Racial Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Drinking Reduction

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the likelihood that women of different racial and ethnic groups would reduce their alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Methods Data came from 22 states participating in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2001 to 2005. After stratifying the sample by preconception drinking level, logistic regressions were used to predict drinking reduction and cessation by the third trimester by race, controlling for age, education, marital status, Medicaid status, pregnancy intention, smoking status, and state. Results Overall, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women were all significantly less likely than White women to reduce their heavy drinking after becoming pregnant. American Indian/Alaskan Native women who were moderate drinkers before conception were over 2 times more likely than White women to reduce drinking after becoming pregnant (OR 2.19, CI 0.71, 6.76), although this difference was non-significant (P = .17). Among those who binge drank in the months before pregnancy, compared to White women, Black (OR 0.26, CI 0.17–0.39), Hispanic (OR 0.19, CI 0.12–0.29), American Indian/Alaskan Native (OR 0.44 CI 0.20, 0.96), and Asian/Pacific Islander women (OR 0.11, CI 0.06–0.22) were all less likely to quit binge drinking while pregnant. Conclusion Significant racial differences in pregnancy-related drinking reduction are evident, and may help explain racial disparities in FAS. Results suggest that more targeted efforts are needed to meet the national goals of preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies.     

Alcohol Consumption by Women Before and During Pregnancy

Objectives To determine the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of alcohol consumption prior to and during various intervals of pregnancy in the U.S. Methods Alcohol-related, pregnancy-related, and demographic data were derived from computer-assisted telephone interviews with 4,088 randomly selected control mothers from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study who delivered live born infants without birth defects during 1997–2002. Alcohol consumption rates and crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated. Results 30.3% of all women reported drinking alcohol at some time during pregnancy, of which 8.3% reported binge drinking (4+ drinks on one occasion). Drinking rates declined considerably after the first month of pregnancy, during which 22.5% of women reported drinking, although 2.7% of women reported drinking during all trimesters of pregnancy and 7.9% reported drinking during the 3rd trimester. Pre-pregnancy binge drinking was a strong predictor of both drinking during pregnancy (adjusted OR = 8.52, 95% CI = 6.67–10.88) and binge drinking during pregnancy (adjusted OR = 36.02, 95% CI = 24.63–52.69). Other characteristics associated with both any drinking and binge drinking during pregnancy were non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, cigarette smoking during pregnancy, and having an unintended pregnancy. Conclusions Our study revealed that drinking during pregnancy is fairly common, three times the levels reported in surveys that ask only about drinking during the month before the survey. Women who binge drink before pregnancy are at particular risk for drinking after becoming pregnant. Sexually active women of childbearing ages who drink alcohol should be advised to use reliable methods to prevent pregnancy, plan their pregnancies, and stop drinking before becoming pregnant. Findings were presented as posters at the following meetings  (i) The 2nd International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, March 7-10, 2007, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; (ii) The Texas Birth Defects Research Symposium, April 19, 2006, Austin, Texas; (iii) The 9th Annual Meeting of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, January 30-Feb 1, 2006, Arlington, Virginia; (iv) The Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Partners Meeting, November 16, 2005, Washington, DC     

Characteristics of Grandmothers who have Grandchildren with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Incomplete Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Introduction Characteristics of Northern Plains American Indian maternal grandmothers who had grandchildren with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or incomplete FAS are described to more effectively prevent fetal FAS and alcohol use during pregnancy. Methods Study 1 had 27 maternal grandmothers who had grandchildren with FAS and Study 2 had 18 grandmothers with grandchildren who had incomplete FAS (cases) which were compared with 119 maternal grandmothers who had grandchildren without FAS (controls). The grandchildren were born between 1981 and 1993 on the Northern Plains. Medical records were manually reviewed for each case and control grandmother. Data were analyzed using Mantel–Haenszel chi square. Results Study 1 case grandmothers were more likely to experience medical problems (70.4%) including trauma (48.1%) and injuries (51.9%) than the controls. Most of the Study 1 and 2 case grandmothers (92.6% and 77.8%, respectively) had alcohol use documented in their medical records compared to less than half of the control grandmothers. Seven (15.6%) of the case grandmothers had more than one grandchild in either Study 1 or Study 2. Conclusion Maternal grandmothers who had grandchildren with FAS had significantly higher rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related medical problems than control grandmothers. Antenatal care providers should screen pregnant women for alcohol use at their first visit. The provider needs to ask the women who are using alcohol about their mothers’ use of alcohol to provide appropriate care and counseling for the women and prevent FAS.     

Periconceptional binge drinking and acculturation among pregnant Latinas in New Mexico

Binge drinking during pregnancy might lead to the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the offspring. Latinas are often considered a low-risk group for alcohol abuse, although recent reports indicate that the prevalence of alcohol consumption in this group is increasing due to changing cultural norms. The predictors of alcohol consumption during pregnancy among Latinas are largely unknown. We explored predictors of periconceptional drinking among Latinas (n = 155) recruited into an ongoing cohort study at the University of New Mexico. Women were interviewed by a bilingual trained interviewer about any episodes of binge drinking (≥4 drinks/occasion) a month around their last menstrual period (LMP) and were administered a TWEAK questionnaire. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and reproductive health characteristics were also ascertained. Predictors of binge drinking were identified by Chi-square test and logistic regression in univariate and multivariable analyses, respectively. Backward selection procedure was used to identify covariates that were independently associated with binge drinking in the final model. The mean age of participants was 27.0 ± 5.8 years and 69% were foreign born. In the entire sample, 17.4% of pregnant Latinas admitted at least one binge-drinking episode in the month around their LMP. Results of multivariate analysis indicate that Latinas born in the United States have a much greater risk of binge drinking in the periconceptional period (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2, 8.9) compared with foreign-born Latinas. Similarly, Latinas who primarily speak English at home were at much greater risk (OR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 10.5) compared with primarily Spanish-speaking women. No other variables were identified as significant predictors in multivariable models. Our results indicate that more acculturated Latinas are at much greater risk of binge drinking before conception and in early pregnancy compared with less acculturated Latinas. Culturally sensitive interventions should be developed to address risky alcohol consumption among Latinas of reproductive age.     

Effects of binge drinking on infant growth and development in an Inuit sample

Prenatal exposure to an average of 0.5 oz absolute alcohol per day (the equivalent of 7 standard drinks per week) during pregnancy has been found to be associated with numerous adverse effects on pre- and postnatal development. In the animal model, concentrated alcohol exposure has been found to lead to more adverse effects than exposure to the same total quantity of alcohol ingested in smaller doses over a longer period of time. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether, in a population where binge drinking is common but total alcohol consumption across pregnancy is low, prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with effects on prenatal growth, visual acuity and cognitive development during infancy. The second aim is to determine which of several indicators of alcohol consumption best predicts pre- and postnatal outcomes. Data were collected from 216 Inuit women and their infants living in Nunavik, the northern region of Québec. Maternal interviews were conducted during mid-pregnancy and at 1 and 6 months postpartum. Birth weight, length, and head circumference were assessed at delivery. Visual acuity and cognitive development were assessed at 6 months of age. In this population in which infrequent heavy episodic drinking is common, even occasional binge exposure was associated with reduced prenatal growth and poorer visual acuity at 6 months of age. A simple dichotomous measure of binge drinking during pregnancy provided the best predictor of fetal growth and 6-month acuity. The population studied here is unusual in terms of its pattern of binge alcohol consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study to observe effects of binge drinking during pregnancy on infant growth and development in a sample where the average daily alcohol intake is low (<0.5 ounces).     

Genetic and behavioral determinants of hippocampal volume recovery during abstinence from alcohol

Alcohol-dependent individuals (ALC) have smaller hippocampi and poorer neurocognition than healthy controls. Results from studies on the association between alcohol consumption and hippocampal volume have been mixed, suggesting that comorbid or premorbid factors (i.e., those present prior to the initiation of alcohol dependence) determine hippocampal volume in ALC. We aimed to characterize the effects of select comorbid (i.e., cigarette smoking) and premorbid factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] genotype [Val66Met rs6265]) on hippocampal volume in an ALC cohort followed longitudinally into extended abstinence. One hundred twenty-one adult ALC in treatment (76 smokers, 45 non-smokers) and 35 non-smoking light-drinking controls underwent quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, BDNF genotyping, and neurocognitive assessments. Representative subgroups were studied at 1 week, 1 month, and at an average of 7 months of abstinence. ALC had smaller hippocampi than healthy controls at all time points. Hippocampal volume at 1 month of abstinence correlated with lower visuospatial function. Smoking status did not influence hippocampal volume or hippocampal volume recovery during abstinence. However, only BDNF Val homozygotes tended to have hippocampal volume increases over 7 months of abstinence, and Val homozygotes had significantly larger hippocampi than Met carriers at 7 months of abstinence. These findings suggest that BDNF genotype, but not smoking status or measures of drinking severity, regulate functionally relevant hippocampal volume recovery in abstinent ALC. Future studies aimed at exploring genetic determinants of brain morphometry in ALC may need to evaluate individuals during extended abstinence after the acute environmental effects of chronic alcohol consumption have waned.     

Alcohol consumption and mortality: a dose-response analysis in terms of time

PurposeLow-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased mortality. However, many aspects of this association are still debated. Our aim was to complement available information by conducting a dose-response analysis of the association between alcohol consumption and survival time.MethodsIn a Swedish population-based cohort of 67,706 middle-aged and elderly men and women, frequency and amount of drinking were assessed through a self-administrated questionnaire. During 15 years of follow-up, 13,323 participants died. Differences in survival (10th percentile differences, PDs) according to levels of alcohol consumption were estimated using Laplace regression.ResultsWe found evidence of nonlinearity between alcohol consumption and survival. Among women, we observed a rapid increase in survival up to 6 g/d of alcohol consumption (0.5 drinks/d) where survival was 17 months longer (PD = 17 months, 95% confidence interval, 10 to 24). After this peak, higher alcohol consumption was progressively associated with shorter survival. Among men, survival improved up to 15 g/d (1.5 drinks/d) where we observed a PD of 15 months (95% confidence interval, 8 to 22).ConclusionsLow alcohol consumption was associated with improved survival up to 1.5 years for women with an average consumption of 0.5 drinks per day and to 1.3 years for men with an average consumption of 1.5 drinks per day.     

Patterns and Average Volume of Alcohol Use Among Women of Childbearing Age

Objectives: Maternal alcohol use is a leading preventable cause of neurobehavioral and developmental abnormalities in children. This study examines the patterns and average volume of alcohol use among U.S. women of childbearing age in order to identify subgroups of high-risk women for selective intervention. Methods: A sample of 188,290 women aged 18–44 years participated in the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC)’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey during the period of 2001–2003. Reported alcohol use patterns and average volume were examined for pregnant and nonpregnant women. Efforts were made to evaluate and characterize women who practiced various levels of binge drinking. Results: The results showed that approximately 2% of pregnant women and 13% of nonpregnant women in the United States engaged in binge drinking during the period of 2001–2003. Among the estimated average of 6.7 million women of childbearing age overall who engaged in binge drinking during the period, approximately 28.5% women also reported consuming an average of 5 drinks or more on typical drinking days, or about 21.4% women consumed at least 45 drinks on average in a month. Larger proportions of binge drinkers with high usual quantity of consumption were found among women of younger ages (18–24 years) or current smokers. Conclusions: Future prevention efforts should include strategies that combine health messages and encourage women of childbearing age, with particular emphasis on women 18–24 years, to avoid alcohol and tobacco use, and take multivitamins and folic acid daily for better pregnancy outcomes. Other efforts must also include broad-based implementation of screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse in primary and women’s health care settings.     

Recognized spontaneous abortion in mid-pregnancy and patterns of pregnancy alcohol use

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is one potential risk factor for spontaneous abortion (SAb). Prior research suggested that heavy drinking during pregnancy was associated with significantly increased rates of SAb, but results for lower levels of drinking have been inconsistent. We examined the association between different levels and patterns of prenatal alcohol consumption and SAb in a high-risk inner-city sample. We hypothesized that higher levels, binge patterns, and more frequent drinking would be associated with increased rates of SAb. The quantity and frequency of self-reported peri-conceptional and repeated in-pregnancy maternal drinking volumes per beverage type were assessed with semi-structured interviews in a prospective subsample of 302 African-American mothers. Relations between various measures of prenatal alcohol exposure and SAb were assessed using logistic regression. After controlling for various potential confounders, there was a significant positive relation between average absolute alcohol use per day across pregnancy and SAb. Greater frequency of drinking episodes also predicted SAb: an average of even one day of drinking per week across pregnancy was associated with an increase in the incidence of SAb. However, contrary to our hypothesis, neither the amount of alcohol drunk per drinking day nor a measure of binge drinking was significantly related to SAb after controlling for confounders. Differences in when women who drank at risk levels initiated antenatal care may have under-estimated the impact of alcohol on SAb in this low-SES urban African-American sample. Some drinking measures averaged across pregnancy may have under-estimated consumption and overestimated risk of SAb, but other risk drinking measures that avoid this limitation show similar relations to SAb. Identifying fetal risk drinking in pregnant women is critical to increasing the effectiveness of interventions that reduce risk level alcohol consumption and protect from pregnancy loss.     

Intermittent access to beer promotes binge-like drinking in adolescent but not adult Wistar rats

Teenagers are more likely than adults to engage in binge drinking and could be more vulnerable to long-term brain changes following alcohol abuse. We investigated the possibility of excessive adolescent drinking in a rodent model in which beer (4.44% ethanol vol/vol) is presented to adult and adolescent male Wistar rats. Experiment 1 tracked ad libitum beer and water consumption in group-housed rats from postnatal day (PND) 28-96. Rats consumed an average of 7.8 g/kg/day of ethanol during adolescence (PND 34-55) and this gradually declined to a lower level of intake in adulthood (PND 56-93) of 3.9 g/kg/day. In Experiment 2, beer was made available to both adolescent (PND 29+) and adult (PND 57+) rats for 2 h each day in a custom-built “lickometer” apparatus over 75 days. Access to beer was provided either 1 day out of every 3 (“intermittent” groups) or every day (“daily” groups). Relative to body weight, adolescent rats consumed more beer than adult rats in these limited access sessions. Adolescents with intermittent access consumed more than adolescents with daily access, a “binge”-like effect that was not observed in adult groups and that disappeared in adulthood. After 3 months of daily or intermittent alcohol consumption, the preference for beer versus sucrose was assessed. Rats previously kept under an intermittent schedule displayed a higher preference for beer relative to 3% sucrose, but only when testing occurred after 2 days of abstinence. In Experiment 3, adolescent (PND 30-37) and adult (PND 58-65) rats were given 20-min access to beer and their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were assessed. Adolescent groups consumed more alcohol than adults and showed higher BACS that were typical of human “binge” drinking (>80 mg/dL). Despite this, the correlation between BAC and beer intake was similar in both age groups. Together these results show that the intermittent presentation of alcohol itself appears to have subtle long-lasting effects on the motivation to consume alcohol. The findings support the use of beer solutions in modeling binge-like patterns of human alcohol consumption in adolescent rats.     

Lifetime Alcohol Drinking Pattern is Related to the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome. The Western New York Health Study (WNYHS)

The association of lifetime alcohol drinking pattern with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is largely unknown. Analyses were conducted on a population-based sample in a cross-sectional study (N = 2818, ages 35–79 years, 93% whites). Included were subjects who drank at least once a month for a period of at least six months during their lifetimes and were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at the time of interview. Lifetime drinking measures included total years of drinking, total drinking days, volume (total drinks) and average intensity (#drinks/drinking day); frequency of intoxication and heavy drinking; and age drinking began and ended. Metabolic syndrome components included impaired fasting glucose (IFG), high triglycerides (HTG), low HDL cholesterol (LHDLC), abdominal obesity (ABO), and hypertension (HBP). Potential confounders examined were age, gender, race, family history of coronary heart disease or diabetes, years of education, lifetime and current cigarette smoking, current drinking status, physical activity, and dietary factors. Multiple logistic regressions indicated that average intensity was directly related to IFG, HTG, HBP, and metabolic syndrome overall (p for linear trend = 0.03, 0.04, 0.003, and 0.009, respectively) and to ABO in women only (p for trend = 0.0004). Prevalence ratios (95% CI) for the metabolic syndrome according to quartiles of intensity were 1.00 (lowest), 1.23 (0.91–1.67), 1.43 (1.06–1.91) and 1.60 (1.12–2.30). Total drinking days was inversely related to LHDLC (p for trend = 0.0002) and to ABO in women only (p for trend < 0.0001). It is concluded that lifetime drinking patterns are significantly related to the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.     

Alcohol consumption and lipodystrophy in HIV-infected adults with alcohol problems

Lipodystrophy is a common long-term complication of HIV infection that may lead to decreased quality of life and less adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). A complete understanding of the etiology of HIV-associated lipodystrophy has not yet been achieved, although factors related to the virus, per se, and use of ART appear to be related. Alcohol use is common among HIV-infected patients and has biological effects on fat distribution, yet alcohol's relationship to HIV-associated lipodystrophy has not been examined. The goal of this clinical study was to assess the effect of alcohol consumption on lipodystrophy in HIV-infected adults with alcohol problems. This was a prospective study (2001-2006) of 289 HIV-infected persons with alcohol problems. The primary outcome was self-reported lipodystrophy, which was assessed at one time point (median 29 months after enrollment). Alcohol use was assessed every 6 months and classified as: abstinent at all interviews; ≥1 report of moderate drinking but no heavy drinking; 1 or 2 reports of heavy drinking; or ≥3 reports of heavy drinking. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to the data. Fifty-two percent (150/289) of subjects reported lipodystrophy. Alcohol consumption was: 34% abstinent at all interviews; 12% ≥1 report of moderate drinking, but no heavy drinking; 34% 1-2 reports of heavy drinking; and 20% ≥3 reports of heavy drinking. Although not statistically significant, subjects with alcohol use had a higher odds of lipodystrophy (adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval: ≥1 report of moderate drinking, 2.36 [0.89, 6.24]; 1-2 reports of heavy drinking, 1.34 [0.69, 2.60]; ≥3 reports of heavy drinking, 2.07 [0.90, 4.73]). Alcohol use may increase the odds of developing HIV-associated lipodystrophy among subjects with alcohol problems. However, larger studies are needed to fully elucidate the role and impact of alcohol consumption on the development of this common long-term complication of HIV infection and its treatment.     

Prevention research on the teratogenic effects of alcohol

This paper presents findings from an October 1979 mail survey of women who gave live birth in Los Angeles county during a 3-month period. Ninety-six percent of the sample had been exposed to messages about the teratogenic effects of alcohol, and the mass media played a central role in this exposure. About one-fifth of the sample reported risky drinking practices during their most recent pregnancy. On average, those women who did not discuss drinking alcohol with their doctor or nurse were about one and a half times more likely to have risky drinking practices during pregnancy. These results imply that future fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) prevention efforts, at least in Los Angeles county, should focus more on the interaction between pregnant women and their health care providers and less on public awareness campaigns. Three directions for FAS prevention research are discussed.     

Prognostic value of changes in lean and fat mass in alcoholics

Background & aims

The prognostic value of nutritional status and/or lean and fat mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) has been widely analyzed, in both alcoholics and non-alcoholics. However, the prognostic value of changes in fat and lean mass over time in alcoholics has scarcely been studied, nor has the effect of alcohol abstinence on these changes.

Methods

From an initial cohort of 113 alcoholic patients, 70 prospectively underwent two DEXA assessments six months apart. One hundred and five patients (including 66 of those who underwent two DEXA assessments) were followed up for 34.9 ± 36.4 months (median = 18 months, interquartile range = 7.25–53.75 months). During this follow-up period, 33 died (including 20 of those who had undergone a second DEXA assessment).

Results

Forty-two of the 70 patients undergoing a second DEXA assessment had abstained from alcohol. Of these, 69.04% (29) gained left arm lean mass, compared with only 35.71% (10 of 28) of those who had continued drinking (χ² = 7.46; p = 0.006). Similar results were observed regarding right arm lean mass (χ² = 4.68; p = 0.03) and right leg lean mass (χ² = 7.88; p = 0.005). However, no associations were found between alcohol abstinence and changes in fat parameters. Analysis by means of Kaplan–Meier curves showed that loss of total lean mass, right leg lean mass, left leg lean mass and total fat mass were all significantly associated with reduced survival. However, within 30 months of the second evaluation, significant associations were observed between changes of all parameters related to lean mass, and mortality, but no association between changes in fat parameters and mortality.

Conclusions

Loss of lean mass over a period of six months after a first assessment is associated with worse prognosis in alcoholics, irrespective of whether they stop drinking during this period or not. Continued drinking is associated with greater loss of lean mass, but not with changes in fat mass.     

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy: A urge to increase prevention and screening

Alcohol consumption was evaluated in 1,027 pregnant women in the Auvergne region of central France. Only 53% declared total abstinence during pregnancy. 33% had 1–4 units on monthly occasion, while 13% drunk more frequently. One percent had 5 or more units per occasion. Despite the consensus recommending total abstinence during pregnancy, prenatal alcohol exposure remains a major public health issue.     

Increased mortality among women who drank alcohol during pregnancy

Women giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome have a higher risk of early mortality. However, the risk of increased mortality associated with drinking at lower levels during pregnancy has not been evaluated previously. Accordingly, mortality at 20 years post recruitment was examined in a sample (N = 570) of women recruited between 1980 and 1986, who drank more than 1 ounce of absolute alcohol per week (oz AA/wk) during pregnancy and compared to that in abstainers from the same low socioeconomic, African-American population. Using data from archival information and state mortality records, Cox proportional hazards survival models were constructed to determine whether alcohol use, cigarette use, infant birth weight, infant dysmorphia, and alcohol use and abuse by the woman's own mother (family history positive) were associated with increased risk for mortality. At follow-up (in 2003), 9.5% of the sample had died, with the rate for controls being 3.6%, for those alcohol users who stopped during pregnancy, 12.7%, and for the alcohol users who continued drinking throughout pregnancy, 12.5%. Thus, women using alcohol in pregnancy, whether they stopped or continued to use, were significantly (χ² (2) = 12.1, P < .01) more likely than abstainers to have died before follow-up. Nondrinkers' mortality rate was lower than that of other women from this low-income, high-risk population, whereas the drinkers' rate was 2.7 times higher. In a multivariate analysis, factors contributing to mortality risk included alcohol use and cigarette smoking, but not infant birth weight. Drinking at any level during pregnancy should be regarded as a risk factor for the mother as well as for offspring. Health care professionals working with such women should provide counseling and support for abstinence.     

中国2012年18~59岁就业流动人口饮酒现状分析

目的 了解我国18~59岁就业流动人口的饮酒行为和模式。方法 2012年在全国31个省(自治区、直辖市)和新疆生产建设兵团的170个县(区、团),按行业分层多阶段整群抽取≥18岁流动人口作为样本,分析流动人口调查前12个月饮酒状况。结果 共有48 697名样本人群纳入分析。调查前12个月饮酒率为51.7%(男性为71.9%,女性为24.7%)。饮酒者中男性每周饮酒率和日均酒精摄入量分别为53.9%和18.7 g,女性分别为16.7%和4.1 g。饮酒者每周饮酒率随年龄增加而升高(P<0.01),随文化程度提高而降低(P<0.01)。男性饮酒者日均酒精摄入量随年龄增加而升高(P<0.01),随文化程度提高而降低(P<0.01)。过量饮酒、危险饮酒和有害饮酒流行率在男性饮酒者中分别为23.6%、6.6%和6.9%,在女性饮酒者中分别为6.3%、2.3%和1.5%。在男性饮酒者中,过量饮酒、危险饮酒和有害饮酒流行率均随年龄增加而上升(P<0.01),随文化程度提高而降低(P<0.01)。男性和女性饮酒者过去12个月发生豪饮行为的比例分别为71.2%和33.1%。在男性饮酒者中,豪饮行为的频率分布在不同年龄、文化程度及行业间的差异有统计学意义(均P<0.01)。各行业中,从事建筑业的男性饮酒者每周饮酒率、日均酒精摄入量、过量饮酒、有害饮酒和豪饮流行率均为最高。结论 我国流动人口饮酒行为普遍,性别差别较大;不良饮酒行为在男性饮酒者中存在明显的年龄、文化程度和行业差异。     

Ethnicity and alcohol consumption among US adults with diabetes

PurposeThe drinking practices of a nationally representative sample of white, black, Mexican American, and other Hispanic adult diabetics are described and compared.MethodsCombined years (2005/2006–2011/2012) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey provided home interview data from 2220 adults with self-reported diabetes of white (n = 875), black (n = 720), Mexican American (n = 402), and other Hispanic (n = 223) ethnicity. Current drinking status, the number of drinks consumed per week, and binge drinking were compared across ethnicity.ResultsThe multivariate findings for both diabetic men and women showed no statistically significant ethnic differences in current drinking status, and among women, there were no statistically significant ethnic differences in binge drinking. Among male diabetics, Mexican Americans consumed more drinks per week than whites (b = 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.13–0.58; P = .002) and were at increased risk for binge drinking (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–3.21; P = .002).ConclusionsBinge drinking is prevalent among Mexican American male diabetics. This pattern of drinking may put them at risk for poor diabetes management and control. It is important that health care providers routinely assess their patients' drinking practices and address the health risks associated with alcohol consumption.     

High alcohol intake in female Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats

Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats have been selectively bred for high alcohol preference and consumption. When exposed to the standard, home cage 2-bottle “alcohol (10%, v/v) vs. water” choice regimen with continuous access, male sP rats consume daily approximately 6 g/kg alcohol. Conversely, when exposed to the intermittent (once every other day) access to 2 bottles containing alcohol (20%, v/v) and water, respectively, male sP rats display marked increases in daily alcohol intake and signs of alcohol intoxication and “behavioral” dependence. The present study was designed to assess alcohol intake in female sP rats exposed, under the 2-bottle choice regimen, to (a) 10% (v/v) alcohol with continuous access (CA10%), (b) 10% (v/v) alcohol with intermittent access (IA10%), (c) 20% (v/v) alcohol with continuous access (CA20%), and (d) 20% (v/v) alcohol with intermittent access (IA20%). Male sP rats (exposed to CA10% and IA20% conditions) were included for comparison. Over 20 daily drinking sessions, daily alcohol intake in female CA10% and IA20% rats averaged 7.0 and 9.6 g/kg, respectively. The rank of alcohol intake was IA20% > IA10% = CA20% > CA10%. Conversely, daily alcohol intake in male CA10% and IA20% rats averaged 6.0 and 8.2 g/kg, respectively. Comparison of female and male rats yielded the following rank of alcohol intake: female IA20% > male IA20% > female CA10% ≥ male CA10%. An additional experiment found that alcohol drinking during the first hour of the drinking session produced mean blood alcohol levels of 35–40 mg% and 85–100 mg% in the CA10% and IA20% rats, respectively. These results (a) extend to female sP rats previous data demonstrating the capacity of the IA20% condition to markedly escalate alcohol drinking, and (b) demonstrate that female sP rats consume more alcohol than male sP rats. This sex difference is more evident under the IA20% condition, suggesting that female sP rats are highly sensitive to the promoting effect of the IA20% condition on alcohol drinking. These data contribute to the characterization of sP rats as a model of excessive alcohol consumption.     

Relationships Between Alcohol-related Informal Social Control, Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Problem Behaviors Among Racially Diverse Urban Youth

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationships between alcohol-related informal social control and parental monitoring on alcohol use, behavior and intentions; violent behavior; and delinquent behavior in a racially diverse population of young urban adolescents. Baseline surveys were administered to 6th grade male and female students in 61 urban Chicago schools as part of Project Northland Chicago, a group randomized trial for the prevention/reduction of substance use. A subset of their parents (n = 3,034) was also surveyed regarding alcohol use, violence, and delinquency and related issues. Structural equation modeling was used to assess relationships between alcohol-related informal social control (as measured by parental perceptions of neighborhood action regarding youth drinking) and parental monitoring (as reported by parents), and three adolescent outcomes (alcohol use, behaviors and intentions; violent behavior; and delinquent behavior; as reported by teens). Associations between alcohol-related informal social control and parental monitoring were positive and significant (P < .001). Direct paths from parental monitoring to all three adolescent outcomes were negative and statistically significant (alcohol use, behaviors and intentions, P < .001; violent behavior, P < .001; and delinquent behavior, P < .001). Alcohol-related informal social control was not significantly associated with adolescent outcomes. Efforts to engage parents to be more active in monitoring adolescents’ activities may be related to lower levels of underage drinking, violence and delinquency among both female and male urban youth. Neighborhood norms and action against teenage drinking may be too distal to adolescent outcomes to be directly associated.