Moderators of the relationship between physical activity and alcohol consumption in college students

Associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and alcohol consumption among UK adults: Findings from the Health Behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (HEBECO) study

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic and attendant lockdowns have had a substantial negative effect on alcohol consumption and physical activity globally. Pre-pandemic evidence in the adult population suggests that higher levels of physical activity were associated with higher levels of drinking, but it is unclear how the pandemic may have affected this. Therefore, this study aims to assess the association between alcohol consumption and physical activity in a UK cohort established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Analyses utilized data from the Health Behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (HEBECO) study involving 2,057 UK adults (≥18 years). Participants completed self-report measures of alcohol consumption [frequency, quantity, frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and AUDIT-C score] and physical activity [moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), frequency of muscle strengthening activity (MSA) and sedentary behaviour] between November 2020 and January 2021. Ordinal logistic regression models were conducted, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

RESULTS

Fifteen percent of the sample reported abstinence from drinking. Overall, 23.4% of participants drank ≥4 times/week, 13.9% drank more than 6 units/single drinking occasion (HED), 7.5% reported HED daily/almost daily and 4.2% scored ≥11 on AUDIT-C. MSA 3 days/week compared with no MSA was significantly associated with higher odds of alcohol frequency [OR (95 CI%) = 1.41 (1.04-1.91)], quantity [OR (95 CI%) = 1.38 (1.02-1.87)], HED [OR (95 CI%) = 1.42 (1.05-1.94)] and possible dependence [OR (95 CI%) = 1.47 (1.05-2.06)]. The association of MVPA and sedentary behaviour with drinking measures was not significant (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

In contrast with previous research, MSA rather than aerobic physical activity was associated with increased alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is conceivable that during lockdown while drinking was used as a coping strategy, limited opportunities for aerobic exercise made MSA a more convenient form of physical activity. To guide public health interventions, more research is required to examine the temporal relationship between different forms of physical activity and alcohol consumption.

Daily Exercise and Alcohol Use Among Young Adult College Students

The present study examined associations between exercise and alcohol use at the between- and within-person levels, including temporal sequencing and the impact of gender. Participants were 221 college students that completed an online survey and 14 daily surveys assessing their daily exercise and alcohol use. Individuals who reported higher exercise scores also consumed more alcohol, on average. On days when individuals reported consuming fewer drinks than usual, they also reported greater exercise scores. Individuals reported lower exercise scores following a day with heavier alcohol use than usual or a day with heavy episodic drinking. Exercise was unassociated with next-day alcohol use. There were mixed findings on the impact of gender. Exercise may have a more proximal influence on drinking. Exercise interventions for alcohol use could target days with higher probabilities of drinking to reduce levels of alcohol use among college students.

The effect of self-perceived stress, the history of smoking and drinking on weight status in Chinese adults - evidence from the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey: A cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China

Being overweight and obese is a serious public health issues in China. However, the effects of substance use and mental factors on weight changes remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association among self-perceived stress, history of smoking and drinking, and weight status by using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2015.A total of 8028 adults were selected from China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2015. The self-reported data primarily included sociodemographic data, self-perceived stress scores, and history of smoking and drinking. Physical measurements including height and weight were logged to calculate body mass index. Multivariate and multinomial regression models were used to estimate effects of substance and perceived stress on weight status.The prevalence of underweight and overweight/obese people were 4.52% and 51.51% in Chinese adults, respectively. Adults with high perceived stress were negatively associated with being overweight and obese (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.66-0.97 in the middle level and OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.55-0.88 in the high level). Adults with history of smoking had low risk of being overweight/obese (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.62-0.82). Adults with history of drinking had high risk of overweight/obese (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06-1.40). In addition, the association between drinking and overweight/obese was affected by different levels of perceived stress (OR = 1.15, 95%CI = 0.83-1.59 in low-stress group and OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.04-1.94 in high-stress group).The effects of self-perceived stress and history of smoking as well as drinking on weight status were significant in this study. The government and healthcare policymakers should strengthen early psychological factor and behavioral intervention to decrease the prevalence of abnormal-weight status.

Positive and Negative Changes in Food Habits, Physical Activity Patterns, and Weight Status during COVID-19 Confinement: Associated Factors in the Chilean Population

The association between the changes in lifestyle during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) confinement and body weight have not been studied deeply. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine lifestyle changes, such as eating habits and physical activity (PA) patterns, caused by confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze its association with changes in body weight. Seven hundred participants (women, n = 528 and men, n = 172) aged between 18-62 years old of the Chilean national territory participated in the study. Food habits, PA, body weight, and sociodemographic variables were measured through a survey in May and June 2020. The body weight increase presented positive association with the consumption of fried foods ≥ 3 times per week (OR; 3.36, p < 0.001), low water consumption (OR; 1.58, p = 0.03), and sedentary time ≥6 h/day (OR; 1.85, p = 0.01). Conversely, fish consumed (OR; 0.67, p = 0.03), active breaks (OR; 0.72, p = 0.04), and PA ≥ 4 times per week (OR; 0.51, p = 0.001) presented an inverse association with body weight increase. Daily alcohol consumption (OR; 4.77, p = 0.003) was associated with PA decrease. Food habits, PA, and active breaks may be protective factors for weight increase during COVID-19 confinement.

Association between physical activity and alcohol consumption: sociodemographic and behavioral patterns in Brazilian adults

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to investigate the association between physical activity and alcohol consumption, as well as the sociodemographic and behavioral patterns of this association in a representative sample of Brazilian adults.

METHODS

Data from the Brazilian Health Survey (PNS), a nationally representative survey conducted in 2013 (n = 60 202; age≥18 years), were used. Time spent in leisure physical activity, alcohol consumption as well as sociodemographic (chronological age, educational status and skin color) and associated behavioral factors (TV viewing and tobacco smoking) were collected via interview. Logistic regression models were used for the main analyses.

RESULTS

Prevalence of weekly and almost daily alcohol consumption were 29.5% and 6.7% for men and 12.0% and 1.0% for women respectively. Adults with weekly alcohol consumption were more likely to be classified as physically active [young: men=OR:1.20 (CI 95%:1.02-1.39), women= OR:2.33 (CI 95%:1.92-2.82); middle-aged: men= OR:1.46 (CI 95%: 1.17-1.82), women= OR:1.75 (CI 95%:1.38-2.22); older: men= OR:1.83 (CI 95%:1.27-2.66), women= OR:2.11 (CI 95%: s1.26-3.52)], when compared to adults with no alcohol consumption. Almost daily alcohol consumption was associated with lower physical activity among young and middle-aged adults but with higher physical activity among older adults of both sexes and young women.

CONCLUSIONS

Weekly alcohol consumption was associated with a higher level of physical activity among young, middle aged and older adults.

Drinking, smoking and type a polydrug behaviours: Psychosocial factors among Portuguese university students

Aim

This paper aims to describe alcohol, tobacco and type A polydrug consumption among university students.

Method

A cross-sectional study was performed. Through a convenience sampling, a total of 338 were included (51.8% male with a mean age of 20.6 years, SD = 3.4). Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed by sociodemographic and substance consumption and behaviours variables. Spearman's correlation coefficients were assessed to measure the strength and direction of the association between sociodemographic and substance consumption variables. To evaluate type A polydrug consumption, multivariate logistic regression models were performed.

Results

It was observed significant correlations between tobacco consumption with cannabis and alcohol involvement, and coping, conformity, social, enhancement drinking motives. About alcohol consumption, there were observed relations with students’ social environment, and with enhancement, conformity and social drinking motives. Regarding sociodemographic factors on type A polydrug consumption it was verified that students who have parents and friends who smoke are more likely to polydrug.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that interventions focused on substance consumption may need to address descriptive and injunctive norms, drinking motives and social environment as part of the student’s consumption behaviours.

Longitudinal association between alcohol use and physical activity in US college students: Evidence for directionality

Objective: To investigate directionality of the association between alcohol use and physical activity in a college student sample, longitudinally across three time points. Participants: A total of 396 undergraduate students from a large university in the United States (62% females) participated in this study. Methods: Self-report data of alcohol use and physical activity were collected at three timepoints with 3-month lags between waves. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling was used to disentangle within- and between-person effects. Results: Despite no significant between-person effects, there were significant cross-lagged paths from alcohol use to vigorous physical activity at the within-person level. Specifically, when individuals consumed more alcohol than normal at earlier timepoints, they reported more subsequent vigorous physical activity at 3-month follow-ups. Conclusion: We provide evidence that alcohol use may positively predict later physical activity in college students over the course of a school year. These findings advance theoretical understanding of how these two health behaviors are linked using sophisticated methods.

Alcohol and tobacco consumption associated factors among college students: A review

Aim

Alcohol and tobacco consumption, common among college students, may lead to future health and social problems. We aim to identify the factors associated with those consumptions among college students.

Method

A literature review was performed using PRISMA recommendations. Records were selected through PubMed and Scopus. Through inclusion and exclusion criteria, data from the selected studies were analysed through meta-syntheses.

Results

Twenty studies were included in the analysis. Tobacco consumption was associated with having smoker friends, sedentary behaviours and male sex. Drinking was associated with having parents/friends who drink, having smoker friends and male sex.

Conclusion

This review contributes to identify the consumption factors, allowing health care workers to develop and improve the effectiveness of possible interventions for this population, such as health education programs or psycho-educational interventions, aiming to decrease consumptions behaviours, by targeting the students who are at risk.

Exercise-driven restoration of the alcohol-damaged brain

There are vast literatures on the neural effects of alcohol and the neural effects of exercise. Simply put, exercise is associated with brain health, alcohol is not, and the mechanisms by which exercise benefits the brain directly counteract the mechanisms by which alcohol damages it. Although a degree of brain recovery naturally occurs upon cessation of alcohol consumption, effective treatments for alcohol-induced brain damage are badly needed, and exercise is an excellent candidate from a mechanistic standpoint. In this chapter, we cover the small but growing literature on the interactive neural effects of alcohol and exercise, and the capacity of exercise to repair alcohol-induced brain damage. Increasingly, exercise is being used as a component of treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD), not because it reverses alcohol-induced brain damage, but because it represents a rewarding, alcohol-free activity that could reduce alcohol cravings and improve comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. It is important to bear in mind, however, that multiple studies attest to a counterintuitive positive relationship between alcohol intake and exercise. We therefore conclude with cautionary notes regarding the use of exercise to repair the brain after alcohol damage.

Alcohol Consumption and Physical Activity in Austrian College Students-A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The age of college students is considered as crucial for developing health-related behaviors, e.g., alcohol consumption or a physically active lifestyle. Previous research reported a positive relationship between alcohol consumption and physical activity (PA) in college students. However, the main body of research was done in students from the United States who might differ from European students.

OBJECTIVES

Thus the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and PA in a sample of Austrian college students.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional design, 861 Austrian students from various study fields responded to a web-based questionnaire. Self-reported alcohol consumption, PA, and relevant sociodemographic variables were assessed. Multiple regression analyses were used to study the relationship between alcohol consumption and PA.

RESULTS

In none of the regression models, a significant relationship between alcohol consumption and PA was found. There was a significant influence of sex, age, relationship status, education level, and study field on alcohol consumption. Male, older, and undergraduate students studying social sciences without a relationship reported higher alcohol consumption. Conclusions/Importance: The results do not support a general relationship between alcohol consumption and PA among urban Austrian college students of various study fields. Compared to other variables (e.g., sex, relationship status), PA seems to be less important in relation to the consumption of alcohol. This study challenges a global perspective on a positive relationship between alcohol consumption and PA and highlights the need for more cross-cultural investigations.

Binge drinking and associated factors among school students: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence and correlating factors of binge drinking among middle and high school students in Zhejiang Province, China.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study using data from a school-based survey. A total of 23 543 (response rate=97.5%) eligible adolescents from 442 different schools (including middle schools, academic high schools and vocational high schools) were asked to fill in an anonymous self-administered behaviour questionnaire between April and May 2017. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of sociodemographic and behavioural factors with binge drinking.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of participants was 15.6 (1.7) years and 51.3% were boys. The proportions of students from middle schools, academic high schools and vocational high schools were 51.9%, 27.5% and 20.6%, respectively. In total, 22.8% (95% CI 21.6 to 23.9) of students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days and 9.2% (95% CI 8.5 to 10.0) of students reported binge drinking (defined as drinking four or more alcoholic drinks in 1-2 hours period among girls and five or more alcoholic drinks among boys) during the past month. The prevalence of binge drinking was highest among vocational high school students (17.9% vs 6.3% and 7.7% among middle school and academic high school students, respectively). Older age, studying at high school, poor academic performance, higher levels of physical activity, excessive screen-time, loneliness, insomnia, previous suicide attempt, cigarette smoking, fighting, being bullied and sexual experience were found to be positively associated with adolescent binge drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

Binge drinking is common among middle and high school students in Zhejiang, China. Efforts to prevent binge drinking may need to address a cluster of sociodemographic and behavioural factors. Our findings provide information to enable healthcare providers to identify students at high-risk of binge drinking and to inform planning of intervention measures for at-risk students.

Gender Differences in the Association Between Alcohol Use and Sedentary Behavior Among Adults

Purpose:

We examined differences in the association between alcohol use and sedentary behavior by gender among adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional study that employs a complex, multistage stratified probability cluster sample design.

Setting:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007 to 2014.

Participants:

NHANES participants aged ≥20 years and identifying as Hispanic, white, or black (N = 18 441).

Measures:

Demographic characteristics, sedentary behavior, and alcohol consumption. Sedentary behavior was measured based on the number of minutes of sedentary activity per week. Alcohol consumption in the last year was measured based on responses to items assessing whether the participant consumes alcoholic beverages and the number of alcoholic beverages consumed on average.

Analysis:

Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate associations of alcohol use with categories of sedentary behavior by gender.

Results:

Compared to women who reported not consuming alcohol, women who were heavy drinkers were significantly more likely to engage in high sedentary activity (odds ratio [OR]: 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.87), relative to low levels of sedentary activity. Similarly, women who were binge drinkers were more likely to engage in moderate levels of sedentary activity (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.05-1.85). There were no significant associations between alcohol use and sedentary activity among men.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest that alcohol consumption should be considered in health promotion efforts targeting sedentary behavior among women.

A detailed examination of the longitudinal associations between individual and team sports and alcohol use

This study examined the longitudinal associations between participation in individual and team sports and indicators of alcohol use during the high school years and beyond. A total of 310 youths were surveyed over six waves of data collection (ages 12, 14 to 17, and 19). Participation in individual and team sports was measured through phone interviews, whereas frequency of alcohol use, frequency of intoxication, and problematic alcohol use were self-reported. Control variables included participation in other types of organized activities, sex, family income and structure, parental education and knowledge, problem behaviors, deviant peers, and peer status. The results of autoregressive latent trajectory models revealed reciprocal associations between time spent in individual sports and frequency of alcohol use and intoxication. The results also revealed that time spent in team sports predicted an increase in frequency of alcohol use in middle adolescence. Lastly, the only significant finding at age 19 suggested that the initial number of hours spent in individual sports predicted lower scores on alcohol intoxication. These findings suggest that team sports act as a risk factor for less severe forms of alcohol use in middle adolescence, whereas individual sports act as a protective factor against more severe forms of alcohol use during adolescence and beyond.

Testing weight motives and guilt/shame as mediators of the relationship between alcohol use and physical activity

OBJECTIVES

Test whether weight motives and guilt/shame mediate the positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use among college-attending young adults.

DESIGN

A longitudinal design was employed.

METHOD

Young adults who were attending college (N=371) completed two self-administered questionnaires separated by approximately one month. Heavy episodic drinking was assessed at Time 1. Vigorous physical activity, moderate physical activity, weight motives, and guilt/shame were assessed at Time 2.

RESULTS

Results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the positive relationship between heavy episodic drinking and vigorous physical activity. Results were inconsistent with guilt/shame as a mediator of this relationship. There was no statistically significant relationship between heavy episodic drinking and moderate physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Heavy episodic drinking was related to vigorous but not to moderate physical activity in the subsequent 30-days. Furthermore, the results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the relationship between alcohol use and vigorous physical activity.

Alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students: A longitudinal test of 2 explanatory models of health behavior

OBJECTIVE

To help clarify the effect of gender on the bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students.

PARTICIPANTS

Five hundred twenty-four (52% female) college students recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up in April 2009 and April 2011, respectively.

METHODS

Participants reported their alcohol use and strenuous physical activity on 2 occasions (baseline and follow-up) spaced approximately 1 or 2 years apart.

RESULTS

For females, alcohol use quantity at baseline was associated with increased strenuous physical activity at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, and alcohol use frequency at baseline was associated with decreased strenuous physical activity at 2-year follow-up. For males, alcohol use frequency at baseline predicted decreased strenuous physical activity at 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Gender differences may be explained from an eating disorders perspective such that women use physical activity as a compensatory strategy to combat potential weight gain from calories consumed during alcohol use.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Use Among Adults in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize published literature that has tested the relationship between physical activity and alcohol use.

DATA SOURCE

A systematic review of literature published between January 2005 and May 2015 was conducted by searching the databases: PsychInfo, Medline, and Pubmed.

STUDY INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Inclusion criteria: must have tested for the relationship between physical activity and alcohol use; used adult samples within the United States.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

utilized samples from outside the United States, adolescents, or alcohol dependent and heavy drinkers.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted from studies that achieved a quality score of 4 or greater. The following information was recorded for each study: sample characteristics, the variable that served as the predictor, study design, covariates included in analyses, and the direction/nature of the relationship.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The search captured 1036 unique articles, 16 of which were included in the final systematic review.

RESULTS

Nearly 88% of the studies with college students and 75% of studies with nonstudent adults reported a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use.

CONCLUSION

Research published in the past decade implies a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. Findings have important implications for the design of health promotion programs targeting physical activity and alcohol use.

Individual factors and school-based policies related to adherence to physical activity recommendations in Spanish adolescents

Our objective was to identify individual- and school-level contextual factors related to adherence to the recommendations for physical activity in adolescents. The study used a representative sample of 15,902 students from 328 schools aged 11-18 years participating in the Spanish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey 2006. In addition to the student questionnaire, the school management board completed a questionnaire about school-based policies related to physical activity. Adherence to the recommendations was defined as "having carried out moderate and/or vigorous physical activity for at least 60 min a day on five or more days during the last week". Analysis was undertaken using multilevel logistic regression models. Individual factors associated in a statistically significant way with a higher non-compliance were: being female; being older; immigrants; tobacco smoking; being overweight or obese; low consumption of fruit and vegetables; low level of satisfaction with life; not having a high level of academic achievement; and spending a lot of time studying. The family variables were: not undertaking sports activities with the family; low socioeconomic status; and a low level of satisfaction with family relationships. Compared with schools that have a low level of policies to promote physical activities, those with a high level of promotion had an odds ratio of 0.76 (CI 95 %, 0.61-0.94). In summary, irrespective of personal and family factors, students from schools with better policies of promotion of physical activity showed a higher compliance with the recommendations.

Exercise and Alcohol Consumption: What We Know, What We Need to Know, and Why it is Important

Exercise provides a wealth of benefits to brain and body, and is regarded as a protective factor against disease. Protective factors tend to cluster together - that is, people who engage in one healthy behavior, such as exercise, also engage in other healthy behaviors, such as maintaining a nutritious diet and getting sufficient sleep. In contrast to exercise, alcohol consumption is not typically regarded as a health-promoting behavior, although moderate intake has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, several large, population-based studies have shown a positive association between physical activity and alcohol intake. The present review focuses on what is known about this relationship, including potential neural bases as well as moderating factors, and discusses important directions for further study, such as a more thorough characterization of people who both drink and exercise. We focus on ramifications for intervening with people who have alcohol use disorders, as exercise has been assessed as both a treatment and preventive measure, with mixed results. We believe that, in order for such interventions to be effective, clinical trials must distinguish treatment-seeking populations from non-treatment-seeking ones, as well as ensure that the use of exercise as a tool to decrease alcohol consumption is made explicit. We posit that a better understanding of the relationship between physical activity and alcohol intake will maximize intervention efforts by informing the design of clinical trials and research-driven prevention strategies, as well as enable individuals to make educated decisions about their health behaviors.

Risk factors for suicidal thoughts in adolescence--a prospective cohort study: the Young-HUNT study

OBJECTIVES

Examining the associations between health and lifestyle factors recorded in the participants' early teens and development of suicidal thoughts recorded 4 years later.

DESIGN

Population-based prospective cohort study.

SETTINGS

All students in the two relevant year classes in Nord-Trøndelag County were invited, 80% attended both waves of data collection.

PARTICIPANTS

2399 secondary school students who participated in the Young-HUNT1 study in 1995-1997 (13-15 years old) were included in a follow-up study 4 years later (17-19 years old).

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Suicidal thoughts reported at age 17-19 years.

RESULTS

408 (17%, 95% CI 15.5% to 18.5%) of the adolescents reported suicidal thoughts at follow-up, 158 (14.2%, CI 13.6% to 16.4%) boys and 250 (19.5%, CI 18.8% to 22.0%) girls. Baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.9, CI 1.4 to 2.6), conduct problems (aOR 1.8, CI 1.3 to 2.6), overweight (aOR 1.9 CI 1.4 to 2.4), and muscular pain and tension (aOR 1.8, CI 1.4 to 2.4), were all associated with reporting suicidal thoughts at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

One in six young adults experienced suicidal thoughts, girls predominating. Suicidal thoughts were most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety/depression, conduct problems, pain/tension and overweight reported when participants were 13-15 years old. Specific preventive efforts in these groups might be indicated. Future research should investigate whether similar associations are seen with suicide/suicidal attempts as endpoints.

The relationship of alcohol use and physical activity from an ecologic perspective

PURPOSE

To determine the predictors of alcohol use (AU) and their relationship to physical activity (PA) among adolescents and to examine differences among groups using an ecologic model.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross sectional secondary analysis of 11,432 adolescents (51% 8th and 49% 10th graders).

RESULTS

Attitude, perception of risk, and academic performance were the strongest predictors of AU. PA did not moderate, but it had a positive influence on AU in 10th graders. Differences were observed among groups.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses can address individual and school factors in an effort to decrease AU and guide nurses in creating an individualized plan.

Participation in Team Sports and Alcohol and Marijuana Use Initiation Trajectories

A parallel-process latent growth curve model was used to model alcohol and marijuana use (vs. nonuse). Participation in team sports and gender were considered to be time-invariant covariates. The sample consisted of 8,179 youth from the National Survey of Parents and Youth. Data were collected over four yearly rounds. Analysis revealed that being part of a competitive sports team was related to a lower probability of marijuana initiation, but to increased rates of alcohol use over time. Males had significantly higher levels of marijuana initiation and decreases in rates of alcohol use over time; females had significantly greater rate of increase in alcohol use over time. Analysis suggests that youth involved in sports are less likely to use marijuana over time. This information may help to uncover other predictors of use over time and to inform policy making as well design as effective prevention.

Long-term consequences of developmental alcohol exposure on brain structure and function: therapeutic benefits of physical activity

Developmental alcohol exposure both early in life and during adolescence can have a devastating impact on normal brain structure and functioning, leading to behavioral and cognitive impairments that persist throughout the lifespan. This review discusses human work as well as animal models used to investigate the effect of alcohol exposure at various time points during development, as well as specific behavioral and neuroanatomical deficits caused by alcohol exposure. Further, cellular and molecular mediators contributing to these alcohol-induced changes are examined, such as neurotrophic factors and apoptotic markers. Next, this review seeks to support the use of aerobic exercise as a potential therapeutic intervention for alcohol-related impairments. To date, few interventions, behavioral or pharmacological, have been proven effective in mitigating some alcohol-related deficits. Exercise is a simple therapy that can be used across species and also across socioeconomic status. It has a profoundly positive influence on many measures of learning and neuroplasticity; in particular, those measures damaged by alcohol exposure. This review discusses current evidence that exercise may mitigate damage caused by developmental alcohol exposure and is a promising therapeutic target for future research and intervention strategies.

Physical activity and alcohol use disorders

BACKGROUND

Prior research has documented a counterintuitive positive association between physical activity and indices of alcohol consumption frequency and heaviness.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether this relation extends to alcohol use disorder and clarify whether this association is non-linear.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional, correlational population-based study of US adults (N = 34,653). The Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule was used to classify past-year DSM-IV alcohol use disorder and self-reported federal government-recommended weekly physical activity cutoffs.

RESULTS

After statistically controlling for confounds, alcohol abuse but not dependence was associated with greater prevalence of physical activity. Number of alcohol use disorder symptoms exhibited a curvilinear relationship with meeting physical activity requirements, such that the positive association degraded with high symptom counts.

CONCLUSION

There is a positive association between physical activity and less severe forms of alcohol use disorder in US adults. More severe forms of alcohol use disorder are not associated with physical activity.

The culture of high-risk alcohol use among club and intramural athletes

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the drinking patterns of club and intramural college athletes and compare their alcohol consumption, perceived norms around the excessive use of alcohol, experience of negative consequences, and employment of protective strategies with those of campus varsity athletes.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 442 undergraduate students attending a private, suburban institution in the Northeast participated in the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment-II Web survey in spring 2011. Thirty-five students identified themselves as varsity athletes, 76 identified as club sport athletes, and 196 students identified themselves as intramural athletes.

METHODS

Survey responses were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The Pearson's correlation coefficient and test for independence were applied to identify significant relationships between athlete status and identified variables related to alcohol use.

RESULTS

Results indicated that there were significant correlations between athlete status and all variables, to varying degrees.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have implications for campus health promotion professionals and athletics program coordinators seeking to address high-risk alcohol use among college athletes.