Consumo de alcohol en estudiantes de educación superior: análisis de redes sociales de amigos universitarios (Alcohol consumption in higher education students: analysis of social networks of university Friends)

Objetivo: identificar asociaciones entre las redes de amigos (densidad de la red de amigos, comportamiento de los amigos, popularidad y conglomerados de amigos), y los comportamientos relacionados con el consumo de alcohol en estudiantes universitarios. Métodos: estudio transversal de asociación. Se aplicaron mediciones sociodemográficas (sexo, edad, nivel socioeconómico, estructura familiar), consumo excesivo y riesgoso de alcohol, consumo de cigarrillo y variables de la red social. Mediante regresión logística se estiman OR e intervalos de confianza. Resultados: de las variables de la red social en mujeres, la densidad de la red se asoció al consumo riesgoso de alcohol, pertenecer al programa de Biología, al nivel socioeconómico alto y tener estructura familiar monoparental son factores que aumentan el consumo riesgoso de alcohol. En hombres aumentar la cantidad de amigos con consumo riesgoso de alcohol, tener estructura familiar monoparental y ser fumador, se asociaron al consumo riesgoso de alcohol. Respecto al consumo excesivo de alcohol en mujeres se encontró asociación con la cantidad de amigos con consumo excesivo de alcohol y pertenecer al programa de Biología. Conclusiones: el consumo riesgoso y excesivo de alcohol se asocia con la red social de amigos y es diferente por sexo. La red social de amigos universitarios es un medio en el que se comparten comportamientos no saludables, lo cual sugiere la importancia de indagar sobre el tema como un elemento que puede ayudar a combatir las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, esto ayudaría a definir perspectivas renovadas de promoción de la salud en universitarios. Abstract. Objective: identify associations between networks of friends (density of the network of friends, behavior of friends, popularity and friend clusters), and alcohol-related behaviors in college students. Methods: cross-sectional association study. Sociodemographic measurements (sex, age, socioeconomic level, family structure), excessive and risky alcohol consumption, cigarette consumption and variables of the social network were applied. Using logistic regression, OR and confidence intervals are estimated. Results: of the variables of the social network in women, the density of the network was associated with risky alcohol consumption, belonging to the Biology program, high socioeconomic status and having a single-parent family structure are factors that use risky alcohol consumption. In men, the number of friends with risky alcohol consumption increases, having a single-parent family structure and being a smoker, were associated with risky alcohol consumption. Regarding excessive alcohol consumption in women, an association was found with the number of friends with excessive alcohol consumption and belonging to the Biology program. Conclusions: the risky and excessive consumption of alcohol is associated with the social network of friends and is different by sex. The social network of university friends is a means in which unhealthy behaviors are shared, which suggests the importance of investigating the subject as an element that can help combat chronic non-communicable diseases, this would help define renewed perspectives of promotion of health in university students.

Risky Behaviours of Spanish University Students: Association with Mediterranean Diet, Sexual Attitude and Chronotype

The most common drugs that are consumed by young people are alcohol and tobacco, which are especially prevalent in universities. These risk behaviours can be determined by a series of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption of alcohol and tobacco by Spanish university students and the relationship between the Mediterranean diet, sexual attitudes and opinions, and chronotype. A multicentre observational study enrolled 457 students from two public universities in Spain. The study period was from December 2017 to January 2018. The majority of the participants consumed alcohol (90.2%), tobacco consumption was low (27.2%), with a high percentage of students (78.6%) having a low dependence on nicotine. The surveyed students demonstrated a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which was shown to be associated with less risky alcohol consumption. The Mediterranean diet is a part of healthy lifestyle, and avoiding heavy drinking results in the intention to maintain such a lifestyle. In addition, unhealthy eating habits (skipping breakfast, eating sweets and pastries daily, and fast-food consumption) had a tendency to induce risky alcohol consumption. Therefore, to promote healthy lifestyle habits, it is considered important to establish programs that promote healthy diets in university settings and to evaluate them periodically.

Assessing alcohol consumption patterns in Jinja and Masindi districts

BackgroundUganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH) implemented a workplace and community based alcohol control intervention in the districts of Masindi and Jinja in Uganda where alcohol is highly consumed. UNACOH therefore conducted an end-of year evaluation with a main focus on two of the project’ anticipated outcomes. These include:1) Reduced risky alcohol consumption patterns among the communities in the project area especially among vulnerable and high risk groups (elderly, youth, women, commercial motorcyclists and fisher folk) by 2021 and 2) Legal restrictions on density of alcohol outlets, accessibility to minors and availability are in place in Masindi and Jinja district by 2021 .The main objective was therefore to assess alcohol consumption patterns among drinkers, perceptions about community awareness of alcohol control regulations and their perceived effectiveness in the project area (Masindi and Jinja) in the year 2020.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional evaluation conducted among 310 respondents in selected villages within the intervention Sub Counties of the Districts in the project area. These included; These included Karujubu Division,Miirya and Pakanyi Sub Counties in Masindi District, and Bugembe Town Council,Walukuba- Masese Division and Budondo Sub County in Jinja District. The primary outcomes were; reduced risky alcohol consumption patterns among the communities and presence of legal restrictions on density of alcohol outlets, accessibility to minors and availability. Quantitative data were entered and cleaned using Epi-data version 4.6.0.2 analyzed using STATA version 12.0. Descriptive analysis was used to generate information on the alcohol consumption patterns.Results Findings indicated that majority drinkers were male (71.34%) with only 0.93% below the age of 18 years. Spirits were the commonest type of alcohol consumed (40.78%). Risky alcohol consumptions were reported by nearly half (48.71%) of the drinkers. Male drinkers (81.88%) and those in Jinja (58.97%) reported significantly higher alcohol consumption in comparison with female drinkers (18.12%) and those in Masindi (38.31%) respectively. (χ2 =15.74 and p value of 0.000 and χ2=13.24 and p = 0.000).ConclusionVariation in risky alcohol consumption between the project areas could be attributed to differences in implementation of alcohol control regulations. In some project areas, communities were aware of alcohol control regulations and thought these had been beneficial in reducing alcohol related harm. Risky consumption among drinkers remained relatively high. If these negative trends are not reversed they could significantly increase the non-communicable disease burden including mental health.

A Health Technician-delivered Brief Intervention linked to AUDIT for reduction of alcohol use in Chilean primary care: a randomized controlled trial

Background Because of the shortage of health professionals in Chilean primary care, Health Technicians (HT) are providing Brief Interventions (BI) for risky alcohol consumption. We compared the efficacy of two AUDIT-linked interventions provided by HTs: an informative leaflet and a BI plus leaflet. Methods This is a parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 1:1 randomization. Participants were identified through screening with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) at five primary care centers between March 2016 and July 2017. People older than 18 years at intermediate-risk (AUDIT score 8 to 15, inclusive) were randomized to receive either an HT-delivered BI (n = 174) or an informative leaflet (n = 168). Only data from participants (n = 294) who completed the 6-month assessment were analyzed. The leaflet was delivered without further advice. It contains alcohol consumption limits, a change planner, and strategies to decrease drinking. The BI was a 5-min discussion on the leaflet´s content plus normative feedback, tailored information on alcohol and health, and a change plan. The change in the AUDIT risk category six months after randomization (primary outcome) was compared among groups with a Chi-squared test. Changes in the secondary outcomes, which were scores on the AUDIT and the AUDIT´s consumption items (AUDIT-C), were compared with T-tests. Mixed-effects linear models adjusted for potential confounders. Outcome adjudicators were blinded to group assignment. Results At 6-month follow-up, low-risk alcohol consumption was observed in 119 (80%) participants in the BI group, and in 103 (71%) in the leaflet group, with no difference among groups ($$\chi 2$$ χ 2 [1, N = 294] = 2.6, p = 0.1; adjusted odds ratio 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.34, 1.05). The mean AUDIT score decreased by 5.76 points in the BI group, and by 5.07 in the leaflet group, which represents a 0.86 AUDIT point reduction attributable to the BI (secondary outcome) (T = 2.03, p = 0.043; adjusted mean difference 0.86 CI 0.06, 1.66). Conclusions The AUDIT-linked BI delivered by HTs was not associated with a greater reduction of risky alcohol consumption than an informative leaflet. Delivering a leaflet could be more efficient than a BI when provided by HTs; however, more research on the effectiveness of the leaflet is needed. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02642757 (December 30, 2015) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02642757.

Stress, wellbeing, and help seeking in first year university students

The transition into the first year at university can be a difficult adjustment to new students. The majority of lifetime mental disorders onset by the mid-20s, making undergraduate students in this age-range most at risk for mental illness onset. This project surveyed first year students about the factors that cause them stress, the coping strategies they find helpful, their preferred help-seeking options, and what potential barriers prevent them from seeking help when required. The project further investigated wellbeing and mental health of domestic and international first year students, and correlated these measures with their end of semester academic achievement. The final sample consisted of 475 participants (61.9% domestic students, 38.1% international students; Mage(international) = 21.61, Mage(domestic) = 18.89). The survey revealed that domestic students reported a greater number of stressors than international students overall, whereas the international students reported more components of academic study as causes of stress. The survey indicates that domestic and international students show similar levels of well-being, although domestic students reported significantly more stressors and more psychological symptoms than international students, and also showed more risky alcohol consumption. Furthermore, GPA is similar between domestic and international students, and for domestic students at least, higher semester GPA is associated with reporting fewer stressors and fewer psychological symptoms earlier in the semester. The findings also suggest that University staff could better communicate to students where to seek help and that it is available to anyone who considers that they are struggling.

Evaluation of depression and anxiety symptoms, alcohol consumption, and binge eating in older adults undergoing bariatric surgery: a 6-year follow-up

INTRODUCTION: The literature remains scarce on the late effects of bariatric surgery on the general health of patients who underwent such procedures at an older age. The present study aimed to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms, risky alcohol consumption, and binge eating in older adults undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS: This study used current data (from medical records and tests) to conduct a cross-sectional study. A total of 74 individuals aged 60 years and older who underwent bariatric surgery after 55 years of age at a specialist center for obesity management located in Brazil were included and evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and Binge Eating Scale. Demographic and clinical data related to the surgical procedure (weight loss) were also collected. The Cochran-Armitage trend test, Pearson’s χ2 test, and a multiple linear regression model were used as needed. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The individuals were white (65.70%) and women (78.30%), with a mean age of 65.8 (SD 3.90) years. The mean time elapsed from surgery to evaluation was 75.70 (SD 43.70) months; 10.80% of the participants had moderate to severe depression, 8.10% moderate to severe anxiety, and 5.40% risky or high-risk alcohol consumption. None of the participants had binge eating problems. Weight regain was not associated with depressive symptom severity or risky alcohol consumption, but it was significantly associated (p = 0.034) with few or neither anxiety symptoms. Excess weight loss was not associated with any study variable. CONCLUSION: The results show a low prevalence of mental symptoms in older adults undergoing bariatric surgery compared to data from the literature on younger adults undergoing the same procedure.

The Persistent Effects of Initial Labor Market Conditions for Young Adults and Their Sources

Unlucky young workers entering the labor market in recessions suffer a range of medium-to long-term consequences. This paper summarizes the findings of the growing empirical literature on this subject and uses it to assess economic models of career development. The literature finds large initial effects on earnings, labor supply, and wages that tend to fade after ten to fifteen years in the labor market, and that are accompanied by changes in occupation, job mobility, and employer characteristics. Adverse initial labor market entry also has persistent effects on a range of social outcomes, including timing and completed fertility, marriage and divorce, criminal activities, attitudes, and risky alcohol consumption. There is also evidence that early exposure to depressed labor market lowers health and raises mortality in middle age, patterns accompanied by a reopening of earnings gaps.