkers drawn from a milieu previously reported as supportive of risky drinking. In predicting alcohol dependence, outcome expectancies were found to mediate self-efficacy and the same pattern was found for both males and females. This suggests that male and female drinkers may become more similar as they progress along the drinking continuum from risky drinking to dependent drinking. However, in women, in comparison to men, a greater array of expectancies and self-efficacy scales were found to predict heavy drinking, as measured by quantity and frequency. These results suggest that heavy drinking women are particularly at risk of developing drinking related complications and that preventative education needs to take into account gender differences.     

Trends from 1987 to 1991 in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among adolescents exposed to a school district-wide prevention intervention.

This study involved a school-based prevention program initiated to reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among adolescents in the Troy School District in the Detroit area. One purpose was to describe the current ATOD situation by investigating changes in reported ATOD use from 1987 to 1991. Another purpose was to explore and identify the most salient risk and protective factors present. In 1987, 1,490 students (comprising grades 8 and 11) and in 1991, 3,171 students (comprising grades 8 to 12) completed questionnaires. Significant decreases were found for use of most drugs with the exception of alcohol. Involvement in problem behaviors was identified as the most salient risk factor, while having a member of a non-using peer group was the most salient protective factor. Implications for the design of subsequent intervention programs are discussed.     

Some factors involved in alcohol consumption of first-year undergraduates.

Three studies were conducted with samples of first-year undergraduates in order to assess relationships among college drinking, adjustment, recent life-changing events, interpersonal factors, self-control, and perceived risk. Significant correlations were found between alcohol use and life-change, but not between alcohol use and college adjustment. In addition, several significant findings linked alcohol use to social factors. Responses to open-ended interview questions suggest that self-control and risk may play a role in students' decisions regarding consumption, after initial experience with alcohol use. Non-social factors, namely stressful events, appear to play a role in consumption behavior; however, students more frequently report on social factors as motivating their decisions regarding alcohol intake.