The moderating effect of religiosity on the genetic variance of problem alcohol use

Using societal conditional regard to cope with drug use in the ultraorthodox community and the unintended consequences

Introduction

A developing theoretical framework for the investigation of tight cultures' reaction toward members who violate communal norms is societal conditional regard (SCR).

Methods

Using a qualitative interpretive approach, in the current study we investigated the way the Ultraorthodox Jewish community uses SCR to cope with substance use disorders (SUDs), which considered to be a norms violation in closed religious communities. We did so by drawing on in-depth interviews with 14 young men from the Ultraorthodox community in Israel who were diagnosed as having an SUD and were in recovery.

Results

(a) The community's socialization process, educating its members to lead a life that is the only right one; (b) The community's use of God as the one whose love and regard are conditional; (c) The SCR emotional and behavioral practices used by the community toward individuals who violate norms, and (d) How, paradoxically, the use of SCR may eventuate in the initiation of drug use, and within the community itself.

Discussion

Findings are discussed in the context of self-determination theory and SCR, and shed light on how tight cultures cope with the threat of deviation of communal norms. Implications for intervention and policy are outlined.

A Systematic Review on Alcohol Consumption among Non-Religious and Religious Adults

Background: Research has suggested that religiosity is a protective factor in alcohol use, but this is an area that could be further explored. Objective: To undertake a systematic review of the literature on drinking patterns and their relationship with religiosity and non-religiosity in adult populations. Methods: We searched for relevant studies using the PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, and Psych-INFO databases. This review included only studies of people aged 18 and over which had a non-religious group as a comparison measure. Results: Fifty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The present review showed that religious people tend to have lower alcohol consumption compared to those with no religion. However, this difference appears only when religions are analyzed together without differentiating between religious affiliations (Catholicism, Buddhism, Evangelicalism, etc.). Some religious affiliations, such as Buddhism, Catholicism and Lutheranism, appear to be risk factors for alcohol consumption. Definitions of risk consumption showed high heterogeneity, ranging from eight to 21 or more doses per week, a difference of 13 doses of alcohol between studies. Conclusions: The present review showed that religious people tend to have lower alcohol consumption compared to non-religious people. However, the results are contradictory when religious affiliations are analyzed separately and compared with non-religious participants. Adequately understanding which dimensions of religiosity and non-religiosity (e.g., group processes, engagement, meaning, rules of behavior) are protective in adulthood is fundamental to the construction of more effective interventions in this age group.

"They didn't have any idea what drugs were": Pathways to substance use disorders among ultraorthodox Jewish males

BACKGROUND

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a worldwide phenomenon with very negative consequences, and belonging to a religious community is considered to be a protective factor against them. The pathways to SUDs have been investigated in many studies with the aim of helping us better understand this phenomenon and promoting effective intervention programs to prevent and manage it. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding SUDs in closed religious communities such as the Ultraorthodox Jewish community.

METHOD

To fill this gap, in the current study we investigated the pathways to SUDs among 14 young men from the Ultraorthodox Jewish community in Israel who were diagnosed as having an SUD in the past and who had been in sustained remission for at least a year. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews consisting of open-ended questions were conducted.

RESULTS

The findings highlighted two main themes: (a) A lack of support and attention from various systems, where participants reported sense of otherness or lack of belonging to family, educational institutions and community; a lack of responsiveness from those systems; a sense of rejection or exclusion; and a longing for belonging, and (b) A light in the darkness - someone who cares, in which the interviewees received some assistance, either in the period before or during drug use.

CONCLUSION

Findings point to the unique experience of Ultraorthodox young men in their addiction process and shed light on the failure of the abovementioned systems to help these young men cope. Findings are discussed in the context of the theoretical perspectives of social capital theory and exclusion. Implications for intervention and policy are outlined.

COVID fear and work-family conflict: a moderated mediated model of religiosity, COVID stress and social distancing

Purpose

Based on the arguments of conservation of resource theory (COR), this study aims to investigate the mechanism underlying the linkage of COVID fear, work-family conflict (W-FC) and family-work conflict (F-WC) while investigating the mediating role of COVID stress and social distancing. The study also tests the moderating role of religiosity in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 401 survey responses from doctors and university teachers are collected through online and personally administrated questionnaires. Partial least square-based structural equation modeling technique is applied using Smart PLS software.

Findings

This study finds that COVID fear has a positive and significant impact on COVID stress and social distancing while religiosity negatively impacts COVID fear. Further, COVID stress and social distancing mediates the relationships between COVID fear and W-FC/ F-WC. However, the study found that COVID stress is a more effective mechanism as compared to social distancing in explaining the mediation process. It is also found that religiosity significantly moderates the nexus between COVID stress and both W-FC and F-WC negatively.

Practical implications

Findings imply that the teachers, as well as doctors, must be immediately be provided with the proper facilitation to maintain their work from home operations with the best of the institutional facilities. Moreover, the recruitment policy in such professions can also consider religious practices to be the indicators of problem-solving and stress management in such a challenging context.

Originality/value

This study provides timely and novel insight into the interplay between the domains of work and family during the period of stressful COVID outbreak. By distinguishing W-FC and F-WC, it provides a detailed understanding of the process during the COVID period. The groundbreaking finding in the research is with the moderation of religiosity.

Intersection of familial risk and environmental social control on high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence in a US national sample of adults

BACKGROUND

Effects of a family history of alcoholism may be moderated by area-level social control factors. We examine whether increased neighborhood alcohol availability (low social control environment) or increased presence of religious adherents in the county (high social control environment) interact with family history in relation to alcohol outcomes.

METHODS

Weighted data from 12,686 adult drinkers (51% male; mean age 44; 80% White, 9% Black, 11% Hispanic) in three US National Alcohol Surveys were linked with data on area-level off-premise alcohol availability and adherence to religions with strong prohibitions against drinking. Family history density had four levels (family history negative, extended family only, first-degree relative(s) only, high family density). Dichotomous outcomes were past-year high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence. Logistic regression models with interaction terms assessed whether associations of family history with alcohol outcomes differed significantly by area-level social control. Stratified models assessed differences by sex and by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

In the full sample, effects of first-degree relatives and high family density on high-risk drinking strengthened as alcohol availability increased. This was replicated in the subsample of women and suggested in relation to dependence among men and Black drinkers. For White drinkers, higher religious social control reduced effects of first-degree relatives on high-risk drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

Low social control-in particular, greater density of off-premise alcohol outlets-appears to exacerbate effects of a family history of alcoholism on high-risk drinking. Policy makers should consider differential benefits of decreasing alcohol availability for people from high-risk families to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol problems.

Does puberty affect the development of behavior problems as a mediator, moderator, or unique predictor?

Pubertal timing matters for psychological development. Early maturation in girls is linked to risk for depression and externalizing problems in adolescence and possibly adulthood, and early and late maturation in boys are linked to depression. It is unclear whether pubertal timing uniquely predicts problems; it might instead mediate the continuity of behavior problems from childhood to adolescence or create psychological risk specifically in youth with existing problems, thus moderating the link. We investigated these issues in 534 girls and 550 boys, measuring pubertal timing by a logistic model fit to annual self-report measures of development and, in girls, age at menarche. Prepuberty internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were reported by parents. Adolescent behavior problems were reported by parents and youth. As expected, behavior problems were moderately stable. Pubertal timing was not predicted by childhood problems, so it did not mediate the continuity of behavior problems from childhood to adolescence. Pubertal timing did not moderate links between early and later problems for girls. For boys, early maturation accentuated the link between childhood problems and adolescent substance use. Overall, the replicated links between puberty and behavior problems appear to reflect the unique effects of puberty and child behavior problems on the development of adolescent behavior problems.

Psychosocial moderation of polygenic risk for cannabis involvement: the role of trauma exposure and frequency of religious service attendance

Cannabis use and disorders (CUD) are influenced by multiple genetic variants of small effect and by the psychosocial environment. However, this information has not been effectively incorporated into studies of gene-environment interaction (GxE). Polygenic risk scores (PRS) that aggregate the effects of genetic variants can aid in identifying the links between genetic risk and psychosocial factors. Using data from the Pasman et al. GWAS of cannabis use (meta-analysis of data from the International Cannabis Consortium and UK Biobank), we constructed PRS in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) participants of European (N: 7591) and African (N: 3359) ancestry. The primary analyses included only individuals of European ancestry, reflecting the ancestral composition of the discovery GWAS from which the PRS was derived. Secondary analyses included the African ancestry sample. Associations of PRS with cannabis use and DSM-5 CUD symptom count (CUDsx) and interactions with trauma exposure and frequency of religious service attendance were examined. Models were adjusted for sex, birth cohort, genotype array, and ancestry. Robustness models were adjusted for cross-term interactions. Higher PRS were associated with a greater likelihood of cannabis use and with CUDsx among participants of European ancestry (p < 0.05 and p < 0.1 thresholds, respectively). PRS only influenced cannabis use among those exposed to trauma (R2: 0.011 among the trauma exposed vs. R2: 0.002 in unexposed). PRS less consistently influenced cannabis use among those who attend religious services less frequently; PRS × religious service attendance effects were attenuated when cross-term interactions with ancestry and sex were included in the model. Polygenic liability to cannabis use was related to cannabis use and, less robustly, progression to symptoms of CUD. This study provides the first evidence of PRS × trauma for cannabis use and demonstrates that ignoring important aspects of the psychosocial environment may mask genetic influences on polygenic traits.

Predictors of Increases in Alcohol Problems and Alcohol Use Disorders in Offspring in the San Diego Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

The 35-year-long San Diego Prospective Study documented 2-fold increases in alcohol problems and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in young-adult drinking offspring compared to rates in their fathers, the original probands. The current analyses use the same interviews and questionnaires at about the same age in members of the 2 generations to explore multiple potential contributors to the generational differences in adverse alcohol outcomes.

METHODS

Using data from recent offspring interviews, multiple cross-generation differences in characteristics potentially related to alcohol problems were evaluated in 3 steps: first through direct comparisons across probands and offspring at about age 30; second by backward linear regression analyses of predictors of alcohol problems within each generation; and finally third through R-based bootstrapped linear regressions of differences in alcohol problems in randomly matched probands and offspring.

RESULTS

The analyses across the analytical approaches revealed 3 consistent predictors of higher alcohol problems in the second generation. These included the following: (i) a more robust relationship to alcohol problems for offspring with a low level of response to alcohol; (ii) higher offspring values for alcohol expectancies; and (iii) higher offspring impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

The availability of data across generations offered a unique perspective for studying characteristics that may have contributed to a general finding in the literature of substantial increases in alcohol problems and AUDs in recent generations. If replicated, these results could suggest approaches to be used by parents, healthcare workers, insurance companies, and industry in their efforts to mitigate the increasing rates of alcohol problems in younger generations.

Religious Attendance Moderates the Environmental Effect on Prosocial Behavior in Nigerian Adolescents

There is a growing body of literature linking religious attendance to prosocial behavior (PB). The main purposes of the present study were to estimate genetic and environmental influences on the frequency of religious attendance (FRA) and to explore whether and how FRA moderates genetic and/or environmental influences on PB. As part of the Nigerian Twin and Sibling Study, 2860 (280 monozygotic male, 417 monozygotic female, 544 dizygotic male, 699 dizygotic female, and 920 opposite-sex dizygotic) twins (mean age = 14.2 years; SD = 1.7 years; age range = 12-18 years) completed a questionnaire regarding FRA and a PB scale. Similar to the findings from western twin samples, FRA showed substantial shared environmental influences of 74% (95% CI = 69%, 78%), with absence of genetic effects. The phenotypic correlation between FRA and PB was modest but positive and significant (r = .12; p &lt; .01), suggesting that PB is higher among more frequent attenders than among less frequent attenders. The results of gene-environment (G × E) interaction model-fitting analysis revealed that FRA changed individual environmental experiences rather than genetic effects on PB such that while genetic variance was stable, non-shared environmental variance declined, leading the total phenotypic variance of PB to decrease with increasing levels of religious attendance.

Advancing our understanding of religion and spirituality in the context of behavioral medicine

Recognizing and understanding the potentially powerful roles that religiousness and spirituality (RS) may serve in the prevention and amelioration of disease, as well as symptom management and health related quality of life, significantly enhances research and clinical efforts across many areas of behavioral medicine. This article examines the knowledge established to date and suggests advances that remain to be made. We begin with a brief summary of the current knowledge regarding RS as related to three exemplary health conditions: (a) cardiovascular disease; (b) cancer; and, (c) substance abuse. We then focus on particular concerns for future investigations, emphasizing conceptual issues, possible mediators and moderators of relationships or effects, and methodology. Our discussion is framed by a conceptual model that may serve to guide and organize future investigations. This model highlights a number of important issues regarding the study of links between RS and health: (a) RS comprise many diverse constructs, (b) the mechanisms through which RS may influence health outcomes are quite diverse, and (c) a range of different types of health and health relevant outcomes may be influenced by RS. The multidimensional nature of RS and the complexity of related associations with different types of health relevant outcomes present formidable challenges to empirical study in behavioral medicine. These issues are referred to throughout our review and we suggest several solutions to the presented challenges in our summary. We end with a presentation of barriers to be overcome, along with strategies for doing so, and concluding thoughts.

Differences between White and Black young women in the relationship between religious service attendance and alcohol involvement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

We examined the associations of religious attendance during childhood (C-RA) and adulthood (A-RA) with alcohol involvement (ever drinking, timing of first alcohol use, and alcohol use disorder [AUD]) in White and Black female twins. As genetic and environmental factors influence religious attendance and alcohol involvement, we examined the extent to which they contribute to their association.

METHODS

Data on 3,234 White and 553 Black female twins (18-29 years) from the Missouri Adolescent Female twin Study. Significant correlations between C-RA or A-RA and alcohol involvement were parsed into their additive genetic, shared environmental, and individual-specific environmental sources.

RESULTS

C-RA was associated with ever drinking and timing of first alcohol use in Whites. A-RA was associated with ever drinking and AUD in both Whites and Blacks. Shared environmental influences did not contribute to alcohol or religiosity phenotypes in Blacks. In Whites, the association between C-RA and alcohol was due to shared environmental influences, whereas the association between A-RA and alcohol was attributable to additive genetic, shared environmental, and individual-specific environmental sources. Individual-specific environment and genetics contributed to associations between A-RA and ever drinking and AUD, respectively, in Blacks.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors other than C-RA contribute to lower rates of alcohol involvement in Blacks. Shared environment does not contribute to links between A-RA and alcohol involvement in Blacks.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

The protective impact of childhood religiosity on alcohol use and misuse is important in Whites and is due to familial factors shared by religiosity and alcohol involvement. (Am J Addict 2017;26:437-445).

Lifetime and 12 Months Prevalence of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorders Among Soldiers Residing in a Military Community in Ibadan

OBJECTIVE

Aims of the study were to determine lifetime and 12 months prevalence of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders and the profile of problems associated with the diagnoses of alcohol use disorders among a military population in Nigeria.

METHOD

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 223 military officers were interviewed by multistage stratified systematic sampling method. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 7.0 was used to generate data on prevalence of lifetime and current alcohol use, alcohol use disorders, and associated profile of problems. Chi square statistics, Wilcoxon-signed rank test, and binary regression analysis were used to explore the correlates of alcohol use and alcohol use disorder. All analyses were carried using SPSS Version 17.0.

RESULTS

Prevalence of lifetime alcohol use was 76.0%, 12 months prevalence was 53.9%, and frequent binge drinking was reported in 6.7% of respondents. Predictors of lifetime alcohol use were: Hausa/Fulani ethnicity OR = 1.51, 95% CI (1.11-8.71), Igbo ethnicity OR = 1.46, 95% CI (1.09-7.01), involvement in combat OR = 1.41, 95% CI (1.01-6.16). Predictors of 12 months alcohol use were: Hausa/Fulani ethnicity OR = 1.98, 95% CI (1.25-8.71), involvement in combat OR = 1.39 95% CI (1.01-5.28) and junior rank soldier OR = 2.08, 95% CI (1.47-8.99) while predictors of lifetime alcohol use disorders were: Hausa/Fulani ethnicity OR = 2.22, 95% CI (1.03-6.99) and involvement in combat OR = 2.04 95% CI (1.12-6.81).

CONCLUSION

Alcohol misuse is highly prevalent in the Nigerian military and its associated factors exemplify the common "military drinking culture."

Interactions Between Alcohol Metabolism Genes and Religious Involvement in Association With Maximum Drinks and Alcohol Dependence Symptoms

OBJECTIVE

Variations in the genes encoding alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes are associated with both alcohol consumption and dependence in multiple populations. Additionally, some environmental factors have been recognized as modifiers of these relationships. This study examined the modifying effect of religious involvement on relationships between ADH gene variants and alcohol consumption-related phenotypes.

METHOD

Subjects were African American, European American, and Hispanic American adults with lifetime exposure to alcohol (N = 7,716; 53% female) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Genetic markers included ADH1Brs1229984, ADH1B-rs2066702, ADH1C-rs698, ADH4-rs1042364, and ADH4-rs1800759. Phenotypes were maximum drinks consumed in a 24-hour period and total number of alcohol dependence symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Religious involvement was defined by self-reported religious services attendance.

RESULTS

Both religious involvement and ADH1B-rs1229984 were negatively associated with the number of maximum drinks consumed and the number of lifetime alcohol dependence symptoms endorsed. The interactions of religious involvement with ADH1B-rs2066702, ADH1C-rs698, and ADH4-rs1042364 were significantly associated with maximum drinks and alcohol dependence symptoms. Risk variants had weaker associations with maximum drinks and alcohol dependence symptoms as a function of increasing religious involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided initial evidence of a modifying effect for religious involvement on relationships between ADH variants and maximum drinks and alcohol dependence symptoms.

Dependence of Gene-by-Environment Interactions (GxE) on Scaling: Comparing the Use of Sum Scores, Transformed Sum Scores and IRT Scores for the Phenotype in Tests of GxE

Estimates of gene-environment interactions (GxE) in behavior genetic models depend on how a phenotype is scaled. Inappropriately scaled phenotypes result in biased estimates of GxE and can sometimes even suggest GxE in the direction opposite to its true direction. Previously proposed solutions are mathematically complex, computationally demanding and may prove impractical for the substantive researcher. We, therefore, evaluated two simple-to-use alternatives: (1) straightforward non-linear transformation of sum scores and (2) factor scores from an appropriate item response theory (IRT) model. Within Purcell's (2002) GxM framework, both alternatives provided less biased parameter estimates, and improved false and true positive rates than using a raw sum score. These approaches are, therefore, recommended over using raw sum scores in tests of GxE. Circumstances under which IRT factor scores versus transformed sum scores should be preferred are discussed.

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol abuse and dependence in Lebanon: results from the Lebanese Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol (LESA)

The current article aimed to determine the 12-month prevalence and correlates of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence in a nationally representative sample of Lebanese adults. One thousand participants collaborated in face-to-face interviews in 2011. Prevalence of 12-month alcohol dependence was 5%, with a higher risk for those who were men, unmarried, the youngest adults (aged between 18 and 34 years old), students, participants with a liberal occupation, participants with a low income, participants with a positive family history of alcohol misuse, and smokers. Prevalence of 12-month alcohol abuse was 6.2%, with a higher risk for those who were men, students, employees, and Druze and Christians compared to Muslims. Current alcohol abuse and dependence were found to be very highly prevalent in Lebanon.

Genetic influences on pubertal development and links to behavior problems

Genetic influences on adolescent psychological development are likely to be mediated and moderated by pubertal hormones. Combining genetic analyses with advanced models of pubertal development, we extended work on the measurement and psychological significance of puberty. We examined how genetic and environmental influences on puberty vary by the way that development is described (logistic versus linear models versus traditional methods) and the different aspects of puberty (adrenarche vs. gonadarche), and how genes and environment contribute to the covariation between different descriptions and aspects of puberty, and between pubertal development and behavior problems (substance use, age at sexual initiation). We also considered how puberty moderated the heritability of psychological outcomes (internalizing and externalizing problems), and sex differences. Participants from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study (403 girls, 395 boys) reported their pubertal development annually from ages 9 through 15; they and their parents reported their behavior in mid-to-late adolescence. There was a large genetic contribution to pubertal timing for both sexes no matter how it was measured, but findings for pubertal tempo varied by method. Genetic covariation accounted for most of the phenotypic correlations among different indicators of pubertal timing, and between pubertal timing and psychological outcome. We consider the implications of our results for understanding how pubertal hormones mediate or moderate genetic and environmental influences on psychological development.

Modeling pubertal timing and tempo and examining links to behavior problems

Research on the role of puberty in adolescent psychological development requires attention to the meaning and measurement of pubertal development. Particular questions concern the utility of self-report, the need for complex models to describe pubertal development, the psychological significance of pubertal timing vs. tempo, and sex differences in the nature and psychological significance of pubertal development. We used longitudinal self-report data to model linear and logistic trajectories of pubertal development, and used timing and tempo estimates from these models, and from traditional approaches (age at menarche and time from onset of breast development to menarche), to predict psychological outcomes of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and early sexual activity. Participants (738 girls, 781 boys) reported annually from ages 9 through 15 on their pubertal development, and they and their parents reported on their behavior in mid-to-late adolescence and early adulthood. Self-reports of pubertal development provided meaningful data for both boys and girls, producing good trajectories, and estimates of individuals' pubertal timing and tempo. A logistic model best fit the group data. Pubertal timing was estimated to be earlier in the logistic compared to linear model, but linear, logistic, and traditional estimates of pubertal timing correlated highly with each other and similarly with psychological outcomes. Pubertal tempo was not consistently estimated, and associations of tempo with timing and with behavior were model dependent. Advances in modeling facilitate the study of some questions about pubertal development, but assumptions of the models affect their utility in psychological studies.

Investigating the interlinkages of alcohol use and misuse, spirituality and culture - Insights from a systematic review

Religious values are part of cultures, but spirituality is an internal dimension which may be present in varying degrees across all nations. As both cultural and spiritual factors are important in determining the pattern of alcohol consumption by individuals, it is important to study the relationships between them. The present systematic review aims to summarize the knowledge on the relationship between alcohol use and misuse, religiousness/spirituality and culture drawn from medical studies. Data from the medical literature to date indicate that for some racial and ethnic minorities a return to the traditional culture linked with concepts of spiritual or religious factors can produce a major degree of support for people trying to maintain abstinence from alcohol. This can be seen even in the worst environments. On the other hand, among the general population, religion and/or spirituality can play a positive role in the maintenance of abstinence, but a local heavy drinking culture is a strong risk factor for relapse. These factors are important and can be used for interventions and prevention strategies. However, possible mediating effects need to be explored further. It is likely that both types of intervention (classical medical treatment plus spiritual-based treatment) may work in individuals.

Reliance on God, prayer, and religion reduces influence of perceived norms on drinking

OBJECTIVE

Previous research has shown that perceived social norms are among the strongest predictors of drinking among young adults. Research has also consistently found religiousness to be protective against risk and negative health behaviors. The present research evaluates the extent to which reliance on God, prayer, and religion moderates the association between perceived social norms and drinking.

METHOD

Participants (n = 1,124 undergraduate students) completed a cross-sectional survey online, which included measures of perceived norms, religious values, and drinking. Perceived norms were assessed by asking participants their perceptions of typical student drinking. Drinking outcomes included drinks per week, drinking frequency, and typical quantity consumed.

RESULTS

Regression analyses indicated that religiousness and perceived norms had significant unique associations in opposite directions for all three drinking outcomes. Significant interactions were evident between religiousness and perceived norms in predicting drinks per week, frequency, and typical quantity. In each case, the interactions indicated weaker associations between norms and drinking among those who assigned greater importance to religiousness.

CONCLUSIONS

The extent of the relationship between perceived social norms and drinking was buffered by the degree to which students identified with religiousness. A growing body of literature has shown interventions including personalized feedback regarding social norms to be an effective strategy in reducing drinking among college students. The present research suggests that incorporating religious or spiritual values into student interventions may be a promising direction to pursue.

Religiosity and tobacco and alcohol use in a Brazilian shantytown

This article analyzes the role of religious involvement and religious beliefs in the prevalence and frequency of smoking and alcohol consumption. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study. In 2005, we conducted door-to-door interviews with 383 people, aged 18 years or more, randomly selected from the "Paraisopolis" shantytown in São Paulo, Brazil. Four regression models were created to explain the relationships among religious involvement, tobacco and alcohol use, controlling for demographic, social, and psychobehavioral factors. High religious attendance was associated with less alcohol use, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and combined alcohol/tobacco use, as well as less days consuming alcoholic beverages per week, controlling for confounding factors. Additionally, high nonorganizational religious behavior was associated with less tobacco and combined alcohol/tobacco use. Religiosity plays an important role in the control of alcohol and tobacco use in a shantytown setting; further management initiatives in the area should consider this issue. The study's limitations are noted.

Trends in adolescent alcohol use: effects of age, sex and cohort on prevalence and heritability

AIMS

To determine the effect of age, sex and cohort on the prevalence and genetic architecture of adolescent alcohol use (AAU).

DESIGN

Survey study in participants registered with the Netherlands Twin Register.

SETTING

Twins from the general population.

PARTICIPANTS

Two cohorts (data collected in 1993 and 2005-08) of twins aged 13-15, 16-17 and 18-21 years. In 1993 and 2005-08 a total of 3269 and 8207 twins, respectively, took part.

MEASUREMENTS

Survey data on initiation and frequency of alcohol use and quantity of alcohol consumed.

FINDINGS

The prevalence of alcohol initiation increased between 1993 and 2005-08 for both males and females. The largest difference was for girls observed at ages 13-15, where the prevalence increased from 59.5% to 72.4%. We also found increases in prevalence across cohorts for quantity of alcohol consumed and non-significant increases for frequency of alcohol use. From age 16 onwards, boys drank more frequently and larger quantities than girls. Genetic model fitting revealed that the genetic architecture of AAU did not differ between birth cohorts, nor were there differences between boys and girls. Genetic factors explained between 21% and 55% of individual differences in alcohol measures throughout adolescence. Shared environment explained between 17% and 64% of variance in alcohol use, across different age groups and alcohol measures.

CONCLUSIONS

In the Netherlands, the prevalence of alcohol initiation, frequency and quantity has increased in adolescents over a 15-year period, but there are no changes in the genetic architecture of adolescent alcohol use.

Understanding genetic risk for substance use and addiction: a guide for non-geneticists

There is considerable enthusiasm for the potential of genetics research for prevention and treatment of addiction and other mental disorders. As a result, clinicians are increasingly exposed to issues of genetics that are fairly complex, and for which they may not have been adequately prepared by their training. Studies suggest that the heritability of substance use disorders is approximately 0.5. Others report that family members of affected individuals experience a 4- to 8-fold increased risk of disorder themselves. Statements that addiction is "50% genetic" in origin may be taken by some to imply one's chances of developing the disorder, or that a lack of a positive family history confers immunity. In fact, such conclusions are inaccurate, their implications unwarranted given the true meaning of heritability. Through a review of basic concepts in genetic epidemiology, we attempt to demystify these estimates of risk and situate them within the broader context of addiction. Methods of inferring population genetic variance and individual familial risk are examined, with a focus on their practical application and limitations. An accurate conceptualization of addiction necessitates an approach that transcends specific disciplines, making a basic awareness of the perspectives of disparate specialties key to furthering progress in the field.