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Metcalfe KB, Cormier LA, Lacroix PJ, O'Sullivan LF. "I Was Worshiped and in Control": Sugar Arrangements Involving Transactional Sex from the Perspective of Both Sugar Babies and Sugar Benefactors. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024; 61:1013-1025. [PMID: 38127788 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2293888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Sugar dating arrangements involve an older partner ("sugar daddy/mommy") who provides financial support to a younger partner ("sugar baby") in exchange for intimacy. The current study recruited a U.S. and Canadian sample of sugar babies (n = 45) and sugar benefactors (n = 32) through social media sources to survey them about perceived power in their sugar arrangement, gender roles, and stigma. Sugar benefactors did not differ in perceived power from sugar babies, nor in endorsement of traditional gender roles or stigma. Directed content analysis analyzing open-ended responses about associated outcomes indicated that both partners placed strong emphasis on companionship despite the importance of sex within arrangements. Sugar babies reported that money drives participation, although arrangements fulfill other needs, such as pleasure. Other benefits include having an arrangement with clear boundaries and expectations. Disadvantages include concerns for safety, that being physical safety for babies, and reputation and being used for money for daddies. Notably, both groups perceived sugar babies as having equal or more power than sugar benefactors, although this was often attributed to sugar babies' attractiveness and youth. Findings include insights from both babies and benefactors, and support perspectives that sugar dating is distinct from traditional sex work.
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Seemiller LR, Flores-Cuadra J, Griffith KR, Smith GC, Crowley NA. Alcohol and stress exposure across the lifespan are key risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive decline. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100605. [PMID: 38268931 PMCID: PMC10806346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are an increasing threat to global health initiatives. Efforts to prevent the development of ADRD require understanding behaviors that increase and decrease risk of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, in addition to uncovering the underlying biological mechanisms behind these effects. Stress exposure and alcohol consumption have both been associated with increased risk for ADRD in human populations. However, our ability to understand causal mechanisms of ADRD requires substantial preclinical research. In this review, we summarize existing human and animal research investigating the connections between lifetime stress and alcohol exposures and ADRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R. Seemiller
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Julio Flores-Cuadra
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Keith R. Griffith
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Grace C. Smith
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nicole A. Crowley
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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A Social Ecological Approach to Hazardous Alcohol Use among Flemish Higher Education Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17218288. [PMID: 33182481 PMCID: PMC7720127 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Hazardous use of alcohol is a global public health concern. Statistics suggest that this is particularly common in Europe, and among higher education students. Although it has been established that various factors—ranging from the individual to the overarching societal level—are associated with misuse of alcohol, few studies take multiple levels of influence into account simultaneously. The current study, therefore, used a social ecological framework to explore associations between variables from multiple levels of influence and the hazardous use of alcohol. Data were obtained from a representative sample of higher education students from Flanders, Belgium (n = 21,854), and explored using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The results demonstrated that the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels, were all associated with risky alcohol consumption. When devising interventions, policymakers should, therefore, take into consideration that variables from multiple levels of influence are at play. Students’ capacities to change or maintain their alcohol consumption behaviors may be undermined if social settings, overarching environments, social norms, and policies are not conducive to their motivations and social expectations.
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Gervilla E, Jiménez R, Anupol J, Duch M, Sesé A. Breath Alcohol Concentration and Perception of Drunkenness: A Comparison between Adolescents and Young Adults Drinking Alcohol in Public Settings. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17082890. [PMID: 32331377 PMCID: PMC7215476 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use is a persisting social and health problem in Spain that often takes place within the recreational context. This study aims to analyze objective and self-reported measures of alcohol use and to assess the potential role of social factors on alcohol intake in open-air public settings. A total of 1475 participants (47.4% women), including 27.8% adolescents organized into 355 natural groups of friends, were interviewed while they were socializing at night in the streets of Palma (Spain). Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), self-reported measures of alcohol use, and social variables were assessed. Men showed statistically higher scores in BrAC than women. However, adolescents’ Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores were not statistically different by gender. Correlation between objective and self-reported measures was low. Interestingly, BrAC of drinkers was lower when some friends in the group were sober. Moreover, especially in young adults, variables related to the social environment were statistically significant factors to predict BrAC. In conclusion, we found a high prevalence of alcohol intake in young people in open-air public settings, low relationship of objective and self-reported measures, and social factors linked to alcohol use, although differences by age and gender must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gervilla
- Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain; (E.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Rafael Jiménez
- Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain; (E.G.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-971172733
| | - Joella Anupol
- European Institute of Studies on Prevention, 07003 Palma, Spain; (J.A.); (M.D.)
| | - Mariàngels Duch
- European Institute of Studies on Prevention, 07003 Palma, Spain; (J.A.); (M.D.)
| | - Albert Sesé
- Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain; (E.G.); (A.S.)
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Laghi F, Bianchi D, Pompili S, Lonigro A, Baiocco R. Heavy episodic drinking in late adolescents: The role of theory of mind and conformity drinking motives. Addict Behav 2019; 96:18-25. [PMID: 31026674 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy episodic drinking (HED) implies severe consequences for health, both in the short and long term. Peer conformity has shown contradictory relationships with HED, suggesting the presence of a complex interaction between social and individual factors. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the moderation role of conformity in the relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and HED. METHOD Participants were 170 Italian adolescents (Mage = 18.71, SDage = 0.77) recruited in public high schools. Self-report measures were administered for evaluating drunkenness and HED. The Drinking Motives Questionnaire was used to assess three drinking motives, namely coping with negative emotions, enhancement of positive feelings, and the need for peer conformity, whereas the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test was adopted to test advanced theory of mind skills. ANOVAs, MANOVAs and regression moderation analyses were performed. RESULTS Drunkenness, HED and drinking motives did not vary with gender. Only social motives were higher in boys (vs. girls). HED was positively related to drunkenness and to social, coping and enhancement motives. However, only enhancement significantly predicted HED. Finally, conformity moderated the relationship between ToM and HED. In the presence of high conformity, adolescents with impaired ToM reported significantly more HED than adolescents with high ToM. CONCLUSIONS In the presence of conformity needs, social cognition impairment appeared to be a risk factor for HED, whereas good socio-cognitive skills were protective. Implications for research, clinical assessment and prevention are discussed.
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Hughes K, Quigg Z, Ford K, Bellis MA. Ideal, expected and perceived descriptive norm drunkenness in UK nightlife environments: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:442. [PMID: 31029124 PMCID: PMC6486975 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6802-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Drunkenness is common in nightlife environments and studies suggest it can be considered both desirable and normal by nightlife users. We aimed to compare UK nightlife users’ ideal levels of drunkenness to their expected drunkenness on a night out and their perceptions of descriptive nightlife norms. Methods A cross-sectional survey with nightlife patrons (n = 408, aged 18–35) in three cities. Using a scale from 1 (completely sober) to 10 (very drunk), participants rated: personal drunkenness at survey; expected drunkenness on leaving nightlife; perceived descriptive drunkenness norm in the city’s nightlife; and ideal personal drunkenness. Analyses were limited to those who had or were intending to consume alcohol. Results Almost half of participants (46.8%) expected to get drunker than their reported ideal level on the night of survey, rising to four fifths of those with the highest levels of expected drunkenness. 77.9% rated typical nightlife drunkenness ≥8 but only 40.9% expected to reach this level themselves and only 23.1% reported their ideal drunkenness as ≥8. Higher expected drunkenness was associated with higher ideal drunkenness, higher perceived drunkenness norm and later expected home time. Conclusions Nightlife users’ perceptions of typical drunkenness in nightlife settings may be elevated and many of the heaviest drinkers are likely to drink beyond their ideal level of drunkenness. Findings can support emerging work to address cultures of intoxication in nightlife environments and suggest that interventions to correct misperceptions of normal levels of nightlife drunkenness may be of benefit. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6802-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Hughes
- Policy and International Health, Public Health Wales, Clwydian House, Wrexham, LL13 7YP, UK. .,College of Human Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Zara Quigg
- Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L2 2QP, UK
| | - Kat Ford
- Bangor Institute for Health and Medical Research, School of Health Sciences, Wrexham, LL13 7YP, UK
| | - Mark A Bellis
- Policy and International Health, Public Health Wales, Clwydian House, Wrexham, LL13 7YP, UK.,College of Human Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
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Laghi F, Bianchi D, Pompili S, Lonigro A, Baiocco R. Cognitive and affective empathy in binge drinking adolescents: Does empathy moderate the effect of self-efficacy in resisting peer pressure to drink? Addict Behav 2019; 89:229-235. [PMID: 30336444 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking during adolescence is influenced by peer pressure and group norms as risk factors. Conversely, drinking refusal self-efficacy is a protective factor. Thus, adolescents with impaired social skills could be more vulnerable to binge drinking. However, there is still little research on impaired social abilities, such as low empathy, in adolescent binge drinkers. This study aimed to investigate the moderating roles of empathic concerns and perspective-taking in the relationship between self-efficacy in resisting peer pressure to drink (SRPPD) and binge drinking. Participants were 188 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.93, SDage = 0.76; age-range: 15-19). Self-report instruments were administered. Binge drinking was evaluated with an open response item according to the clinical definition of symptoms; SRPPD was assessed with an item from the Perceived Self-Efficacy scale; empathic concerns and perspective-taking were measured with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale. A moderation regression analysis was run. Results showed that binge drinking is positively predicted by age, and negatively predicted by SRPPD and empathic concerns. Only perspective-taking proved to be a moderator in the relationship between SRPPD and binge drinking. In the presence of low perspective-taking, adolescents with low SRPPD reported more binge drinking than adolescents with high SRPPD. Conversely, for adolescents with high levels of perspective-taking, low SRPPD did not predict binge drinking. Our results shed light on patterns of cognitive and affective empathy in binge drinking adolescents, providing relevant implications for research and prevention for at-risk teenagers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorenzo Laghi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
| | - Dora Bianchi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Pompili
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Antonia Lonigro
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Baiocco
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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Animal house: University risk environments and the regulation of students’ alcohol use. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2017; 47:18-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Kuntsche E, Kuntsche S, Thrul J, Gmel G. Binge drinking: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions. Psychol Health 2017; 32:976-1017. [PMID: 28513195 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2017.1325889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Binge drinking (also called heavy episodic drinking, risky single-occasion drinking etc.) is a major public health problem. This paper provides an overview of recently published evidence concerning the definition and measurement, prevalence rates, health impact, demographic and psychosocial correlates of, and interventions for, binge drinking. DESIGN Narrative review. RESULTS Mostly occurring among young people at weekends, binge drinking increases the risk of both acute (e.g. injuries) and long-term negative consequences (e.g. alcohol disorders). Binge drinkers tend to be extrovert, impulsive and sensation-seeking. Stress, anxiety, traumatic events and depression are also related to binge drinking. Both alcohol-related behaviour of parents and general parenting (e.g. parenting styles, monitoring) are also important. Other major risk factors for binge drinking are frequently spending time with friends who drink, and the drinking norms observed in the wider social environment (e.g. school, community, culture). Emergency departments, birthday parties, fraternities and the workplace serve as settings for interventions; these are increasingly delivered via digital and mobile technology. There is evidence of small-sized effects across approaches (brief interventions, personalised normative feedback, protective behavioural strategies etc.) and populations. CONCLUSION A more consistent terminology, investigating multi-level influences and identifying the most effective intervention components are challenges for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Kuntsche
- a Addiction Switzerland, Research Department , Lausanne , Switzerland.,b Behavioural Science Institute , Radboud University , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.,c Institute of Psychology , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Sandra Kuntsche
- a Addiction Switzerland, Research Department , Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Johannes Thrul
- d Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Gerhard Gmel
- a Addiction Switzerland, Research Department , Lausanne , Switzerland.,e Alcohol Treatment Centre , Lausanne University Hospital , Lausanne , Switzerland
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