Age at First Use of Energy Drinks Associated With Risky Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Behaviors Among College Students

Age at first use has been extensively studied in various substances, but remains unexplored in energy drinks. Recent studies suggest adolescent energy drink consumption is linked to alcohol misuse and high-risk motor vehicle behaviors. This study examined energy drink age at first use and high-risk motor vehicle behaviors among a sample (N = 468) of college students. Consumption of energy drinks at an earlier age predicted high-risk motor vehicle behaviors including driving after having too much alcohol, driving with a perceived blood alcohol content above the .08 limit, and knowingly choosing to ride with someone who had consumed too much alcohol. However, when controlling for various 30-day drinking behaviors, age at first energy drink use significantly predicted only driving with a perceived blood alcohol content above the .08 limit (p < .05), while number of days drunk during the past 30 days was shown to be a stronger predictor (p < .05) for all three high-risk driving behaviors.     

Psychostimulant Dependence in a Community Sample

Objective.?To examine the prevalence of psychostimulant dependence and the characteristics associated with nonmedical users’ development of dependence. Methods.?The study sample was drawn from the 1995 to 1998 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse. Statistical analysis was conducted on a total of 1047 individuals aged 12 or older who reported nonmedical use of stimulants in the past year. Multiple multinomial logistic regression identified factors related to stimulant dependence and dependence problems. Results.?Among all past year stimulant users, 19% met criteria for stimulant dependence in the past year, and an additional 16% reported having one to two dependence problems. Adjusting for demographics and drug use characteristics, female stimulant users were an estimated 2.6 times more likely than male users to develop dependence. Not only did the Western region of the United States have more recent stimulant users than other regions, its users also were more likely to meet criteria for dependence or experience dependence problems. Stimulant users who had increased odds of progressing into dependence were characterized by an early onset of stimulant use, coexisting multiple illicit drug use, and an onset of daily cigarette smoking between the ages of 13 and 17 years. Conclusions.?Gender differences in initial stimulant use and progression to dependence require further investigation, including contextual, cultural, or perceptual factors related specifically to the choice of drugs by females.     

Associations Between Religiosity,Perceived Social Support,and Stimulant Use in an Untreated Rural Sample in the U.S.A.

Background: Religiosity and perceived social support (SS) may serve as protective factors for more severe substance use in adults. Objectives: This study sought to examine whether aspects of religiosity and SS are associated with longitudinal reductions in stimulant use over three years in an untreated sample of rural drug users. Methods: Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit stimulant users (N = 710) from Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio. Follow-up interviews were conducted at 6-month intervals for 36 months. Results: Our bivariate findings indicate that higher religiosity was associated with lower odds and fewer days of methamphetamine and cocaine use. After controlling for covariates, higher religiosity was associated with fewer days of crack cocaine use, but more days of methamphetamine use among a small sample of users in the two final interviews. Higher SS from drug-users was also associated with higher odds and days of methamphetamine and powder cocaine use, while higher SS from nondrug users was associated with fewer days of methamphetamine use. Conclusions/Importance: Our bivariate findings suggest that higher levels of religiosity may be helpful for some rural individuals in reducing their drug use over time. However, our multivariate findings suggest a need for further exploration of the potential effects of religiosity on longer-term drug use, especially among those who continue to use methamphetamine and/or remain untreated. Our findings also highlight the potential deleterious effect of SS from drug users on the likelihood and frequency of methamphetamine and powder cocaine use over time among untreated rural drug users.     

Substance Use Among Sexual Minority Collegiate Athletes: A National Study

Background: The empirical research examining substance use among sexual minority collegiate athletes is sparse. Problematically, this group may be at a greater risk of substance use due to their marginalized status within the context of sport. Objectives: We examined different types of substance use during the past 30 days, and diagnosis of substance use disorders during the past 12 months, among sexual minority collegiate athletes. Methods: This study uses data from college students for the fall semester between 2008 and 2012 from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment. Results: Sexual minority collegiate athletes had greater odds of past 30-day cigarette use, past 30-day alcohol use, past 30-day marijuana use, and indicating being diagnosed or treated for a substance use disorder during the past 12 months when compared to either heterosexual collegiate athletes or heterosexual nonathletes, but had similar odds on these outcomes when compared to sexual minority nonathletes. Sexual minority collegiate athletes also had greater odds of binge drinking during the past 2 weeks when compared to either heterosexual nonathletes or sexual minority nonathletes, but had similar odds on this outcome when compared to heterosexual collegiate athletes. Additional analyses by gender reveal that male sexual minority athletes are at the greatest risk of being diagnosed or treated for a substance use disorder. Conclusions: Possible explanations as to why sexual minority collegiate athletes (particularly males) may be at a greater risk of substance use disorders could include the difficulty of trying to maintain an athletic identity within a social environment that is traditionally homophobic.     

Psychiatric Symptoms,Parental Attachment,and Reasons for Use as Correlates of Heavy Substance Use Among Treatment-Seeking Hispanic Adolescents

In early adolescence, Hispanics self-report higher drug use rates compared to White and African American peers. Among adolescent users, heavy users have more negative behavioral and health consequences. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine whether psychiatric symptoms, parental attachment, and reasons for use predict heavy alcohol and illicit drug use (more than 10 times in the past three months) among Hispanic adolescents. Methods: This study examines baseline data from a study evaluating a family based substance abuse treatment program for Hispanic adolescents. Participants were 14–17 years old (N = 156, 44% female). Adolescent reports on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scales measured psychiatric symptoms of major depressive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and anxiety. The Personal Experiences Inventory measured type and amount of drug use, as well as perceived social and psychological benefits of drug use. The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment measured trust, communication, and alienation between adolescents and their mothers. Logistic regression identified correlates of heavy alcohol use and heavy illicit drug use among Hispanic adolescents. Results: Higher social benefits were associated with increased likelihood of heavy alcohol use. Conduct disorder, higher levels of maternal attachment, lower levels of acculturation, and higher levels of psychological benefits of use were associated with an increased likelihood of heavy illicit drug use. Conclusion: These findings support the assumption that substance use treatment among Hispanic adolescents must be capable of addressing co-occurring psychiatric disorders, familial relationships, and the individual reasons/motivators to use.