Binge drinking and psychoactive drug use in a cohort of European youths

Heterogeneity of definitions and measurements of binge drinking in research on adolescents and young adults

INTRODUCTION

Binge drinking is a widespread health compromising behaviour among adolescents and young adults and is one of the leading causes of mortality and injuries among this population. The definitions and measurement methods of binge drinking are heterogeneous but constitute a crucial component in the literature on associated factors related to binge drinking. This study focused on how binge drinking is defined and measured in the literature exploring its associated risk factors among adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

The databases PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Social Care were searched for articles published between 1 January 2006 and 30 April 2020 using 3 concepts: binge drinking; risk or protective factors; and adolescents/young adults with respective key words. Data were extracted on the main characteristics of studies and the parameters of binge drinking measurements.

RESULTS

173 studies were included, mostly cross-sectional (61 %) and longitudinal (38 %). Only 23 % of the studies explicitly referred to a standardised definition of binge drinking even though 76 % of the studies used a consensual threshold of 5 drinks or more for men. A lower threshold for women was applied in 26 % of the studies. Recall periods ranged between 2 weeks and 1 year in 85 % of the studies and only 16 % presented binge drinking in terms of frequency and/or quantity of drinks.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight the heterogeneity in the definitions and measurements of binge drinking, raising concerns for meaningful comparisons between studies focused on factors associated with the behaviour. The scientific community needs to be aware of these variations and address the gap of poor stratification and inconsistencies in binge drinking reporting.

[Excessive alcohol intake and dissatisfaction with body image among adolescents and young adults in a municipality in Bahia State, Brazil]

The study aimed to analyze the association between excessive alcohol intake and dissatisfaction with one's body image in a population of adolescents and young adults. This was a cross-sectional study with a household survey design in a sample of 1,582 individuals 15 to 24 years of age living in Camaçari, Bahia State, Brazil. Excessive alcohol intake was identified by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), and dissatisfaction with body image was measure with the Silhouette Figure Scale. Confounding variables were: sex, age, race, schooling, work, religion, family composition, number of close friends, marital status, and children. The association between excessive alcohol intake and body dissatisfaction was estimated by logistic regression. Prevalence of excessive alcohol intake was 21.9% (higher in males), and prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was 79.5% (higher in females). No statistically significant association was found between excessive alcohol intake and dissatisfaction with body image. After adjustment of the final model, the variables that remained associated with excessive alcohol intake were religion (OR = 2.02), schooling (OR = 1.63), family composition (OR = 1.61), age (OR = 0.55), and work (OR = 0.61). Although the analyses did not show an association between excessive alcohol intake and dissatisfaction with body image, the study's results call attention to the high prevalence rates for the two phenomena. This shows the need to develop interventions focused on practices of care for this specific population.

Effectiveness of a web-based intervention in reducing binge drinking among nightclub patrons

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in reducing binge drinking among nightclub patrons after six months.

METHODS

We carried out a website survey with probabilistic sample in 31 nightclubs in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, which originated a randomized controlled trial with 1,057 participants. Those classified as problem drinkers (n = 465) using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test were randomized into two study groups – intervention and control. The web-based intervention consisted of exposing the participants to a normative feedback screen about their alcohol consumption, characterizing the risks associated with amount consumed, money spent on drinks, drinking and driving, risk classification of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and tips to reduce damage.

RESULTS

There was a significant reduction in the practice of binge drinking in the week estimated at 38% among participants in the intervention group after six months (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant reduction in the outcomes when we analyzed the intervention and control groups and at baseline and after sixth months, simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONS

We cannot conclude that digital tools reduce the pattern of binge drinking among party goers in São Paulo. More studies are needed with this methodology because of its attractiveness to this type of group, given the privacy and speed that personalized information is transmitted.

Prevalence and correlates of binge drinking among young adults using alcohol: a cross-sectional survey

Background. Although binge drinking prevalence and correlates among young people have been extensively studied in the USA and Northern Europe, less is known for Southern Europe countries with relatively healthier drinking cultures. Objective. We aimed at analyzing prevalence and correlates of binge drinking in a representative sample of young adults in Italy. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among alcohol-consuming young adults. We carried out univariate and multivariate analyses to assess associations between recent binge drinking and candidate variables. Results. We selected 654 subjects, with 590 (mean age: 20.65 ± 1.90) meeting inclusion criteria. Prevalence for recent binge drinking was 38.0%, significantly higher for females than males. Multivariate analysis showed that high alcohol expectancies, large amount of money available during the weekend, interest for parties and discos, female gender, cannabis use, influence by peers, and electronic cigarettes smoking all were significantly associated with recent binge drinking, whereas living with parents appeared a significant protective factor. Conclusions. More than a third of young adults using alcohol are binge drinkers, and, in contrast with findings from Anglo-Saxon countries, females show higher risk as compared with males. These data suggest the increasing importance of primary and secondary prevention programmes for binge drinking.