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Pedersen ER, LaBrie JW, Hummer JF, Larimer ME, Lee CM. Heavier drinking American college students may self-select into study abroad programs: An examination of sex and ethnic differences within a high-risk group. Addict Behav 2010; 35:844-7. [PMID: 20510524 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Revised: 03/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
As with other heavier drinking groups, heavier drinking American college students may self-select into study abroad programs with specific intentions to use alcohol in the foreign environment. This cross-sectional study used a sample of 2144 students (mean age=20.00, SD=1.47) to explore differences in alcohol use and related negative consequences among (1) students intending to study abroad while in college, (2) students not intending to study abroad, and (3) students reporting prior study abroad participation. Results revealed that participants with no intention to study abroad drank less and experienced fewer alcohol-related consequences than participants intending to study abroad. In addition, students reporting prior completion of study abroad programs drank more and reported more hazardous alcohol use than those not intending to study abroad. Ethnic and sex differences existed; with White students, males, and females intending to study abroad and non-White students who previously completed study abroad programs demonstrating the most risk. These findings provide empirical support that study abroad students may be a heavier drinking subgroup necessitating intervention prior to beginning programs abroad.
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Pedersen ER, LaBrie JW, Hummer JF. Perceived behavioral alcohol norms predict drinking for college students while studying abroad. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2010; 70:924-8. [PMID: 19895769 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2009.70.924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE College students who study abroad may represent a subgroup at risk for increased drinking while living in foreign countries. The present study explores this idea as well as the extent to which students' pre-abroad perceptions of study-abroad student drinking are related to actual drinking while abroad. METHOD Ninety-one students planning to study abroad completed an online survey of demographics, pre-abroad drinking behavior, perceptions of study-abroad student drinking behavior while abroad, and intentions to drink while abroad. Halfway into their study-abroad experience, participants completed a follow-up survey assessing drinking while abroad. RESULTS Pre-abroad intentions of drinking and pre-abroad perceptions of study-abroad drinking were associated with actual drinking while abroad. However, perceptions predicted actual drinking while abroad over and above intended drinking. In addition, although participants overall did not significantly increase their drinking while studying abroad, participants with higher pre-abroad perceived norms significantly increased their own drinking behavior while abroad. CONCLUSIONS As in other samples of college students, perceived norms appear to be an important correlate of study-abroad student drinking behavior. Findings suggest that perceptions of study-abroad student-specific drinking predicted not only actual drinking while abroad but also increases in drinking from pre-abroad levels. Findings provide preliminary support for the idea that presenting prospective study-abroad students with accurate norms of study-abroad student-drinking behavior may help prevent increased or heavy drinking during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Pedersen
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Abstract
Alcohol consumption and its attendant problems are prevalent among adolescents and young adult college students. Harm reduction has been found efficacious with heavy drinking adolescents and college students. These harm reduction approaches do not demand abstinence and are designed to meet the individual where he or she is in the change process. The authors present a case illustration of a harm reduction intervention, the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), with a heavy-drinking female college student experiencing significant problems as a result of her drinking. BASICS is conducted in a motivational interviewing style and includes cognitive-behavioral skills training and personalized feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Whiteside
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Box 354933, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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204
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Pedersen ER, LaBrie JW, Kilmer JR. Before you slip into the night, you'll want something to drink: exploring the reasons for prepartying behavior among college student drinkers. Issues Ment Health Nurs 2009; 30:354-63. [PMID: 19499435 PMCID: PMC4254781 DOI: 10.1080/01612840802422623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prepartying among college students is an emerging topic of research and clinical focus. Unfortunately for some students, prepartying, or quick drinking before going out for the primary event of the evening, can lead to high blood alcohol levels, further drinking, and subsequent consequences. The present study was designed to explore the reasons for prepartying among a sample of 444 male and female students. Males and females reported arriving to a social event already under the influence, saving money, and making the night more interesting as their most highly endorsed reasons for prepartying. Males endorsed reasons relating to increased social and sexual facilitation with opposite sex peers to a greater extent than females. Although underage and legal drinking age participants did not differ in prepartying frequency or typical quantity, underage students reached higher estimated blood alcohol levels during prepartying. Finally, alcohol-related consequences were significantly and positively associated with nearly all reasons for prepartying for both men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Pedersen
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA.
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205
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Earleywine M, LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER. A brief Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index with less potential for bias. Addict Behav 2008; 33:1249-53. [PMID: 18547738 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2008] [Revised: 04/09/2008] [Accepted: 05/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), a popular measure of alcohol-related problems in adolescents, varies with many theoretically-relevant measures of individual differences, including sex. The sex differences in RAPI scores fit many models of alcohol problems but could also arise from biased items. In addition, a short form could increase the scale's utility. The current study examined RAPI scores, an additional inventory of problem drinking, and measures of alcohol consumption in over 2000 college student drinkers. Analyses revealed items that functioned differentially for men and women. Dropping these items created a shorter scale with almost identical psychometric properties but less potential for bias. Correlations with drinking habits and drinking problems were the same as those for the full scale, and the size of the effect for the difference between men and women's responses remained essentially the same. These results confirm previous work using different analytic approaches, and suggest that a short form of the RAPI could prove helpful in future research. In addition, these data suggest that analyses of differential item functioning in other scales can reveal important information about the measurement of drug problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitch Earleywine
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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206
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Pedersen ER, LaBrie JW. Normative misperceptions of drinking among college students: a look at the specific contexts of prepartying and drinking games. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2008; 69:406-11. [PMID: 18432383 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2008.69.406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the collegiate context, misperceptions of student drinking norms are among the most salient predictors of heavy drinking. Despite overall overestimations of peer alcohol use, misperceptions of context-specific behaviors have been infrequently studied. The present study examines students' perceptions of the high-risk behaviors of prepartying and drinking games and investigates the relationship between perceived and actual behaviors. METHOD A sample of 524 college students completed an online assessment of actual and perceived alcohol use related to prepartying and drinking games. Quantity and frequency of overall drinking, prepartying, and drinking games were assessed for perceptions of all students at the university, as well as for male and female students separately. Questions also assessed participants' overall drinking, prepartying, and drinking game behaviors. RESULTS Participants significantly overestimated the prepartying and drinking game behaviors of all students, male students, and female students at their university. For men, perceptions of same-sex prepartying quantity and drinking game frequency and quantity were associated with actual behavior. For women, perceptions of both same-sex and other-sex prepartying quantity were associated with actual behavior. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide preliminary support for the association between context-specific perceived norms and actual prepartying and drinking game behaviors. Addressing these same-sex and opposite-sex norms during interventions may help students reduce their own engagement in these risky behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Pedersen
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Suite 4700, Los Angeles, California 90045, USA
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Martens MP, Labrie JW, Hummer JF, Pedersen ER. Understanding sport-related drinking motives in college athletes: psychometric analyses of the Athlete Drinking Scale. Addict Behav 2008; 33:974-7. [PMID: 18489064 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2007] [Revised: 02/28/2008] [Accepted: 03/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have identified college student-athletes as a high-risk group for heavy alcohol consumption (e.g., Nelson, T. F., & Wechsler, H. (2001). Alcohol and college athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, 43-47). Recently, Martens and colleagues (Martens, M. P., Watson, J. C., Royland, E. M., & Beck, N. C. (2005). Development of the Athlete Drinking Scale. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19, 158-164) developed a measure of sport-related motivations for drinking: the Athlete Drinking Scale (ADS). Initial research on the reliability and validity of the measure was promising, and the purpose of this study was to conduct additional psychometric analyses on the scale. Data were analyzed from 483 NCAA Division I athletes who volunteered to participate in the study. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis provided satisfactory support for the hypothesized factor structure of the ADS. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that scores on the ADS were associated with relevant alcohol-related outcome variables, even after controlling for the effects of demographic factors and general drinking motives. Thus, the ADS may be a useful tool for both clinicians and researchers working in alcohol prevention among collegiate athletes.
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LaBrie J, Pedersen ER, Neighbors C, Hummer JF. The role of self-consciousness in the experience of alcohol-related consequences among college students. Addict Behav 2008; 33:812-20. [PMID: 18258376 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2007] [Accepted: 01/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Heavy drinking among college students is a well-established national concern. An in-depth look at the characteristics and traits of heavy drinking students is an essential precursor to the development of successful targeted interventions with at-risk students. The current study examines the role self-consciousness (private, public, social anxiety) plays in the experience of alcohol-related consequences among a sample of 1,168 student members of campus organizations. Male gender predicted drinking in the sample, while both private self-consciousness and social anxiety predicted less drinking. Public self-consciousness predicted alcohol-related consequences over and above the variance explained by drinking for both males and females. Additionally, both gender and social anxiety moderated the effect of drinking on problems. Heavier drinking female students and heavier drinking students high in social anxiety appear more susceptible to the experience of negative consequences. These results highlight the direct and indirect impact that self-consciousness and gender have on college students' experience of alcohol-related negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph LaBrie
- Loyola Marymount University, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States.
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209
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LaBrie JW, Hummer JF, Neighbors C, Pedersen ER. Live interactive group-specific normative feedback reduces misperceptions and drinking in college students: a randomized cluster trial. Psychol Addict Behav 2008; 22:141-8. [PMID: 18298241 DOI: 10.1037/0893-164x.22.1.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This research evaluated the efficacy of a live and interactive group-specific normative feedback intervention designed to correct misperceptions of alcohol-related group norms and subsequently reduce drinking behavior. Campus organizations (N = 20) containing 1,162 college students were randomly assigned to intervention or assessment-only control conditions. Participants in the intervention condition attended an intervention during their organization's regular standing meeting. Data were gathered in vivo using computerized handheld keypads into which participants entered personal responses to a series of alcohol-related questions assessing perceptions of normative group behavior as well as actual individual behavior. These data were then immediately presented in graphical form to illustrate discrepancies between perceived and actual behavioral group norms. Results indicated that compared with the control group, the intervention group reduced drinking behavior and misperceptions of group norms at 1-month and 2-month follow-ups. Changes in perceived norms mediated the reductions in drinking. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel, technologically advanced, group-based, brief alcohol intervention that can be implemented with entire groups at relatively low cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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LaBrie JW, Huchting K, Tawalbeh S, Pedersen ER, Thompson AD, Shelesky K, Larimer M, Neighbors C. A randomized motivational enhancement prevention group reduces drinking and alcohol consequences in first-year college women. Psychol Addict Behav 2008; 22:149-55. [PMID: 18298242 DOI: 10.1037/0893-164x.22.1.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption among college students has become an increasing problem that requires attention from college administrators, staff, and researchers. Despite the physiological differences between men and women, college women are drinking at increasingly risky rates, placing them at increased risk for negative consequences. The current study tested a group motivational enhancement approach to the prevention of heavy drinking among 1st-year college women. Using a randomized design, the authors assigned participants either to a group that received a single-session motivational enhancement intervention to reduce risky drinking that focused partly on women's specific reasons for drinking (n = 126) or to an assessment-only control group (n = 94). Results indicated that, relative to the control group participants, intervention participants drank fewer drinks per week, drank fewer drinks at peak consumption events, and had fewer alcohol-related consequences over a 10-week follow-up. Further, the intervention, which targeted women's reasons for drinking, was more effective in reducing consumption for participants with high social and enhancement motivations for drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER, Thompson AD, Earleywine M. A brief decisional balance intervention increases motivation and behavior regarding condom use in high-risk heterosexual college men. Arch Sex Behav 2008; 37:330-9. [PMID: 17653840 PMCID: PMC4221275 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-007-9195-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2006] [Revised: 08/15/2006] [Accepted: 08/15/2006] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Male college students constitute one of a number of at-risk populations susceptible to receiving and transferring sexually transmitted infections. Interventions designed to increase condom use have produced mixed results, but increasing motivation to use condoms may decrease risky sexual behavior. The current study examined the decisional balance, a component of Motivational Interviewing (MI), as an intervention to promote condom use. A total of 41 college men at-risk for negative outcomes from both unsafe sex and drinking participated. They reported both infrequent condom use and heavy drinking. Immediately following a decisional balance on condom use, three separate measures of motivation to change condom use increased. Further, participants reported increases in actual condom use at a 30-day follow-up. Participants did not alter their drinking behavior or their motivation to decrease problematic alcohol use. The findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a brief decisional balance intervention to increase safer-sex motivation and behaviors, but similar designs with true control groups receiving assessment only and larger numbers of participants are required before they can be generalized to the greater population of college students. College health professionals might adopt similar brief motivational enhancement interventions with the decisional balance to promote safer sex among at-risk college students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive Suite 4700, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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212
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Pedersen ER, LaBrie JW, Lac A. Assessment of perceived and actual alcohol norms in varying contexts: exploring Social Impact Theory among college students. Addict Behav 2008; 33:552-64. [PMID: 18068308 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2007] [Revised: 10/22/2007] [Accepted: 11/06/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The social norms approach to college drinking suggests that students misperceive the drinking behavior and attitudes of their peers. While much is known about these misperceptions, research is sparse regarding the context in which perceived and actual norms are assessed. As social influence is pronounced in college, the principles of Social Impact Theory may contribute to differences between assessments performed individually and those completed when surrounded by members of one's salient reference group. The current study examines 284 members of campus organizations in two contexts (online and group) to determine if individuals endorse different responses to questions of perceived and actual drinking norms across contexts. All participants endorsed higher responses on questions of actual and perceived group behavior and of perceived group attitudes towards drinking during the group assessment. Men and students in Greek organizations may be more influenced by the proximity of their peers when presented with questions regarding perceived alcohol use. These results suggest that context of assessment needs to be considered when collecting self-report data from college students.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The authors examined the phenomenon known to college students as prepartying, which is the consumption of alcohol prior to attending an event or activity (eg, party, bar, concert) at which more alcohol may be consumed. PARTICIPANTS To explore the extent of this behavior, the authors surveyed 227 college students about each drinking event over a 1-month period. RESULTS Principal results revealed that 64% of participants engaged in prepartying (75% of drinkers) and that prepartying is involved in approximately 45% of all drinking events. Prepartying was predictive of more drinking throughout the day of the drinking event and alcohol-related negative consequences. Men and women engaged in this behavior at similar rates, and prepartying was most related to social reasons for drinking. CONCLUSION Because prepartying is well-known among students, the authors suggest that clinicians and researchers target it to better understand college drinking and to help students understand the associated dangers.
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LaBrie JW, Hummer JF, Pedersen ER. Reasons for drinking in the college student context: the differential role and risk of the social motivator. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2007; 68:393-8. [PMID: 17446979 PMCID: PMC4214145 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2007.68.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study examines the relationships among reasons for drinking, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences in two college-aged samples. Personal motivators such as mood enhancement and coping (tension reduction) have consistently been shown to predict problematic alcohol use, but because of the salient nature of social drinking in college, we hypothesized that social reasons for drinking would be most frequently endorsed and, in turn, predict negative consequences. METHOD T w o distinct samples--119 co-ed adjudicated students sanctioned by the university for violating campus alcohol policy and 106 co-ed volunteer students--completed measures assessing alcohol consumption, reasons for drinking, and consequences. Differential effects between genders were examined. RESULTS Social camaraderie (SC) was the most frequently endorsed reason for drinking. Regression analyses controlling for previous drinking revealed that social reasons for drinking predicted alcohol-related problems among female students in both samples. Additionally, SC was significantly correlated with every drinking measure and problem measure at 1 month for females in both the adjudicated and the volunteer groups. Total drinks, drinking days, and heavy episodic drinking events correlated with SC for males in the adjudicated sample. CONCLUSIONS For females, these results suggest a relationship between social reasons for drinking and alcohol-related consequences, which previous research has not identified. More research is needed to explore females' reasons for drinking, accompanying problems, and the underlying psychosocial traits associated with these reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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215
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LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER, Lamb TF, Quinlan T. A campus-based motivational enhancement group intervention reduces problematic drinking in freshmen male college students. Addict Behav 2007; 32:889-901. [PMID: 16876963 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2006] [Revised: 06/12/2006] [Accepted: 06/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The current study employs an adaptation to Motivational Interviewing (AMI) group intervention with freshmen male undergraduates. The program follows suggestions of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for effective interventions with problematic college student drinking, and combines several empirically validated strategies to prevent drinking problems throughout college. All participants reduced drinking and alcohol-related problems; heavier drinkers and those experiencing the most alcohol-related problems reduced drinking most. Additionally, freshmen who completed the intervention were less likely than their non-intervention freshmen male peers to commit alcohol-related violations of campus policies. In addition to the reductions in problematic drinking, the group AMI has advantages over individual formats because larger numbers of students can benefit with comparable expenditures of time and effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Loyola Marymount University, Department of Psychology, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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216
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LaBrie JW, Huchting K, Pedersen ER, Hummer JF, Shelesky K, Tawalbeh S. Female College Drinking and the Social Learning Theory: An Examination of the Developmental Transition Period from High School to College. J Coll Stud Dev 2007; 48:344-356. [PMID: 25374438 PMCID: PMC4217512 DOI: 10.1353/csd.2007.0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Problematic drinking among college students remains a national issue with large percentages of college students reporting heavy episodic or binge drinking (Wechsler, Dowdall, Davenport, & Castillo, 1995) and experiencing severe alcohol-related consequences ranging from poor academic performance, to sexual assault, vandalism, and even death (Hingson, Heeren, Winter, & Wechsler, 2005; Wechsler et al., 2002). According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, 2002), the first 6 weeks on a college campus are critical to first-year student success. However, during these first weeks many students initiate heavy drinking that may interfere with their ability to adapt to campus life, and patterns of drinking established during these first weeks persist throughout college (Schulenberg et al., 2001). Approximately one third of first-year students fail to enroll for their second year due to difficulties with the transition to college (Upcraft, 1995). Drinking may compromise successful negotiation of the transition into college and therefore jeopardize overall collegiate success. Therefore, the ability to identify specific students as they enter college who may develop problematic drinking patterns and related negative consequences would allow student affairs personnel to more effectively design and target risk-reduction programs and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
| | - Karie Huchting
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
| | - Eric R Pedersen
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
| | - Justin F Hummer
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
| | - Kristin Shelesky
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
| | - Summer Tawalbeh
- Joseph W. LaBrie is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Heads UP; Karie Huchting is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Eric R. Pedersen is Assistant Director of Heads UP; Justin F. Hummer is Project Coordinator at Heads UP; Kristin Shelesky is Staff Psychologist at Student Psychological Services; and Summer Tawalbeh is Programming Coordinator at Heads UP; all at Loyola Marymount University
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study examined the effectiveness of the 2-week period currently used in the categorization of heavy episodic drinking among college students. Two-week drinker-type labels included the following: nonbinge drinker, binge drinker, and frequent binge drinker. METHOD Three samples of college student drinkers (104 volunteers, 283 adjudicated students, and 238 freshmen male students) completed the 3-month Timeline Followback assessment of drinking. Drinking behavior during the last 2 weeks of the month before the study was compared with drinking behavior during the first 2 weeks of the same month to compare behavior and resulting labels during both 2- week periods. RESULTS Inconsistencies existed in drinker-type labels during the first 2 weeks of the month and the last 2 weeks of the month for all three samples. Between 40% and 50% of participants in the three samples were classified as a different drinker type across the month. Nonbinge drinkers experienced a wide range of alcohol-related problems, and much variation existed among the frequent-binge-drinker label. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the current definition needs to be modified to accurately identify risky-drinking college students. Expanding the assessment window past 2 weeks of behavior, as well as developing different classification schemes, might categorize risky drinkers more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Loyola Marymount University, Department of Psychology, 1 LMU Drive, Suite 4700, Los Angeles, California 90045, USA.
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LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER, Huchting K, Thompson AD, Hummer JF. Correcting Misperceptions and Reducing Risky Drinking through a Student-Designed Poster Campaign. J Alcohol Drug Educ 2007; 51:7-16. [PMID: 25678724 PMCID: PMC4322428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
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Pedersen ER, LaBrie J. Drinking game participation among college students: gender and ethnic implications. Addict Behav 2006; 31:2105-15. [PMID: 16600523 PMCID: PMC4254752 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2005] [Revised: 01/18/2006] [Accepted: 02/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Participation in drinking games by college students has recently sparked research attention. While previous research indicates that women play drinking games at lower frequencies than men, the current study reveals that college women may be playing games at rates similar to college men. In a sample of 105 coed college students, participants completed a 3-month Timeline Followback recording every drinking event and quantity consumed. They then were prompted to identify which drinking events involved drinking games and how much alcohol was consumed during game playing. Both men and women engaged in drinking games at similar rates and consumed more drinks on game playing days than on non-game drinking days. However, drinking game participation was related to alcohol-related consequences in women only. Further, while Caucasian participants played drinking games more often than non-Caucasian participants, an association between game participation and alcohol-related consequences emerged in non-Caucasian participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph LaBrie
- Corresponding author: Tel.: +1 310 338 5238; fax: +1 801 469 3189
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LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER, Lamb TF, Bove L. HEADS UP! A nested intervention with freshmen male college students and the broader campus community to promote responsible drinking. J Am Coll Health 2006; 54:301-4. [PMID: 16539223 DOI: 10.3200/jach.54.5.301-304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed several guidelines for effective interventions in dealing with problematic college student drinking, including targeted individual interventions paired with broader campus community involvement. The project Heads UP! combines these suggestions in an effort to intervene with high-risk first-year male college students. The objective of the program is to reduce campus alcohol-related negative events and prevent these high-risk students from developing dangerous drinking patterns throughout college. The project provides an environment that supports students in actively following the goals outlined by the intervention, and it actively impacts the overall campus by helping students make responsible drinking decisions. Promising results are forthcoming, and the authors encourage other universities to design and adopt similar campus-supported programs nested within the broader campus community that target high-risk populations on campus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
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221
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LaBrie JW, Pedersen ER, Earleywine M, Olsen H. Reducing heavy drinking in college males with the decisional balance: analyzing an element of Motivational Interviewing. Addict Behav 2006; 31:254-63. [PMID: 15970393 PMCID: PMC4216108 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2005] [Accepted: 05/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The decisional balance, a brief detailing of the advantages and disadvantages of behavior change, serves as a key component to interventions in Motivational Interviewing. The impact of this component alone is not well understood. Forty-seven men completed a Timeline Followback interview assessing alcohol consumption and unsafe sexual practices. They then completed a decisional balance, listing the Pros and Cons of decreasing their drinking, but not one for safer sex. One-month follow-up data showed that they had statistically significant and clinically meaningful increases in their motivation to alter drinking and decreases in the number of drinks that they intended to drink, the actual drinks consumed per month, the days per month that they drank, their maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion, and their average number of drinks per occasion. They did not alter their sexual behavior or their motivation to increase safe sex behavior. These results suggest that the decisional balance plays an important role in Motivational Interviewing and could serve as a quick and efficient intervention by itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States.
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Fabricius-Bjerre N, Dittmann L, Flachs J, Pedersen ER, Petersen J, Hansen M, Pibemose E, Grønbech G. [Home examination of 5-week-old infants. Cooperation between doctors and health visitors]. Ugeskr Laeger 1985; 147:1724-6. [PMID: 4024318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Abstract
The complications of non-tropical sprue were registered in 100 patients seen during an 18-year period. The patients had a significantly higher mortality than the age- and sex-matched general population. They had an increased incidence of malignancies, predominantly malignant lymphomas and carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease must be considered a premalignant condition.
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