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Alcohol And Medication Use In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Understanding The Effect Of Alcohol And Central Nervous System-Acting Medications On The Risk For Falls, Maitreyee Mohanty

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Aging, comorbid conditions, and use of medications render older adults more susceptible to alcohol-disease or alcohol-drug interactions that may lead to harmful outcomes. In this dissertation project the risk profile of alcohol and medications use among older adults was investigated. Considering the rise in CNS-acting medication use and the adverse effect profile linked to CNS-acting medications, it was also of interest to find if older adults were at risk of falling due to interactions between alcohol and CNS-acting medication. Objectives: The objectives were as follows: 1) to determine the prevalence, pattern and factors associated with at-risk drinking, 2) to …

The Influence Of Neurocognitive Impairment, Alcohol And Other Drug (Aod) Use, And Psychosocial Factors On Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence, Service Utilization And Viral Load Among Hiv-Seropositive Adults, Jennifer Attonito

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among people living with HIV (PLWH), adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can be affected by problems of neurocognitive (NC) impairment, stress, alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse, and other barriers. The aims of this research were to: (1) examine factors associated with NC impairment, (2) explore relationships between psychosocial variables with ART adherence and viral load (VL), and (3) evaluate the efficacy of an evidence-based intervention in improving ART adherence, increasing service utilization, and decreasing VL.

The first study (n=370) was cross sectional and used structural equation modeling to test whether AOD use, years living with HIV, and time from …

The Effectiveness Of Gain- Versus Loss-Framed Advertisements To Minimize Hazardous Drinking Among University Students: A Test Of Regulatory Fit, Barlas Gunay

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

University binge drinking is a concern. Traditionally, social norms marketing campaigns have been employed. Regulatory focus theory – based on the premise that behavior is driven either by the motivation to maximize gains (promotion) or to minimize losses (prevention) – offers an alternative approach to crafting persuasive appeals in this population. This study investigated the effectiveness of gain-framed versus loss-framed advertisements in lowering drinking intentions in a university sample. It further explored whether the effects were moderated by regulatory focus – primed and dispositional – and trait reactance. Online surveys were completed by 208 Introductory Psychology students (51.7% female, mean …

Predicting Dropout In The First 3 Months Of 12-Step Residential Drug And Alcohol Treatment In An Australian Sample, Frank P. Deane, David J. Wootton, Ching-I Hsu, Peter J. Kelly

Peter Kelly

Objective: Premature termination from treatment is a major factor associated with poorer drug and alcohol treatment outcomes. The present study investigated client-related baseline predictors of dropout at 3 months from a faith-based 12-step residential drug treatment program. Method: Data were collected over a period of 14 months from eight residential drug and alcohol treatment programs run by The Australian Salvation Army. The final sample consisted of 618 participants, including 524 men (84.8%) and 94 women (15.2%). Predictor variables of interest were age, gender, primary drug of concern, criminal involvement, psychological distress, drug cravings, self-efficacy to abstain, spirituality, forgiveness of self …

A Hangover And A One-Night Stand: Alcohol And Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Female Students At An Australian University, Heidi Gilchrist, Kylie Smith, Christopher A. Magee, Sandra Jones

Sandra Jones

There is a growing body of research in Australia exploring the alcohol consumption behaviours of young people and the attendant health and social risks associated with excessive use of alcohol (Chikritzhs et al. 2003; Mancina-Pena & Tyson 2007). A number of studies from countries such as the United States and New Zealand indicate that university students tend to drink at riskier levels than the broader population (see for example Wechsler et al. 1994; Kypri, Stephenson & Langley 2005; Wechsler & Nelson 2008). Data from Australia are limited, although the few studies that have been conducted suggest that Australian university students …

Exposure To Alcohol Advertising And Alcohol Consumption Among Australian Adolescents, Sandra C. Jones, Christopher A. Magee

Sandra Jones

Aims: Underage drinking is a major problem in Australia and may be influenced by exposure to alcohol advertising. The objective of the present study was to collect data on 12 17 year old Australian adolescents' exposure to different types of alcohol advertising and examine the association between exposure to advertising and alcohol consumption. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1113 adolescents aged 12 17 years recruited with a variety of methods to gain a cross-section of participants across metropolitan, regional and rural New South Wales (including independent schools, mall intercepts and online). Participants answered a series of questions assessing adolescents' exposure …

Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien

Honors Theses

There is a plethora of research focusing on athleticism, self-esteem and alcohol consumption but few studies have aimed to find a connection between these three dimensions. While much of the previous research focused on just two of these dimensions, the present study aims to uncover how these dimensions influence and impact one another. Students from Union College participated in a survey-based study in which they were asked to complete three surveys, one for each dimension. These surveys were used to identify level of athleticism, self-esteem and binge drinking behaviors among athletes and non-athletes at Union College. Based on previous research …

Gender Disparities: A Medical Detoxification Program, Alberto Coustasse, Karan P. Singh, Sue G. Lurie, Yu-Sheng Lin, Claudia S. Coggin, Fernando Trevino

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Significant gaps exist in health care regarding gender in the United States. Health status, social roles, culturally patterned behavior and access to health care can be influenced by gender. Women have been the primary users of health care and minority women usually have received poorer quality care than Non-Hispanic White (NHW) females. The objectives of this study were to identify gender, racial and ethnic disparities in access to substance abuse treatment in a Texas hospital. Secondary data collected on 1,309 subjects who underwent detoxification were studied. Gender, race/ethnicity, drug of abuse, relapse and financial classification were included in the analysis. …

Adults' Alcohol Consumption Behaviour And Support For Restrictions On Youth-Oriented Alcohol Advertisements, Sandina Begic, Elsa K. M. Howard, Theodore W. Mcdonald

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research suggests that underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States, and that many of the factors that influence minors to consume alcohol are environmental in their nature. One such factor is youth-oriented alcohol advertisements. Although many adults support restrictions on such advertisements, others do not or do so to a lesser degree. In this study, we explored one factor that may influence how strongly adults support restrictions on youth-oriented alcohol advertisements: The frequency with which adults themselves report consuming alcoholic beverages. A total of 767 adult Idahoans completed a survey asking about a variety of perceptions related …

Alcohol And Prescription Drug Safety In Older Adults, Faika Zanjani, Aasha I. Hoogland, Brian G. Downer

Graduate Center for Gerontology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to investigate older adults' knowledge of prescription drug safety and interactions with alcohol, and to identify pharmacists' willingness to disseminate prescription drug safety information to older adults.

METHODS: The convenience sample consisted of 48 older adults aged 54-89 years who were recruited from a local pharmacy and who completed surveys addressing their alcohol consumption, understanding of alcohol and prescription drug interactions, and willingness to change habits regarding alcohol consumption and prescription drugs. To address pharmacist willingness, 90 pharmacists from local pharmacies volunteered and answered questions regarding their willingness to convey prescription drug safety …

Co-Occurring Physical Fighting And Suicide Attempts Among U.S. High School Students: Examining Patterns Of Early Alcohol Use Initiation And Current Binge Drinking, Monica H. Swahn, Robert Bossarte, Jane B. Palmier, Huang Yao

Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: A growing body of empirical research documents a significant co-occurrence of suicide attempts and interpersonal violence among youth. However, the potential role of early alcohol use initiation and current heavy alcohol use as correlates of this comorbidity has not been examined in a nationally representative sample of high school students. Methods: We based our analyses on cross-sectional data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which includes a nationally representative sample (n=16,410) of high school students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the associations between measures of alcohol …

The Health And Well-Being Of Indigenous Drug And Alcohol Workers: Results From A National Australian Survey, Ann M. Roche, Vinita Duraisingam, Allan Trifonoff, Amanda Tovell

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The increasing demand for alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services among the Australian Indigenous population, complex organisational challenges and limitations, and high unemployment rates are likely to negatively impact Indigenous AOD workers' health and well-being. Building the capacity of Indigenous AOD workers is vital, as they play a crucial role in the delivery of treatment services and offer essential support to their communities. A national online survey was conducted to examine organisational, workplace and individual factors that might contribute to levels of stress and well-being among workers who provide services to Indigenous clients. A total of 294 eligible surveys …

Associations Of Occupational Attributes And Excessive Drinking, Andrew J. Barnes, Frederick J. Zimmerman

Health Behavior and Policy Publications

Numerous work-related drinking mechanisms have been posited and, oftentimes, examined in isolation. We combined data from over 100 occupational attributes into several factors and tested the association of these factors with measures of alcohol use. We used the NLSY79 2006 wave, a U.S. representative sample of 6,426 workers ages 41 to 49 and the 2006 Occupational Information Network database (O*NET), a nationally representative sample of nearly 1,000 occupations. We conducted exploratory factor analysis on 119 occupational attributes and found three independent workplace characteristics – physical demands, job autonomy, and social engagement - explained the majority of the variation. We then …

Relation Between Corticosterone And Fear-Related Behavior In Mice Selectively Bred For High Or Low Alcohol Preference, Julia Chester, Aaron M. Kirchhoff, Gustavo D. Barrenha

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Blunted cortisol responses to stress or trauma have been linked with genetic (familial) risk for both alcoholism and post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD). Mouse lines selectively bred for high (HAP) or low (LAP) alcohol preference may be a relevant model of genetic risk for co-morbid alcoholism and PTSD in humans. HAP mice show greater fear-potentiated startle (FPS), a model used to study PTSD, than LAP mice. The relation between corticosterone (CORT) and FPS behavior was explored in four experiments. Naïve male and female HAP2 and LAP2 mice received fear-conditioning or control treatments and CORT levels were measured before and immediately after fear-conditioning …

The Impact Of A Brief Lifestyle Intervention Delivered By Generalist Community Nurses (Cn Snap Trial), M Harris, B Chan, R Laws, A Williams, G Davies, U Jayasinghe, M Fanaian, N Orr, A Milat

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The risk factors for chronic disease, smoking, poor nutrition, hazardous alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and weight (SNAPW) are common in primary health care (PHC) affording opportunity for preventive interventions. Community nurses are an important component of PHC in Australia. However there has been little research evaluating the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in routine community nursing practice. This study aimed to address this gap in our knowledge.

Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental trial involving four generalist community nursing (CN) services in New South Wales, Australia. Two services were randomly allocated to an ‘early intervention’ and two to a ‘late …

A Process Evaluation Of The Brief Alcohol Screening Intervention For College Students Program At The University Of Mississippi, Tiffany Bouldin Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol misuse by students is a prevalent public health problem on college campuses across the nation. Underage drinking and binge drinking are two distinct forms of alcohol misuse that are comamong college students and often result in negative consequences for the students, the universities, and the surrounding communities. As a result, there is an increasing need for universities to provide targeted intervention programs for students who misuse alcohol. Furthermore, it is important that the selected interventions are capable of successful implementation on campus. The University of Mississippi currently utilizes the brief alcohol screening intervention for college students (basics) program for …

The Dynamics Of Alcohol Consumption In The Russian Federation: Implications Of Using Price Related Policies To Control Alcohol Use, Arseniy Pavlovich Yashkin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation models the dynamics of alcohol use in the Russian Federation with an emphasis on identifying policy implications most likely to be effective at controlling alcohol use. Utilizing data from The Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, models of alcohol consumption are estimated using both myopic and rational specifications via ordinary least squares, fixed effects two stage least squares and, the focus of this study, two-step system generalized method of moments. Alcohol consumption is studied both as a composite good and as a distinct beverage category (wine, beer, and hard liquor). Furthermore, equations stratified by gender and rural status are included …