Search

Objective: Westernized alcohol and commercial tobacco use prevention approaches for Native Americans have not been effective, or sustainable. The overall objective of this study examined the effect of the culturally based Urban Talking Circle (UTC) intervention versus standard education (SE) program for the prevention of alcohol and commercial tobacco use among urban Native American youth., Design: The study employed a 2-condition quasi-experimental design and utilized convenience and snowball sampling methods for recruiting 100 urban Native American youth participants in two urban Native American community program locations in Florida. Study participants were randomized by their urban Native American community program location to one of the 2-conditions. These included the standard education (SE) program used within United States school systems (drug abuse resistance education) and the Urban Talking Circle (UTC) intervention, culturally tailored and developed for urban Native American youth from the culturally based Talking Circle Intervention for rural Native American Youth. The Native American Alcohol Measure for Youth (NAAMY) and Native Reliance Questionnaire were utilized to collect participants' data. Participants' data was analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance to determine differences between the scores on all measures at pre/post-intervention for the 2-conditions., Results: Study findings indicate that a culturally based intervention was more effective for the reduction of commercial tobacco and alcohol use than a non-culturally based intervention for urban Native American youth., Conclusion: The study findings emphasized that the utilization of the culturally tailored UTC intervention reduced involvement associated with alcohol and commercial tobacco use., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Equivalency of test versions is often assumed by counselors and evaluators. This study examined two versions, paper–pencil and computer based, of the Driver Risk Inventory, a DUI/DWI (driving under the influence/driving while intoxicated) risk assessment. An overview of computer-based testing and standards for equivalency is also provided. Results of the study confirmed reliability, validity, and equivalency of the versions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young women who regularly attend nightclubs are at risk for numerous health and social consequences, including mental distress, sexual and physical victimization and substance dependence. This paper uses a biopsychosocial framework to examine co-occurring mental health problems, victimization, substance dependence, sexual risk and physical pain among a sample of young women who use drugs (N = 222) in Miami's club scene. The majority of women were under 24 years old, Hispanic, and identified as heterosexual. Almost all the women reported past 90-day use of alcohol, ecstasy/MDMA, marijuana, cocaine and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines; 32% of women reported being in a monogamous relationship while 41.9% reported having three or more sexual partners in the past 90 days; 65.3% met DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence; 60.4% met DSM-IV criteria for serious mental illness (SMI) and 59.9% were victimized as minors. Women who had SMI had higher odds of substance dependence, concurrent physical pain, three or more sexual partners in the past 90 days, childhood victimization and severe abuse-related trauma. The high levels of interconnected mental health, victimization, trauma, physical pain, substance dependence and sexual risk factors observed are underreported in the literature, as young women club scene participants appear to be more similar to other marginalized drug-involved populations than previously considered. While further research is needed, it appears these young women are in great need of outreach for primary health, mental health, HIV prevention, increased social support and substance abuse treatment services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Technology has transformed our lifestyles in dramatic and significant ways, including new and less expensive options for recruiting study participants. This study examines cost and participant differences between two recruitment sources, Craigslist (CL), and print newspapers (PNs). This paper also reviewed and compared studies involving clinical trials published since 2010 that recruited participants using CL alone or in combination with other methods., Method: Secondary data analyses from a parent study involving a randomized controlled trial of a mail-based intervention to promote self-change with problem drinkers., Results: Significant differences were found between CL and PN participants on most demographic and pretreatment drinking variables. While all participants had AUDIT scores suggestive of an alcohol problem and reported drinking at high-risk levels, CL participants had less severe drinking problem histories, were considerably younger, and had a higher socioeconomic status than PN participants. The total advertising costs for the 65 CL ads ($275) were significantly less than the 69 PN ads ($33, 311). The recruiting cost per eligible participant was vastly less expensive using CL ($1.46) compared to print newspaper ads ($116.88)., Conclusions: Using CL is a viable recruitment method for soliciting participants, particularly those that are younger, for alcohol intervention studies. It is also less expensive than newspaper ads. When CL participants were recruited, they reported being slightly more confident to change their drinking than PN participants. Limitations of using CL are discussed, including that some initial ad responders gave inconsistent answers to similar questions and a few tried to enter the study more than once., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper examines alcohol-related social problems among Mexican Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border and in non-border areas. Interviews were conducted among Mexican Americans in the border regions of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (N=1307). Non-border respondents were interviewed primarily in Houston and Los Angeles (N=1288) as part of the Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS). Both the border and HABLAS surveys employed multistage cluster sample designs (response rates were 67% and 76%, respectively). In the bivariate analysis, there were no significant differences between border and non-border areas in the proportion of those with one or more social problem. In non-border areas, the prevalence of alcohol problems did not differ significantly by age. However, along the border the prevalence of alcohol problems was significantly different across age groups, with 18 to 29year old men and women having the highest prevalence. The final models showed no residence effect on problem likelihood. Drinking was strongly associated with problems. Although young border residents had higher problem prevalence rates than older residents, the logistic regression models showed no effect of border residence on the likelihood of problems, indicating that problems are due to alcohol consumption, not the border environment. The border, however, did appear to influence more drinking among young people. Regardless of residence, alcohol treatment and preventive interventions tailored to Mexican Americans are essential and special attention should be focused on younger individuals near the border., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Research suggests that people with HIV (PWH), who are at high risk for alcohol and substance use, may rely on relationships with pets for companionship and stress relief. There may be common mechanisms underlying both substance use and attachment to pets. The purpose of this brief research report was to compare alcohol and substance use behaviors between pet owners and nonowners among a cohort of PWH. Participants (n  =  735) in a survey study of PWH in Florida were asked about their alcohol and substance use behaviors, whether they owned a pet, and their sociodemographic characteristics. We used bivariate analyses and logistic regression to examine differences in alcohol and substance use behaviors between pet owners and non-owners. Pet owners had higher mean AUDIT scores than non-owners (Mpet  =  5, Mnopet  =  4, z  = −3.07, p =  0.002). Pet owners were more likely than non-owners to use alcohol in a harmful or hazardous way (AUDIT score ≥  8), above and beyond sociodemographic characteristics (OR  =  1.65, p  =  0.052). Pet owners were more likely to have ever used most substances than non-owners, and more likely to currently use alcohol (X2 (1) =  12.97, p  =  0.000), marijuana or hashish (X² (1)  =  6.82, p  =  0.009), and amyl nitrate/poppers (X² (1)  =  11.18, p  =  0.001). Pet owners may be more likely to use alcohol and other substances at higher rates than non-owners. Reasons for owning a pet and using substances may be similar, such as coping with stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have found Latinx cultural values to be positively associated with healthy behaviors. This study aims to examine socioeconomic and cultural correlates of alcohol use among Latinx adult men living in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The study sample included 122 Latinx adult men (mean age = 44, SD = 10), predominantly of South and Central American origin. Data was collected using REDCap. Interviews included the Timeline Follow-Back scale for alcohol use. Results indicate that Caribbean participants were significantly less likely to report drinking in the past 90 days (aOR = 0.08, p = 0.042) compared to their Venezuelan counterparts. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency (aRR = 0.67, p = 0.043), while no significant associations were found between machismo and other drinking outcomes. Drinking quantity and frequency are significantly associated with higher income and authorized immigration status in the US among Latinx men in South Florida. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In recent years, studies have indicated that consumers of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) are more likely to drink heavily and experience more negative consequences than consumers who avoid these beverages. Although researchers have identified a number of plausible hypotheses that explain how alcohol-energy drink co-ingestion could cause greater alcohol consumption, there has been no postulation about reverse causal relations. This paper identifies several plausible hypotheses for the observed associations between AmED consumption and greater alcohol consumption, and provides initial evidence for one such hypothesis suggesting that heavy drinking may be a determinant of AmED use.Method: Data collected from 511bar patrons were used to examine the plausibility of one of the proposed hypotheses, i.e., AmED is an artifact of heavy drinking. Associations between the consumption of an assortment of alcoholic beverage types and total alcohol consumption were examined at the event-level, to assess whether AmED is uniquely related with greater alcohol consumption.Results: Increased alcohol consumption was associated with greater odds of consuming most alcoholic beverage types; this association was not unique to AmED.Conclusions: Results support the overlooked hypothesis that AmED use is an artifact of heavy drinking. Thus, AmED consumption may be a consequence or marker of heavier drinking. Much of the existing research on alcoholic beverage types is limited in its ability to implicate any specific type of drink, including AmED, as a cause of increased alcohol consumption and related harm. More rigorous study designs are needed to examine causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We evaluated mental health and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 196 participants from the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) Cohort. A survey was administered between July–August of 2020, including validated measures of resilience and anxiety, a scale to measure COVID-19-related worry, and self-reported substance use. Compared to HIV-uninfected participants (n = 80), those living with HIV (n = 116) reported fewer anxiety symptoms, less COVID-19-related worry, and higher resilience. Those with more anxiety symptoms and lower resilience engaged in more frequent alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and cocaine use. Alcohol misuse was more common among HIV-uninfected participants. Cocaine use was reported by 21% fewer participants during the pandemic compared with 7.3 ± 1.5 months earlier. Possibly due to their experiences with HIV, PLWH responded with higher resilience and reduced worry and anxiety to the adversities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Among people living with HIV (PLWH), alcohol use can have negative impacts beyond HIV-related outcomes. The objectives of this study are to identify the most common alcohol-related consequences among PLWH in Florida and describe factors associated with experiencing more alcohol-related consequences. Methods: Data were collected from PLWH in the Florida Cohort study who drank at least monthly in the past year (n=397). Self-reported consequences were assessed by the 15-item Short Inventory of Problems Revised (SIP-2R). Nonparametric tests and a generalized estimating equation model with inverse probability of exposure weighting were used to evaluate associations between the total SIP-2R score and socio-demographics, mental health, and substance use while controlling for alcohol use. Results: Over half (56%) endorsed at least one consequence and 29% endorsed 5 or more consequences. The most common consequences were doing something they regretted and taking foolish risks (both endorsed by 37% of participants), both in the impulse control domain. After controlling for alcohol use and other covariates, homelessness and injection drug use remained significantly associated with greater SIP-2R scores. Conclusion: PLWH who are experiencing homelessness or injecting drugs could benefit from receiving additional screening for alcohol-related consequences if they report any alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates suggest 30% of adults report the highest levels of loneliness. Though men are more likely than women to use illicit substances and engage in heavy drinking, the prevalence of substance use in women is growing and their escalation toward dependence occurs more rapidly. Loneliness and substance use have greater relevance within the HIV+ population, with higher rates of substance misuse than the general population. However, the association between loneliness and substance use within HIV+ individuals remains understudied. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that there would be an association between loneliness and substance moderated by gender in HIV+ older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2013 and January 2014. Study participants included 96 HIV-positive Black/African American men and women recruited through the University of Florida Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Service (UF CARES) in Jacksonville, Florida. Participants completed an interviewer-administered assessment examining mental and behavioral health. Pearson correlations examined associations between loneliness and substance use. Binary logistic regression analyses stratified by gender examined the association between loneliness and substance use while controlling for covariates. Among women, loneliness was associated with illicit drug use, AOR = 3.37, 95% CI: 1.23–9.21,p = .018 and heavy drinking, AOR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.07–5.71,p = .033. No significant associations were found between loneliness and illicit drug use, and heavy drinking in men. Substance use among women in this population may be linked to loneliness. Interventions should be gender specific. Further research into this association is necessary as it will likely have important clinical implications for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Changing social capital among recent Latino immigrants (RLIs) influences substance use post-immigration. This was a longitudinal study of 476 South/Central American RLIs examining social capital and substance use changes pre to post-immigration. Self-reported measures of social capital and substance use were compared between surveys administered within 1 year of immigration and 2 years post-immigration. Post-immigration, social capital, hazardous drinking and illicit drug use decreased. Women were less likely to engage in hazardous drinking [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) .32, p < .001], and less likely to use illicit drugs (AOR .67, p = .01). Documented individuals with higher levels of 'business' social capital had increased odds of illicit drug use (AOR 2.20, p < .05). Undocumented individuals with higher levels of 'friend and others' social capital had decreased risk for hazardous drinking and illicit drug use (AOR .55, p < .01; AOR .56, p < .05). Documentation status moderated the relationship between social capital and substance use. RLIs can be targeted for primary prevention of substance abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Acculturation to life in the United States is a known predictor of Hispanic drinking behavior. We compare the ability of 2 theoretical models of this effect-sociocultural theory and general stress theory-to account for associations between acculturation and drinking in a sample of Mexican Americans. Limitations of previous evaluations of these theoretical models are addressed using a broader range of hypothesized cognitive mediators and a more direct measure of acculturative stress. In addition, we explore nonlinearities as possible underpinnings of attenuated acculturation effects among men. Methods Respondents ( N = 2,595, current drinker N = 1,351) were interviewed as part of 2 recent multistage probability samples in a study of drinking behavior among Mexican Americans in the United States. The ability of norms, drinking motives, alcohol expectancies, and acculturation stress to account for relations between acculturation and drinking outcomes (volume and heavy drinking days) were assessed with a hierarchical linear regression strategy. Nonlinear trends were assessed by modeling quadratic effects of acculturation and acculturation stress on cognitive mediators and drinking outcomes. Results Consistent with previous findings, acculturation effects on drinking outcomes were stronger for women than men. Among women, only drinking motives explained acculturation associations with volume or heavy drinking days. Among men, acculturation was linked to increases in norms, and norms were positive predictors of drinking outcomes. However, adjusted effects of acculturation were nonexistent or trending in a negative direction, which counteracted this indirect normative influence. Acculturation stress did not explain the positive associations between acculturation and drinking. Conclusions Stress and alcohol outcome expectancies play little role in the positive linear association between acculturation and drinking outcomes, but drinking motives appear to at least partially account for this effect. Consistent with recent reports, these results challenge stress models of linear acculturation effects on drinking outcomes and provide (partial) support for sociocultural models. Inconsistent mediation patterns-rather than nonlinearities-represented a more plausible statistical description of why acculturation-drinking associations are weakened among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between acculturation, birthplace, and alcohol-related social problems across Hispanic national groups. A total of 5,224 Hispanic adults (18+ years) were interviewed using a multistage cluster sample design in Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. Multivariate analysis shows no association between acculturation and problems among men or women. Birthplace is a risk factor for social problems among both genders. Among men, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and South/Central Americans are more likely to report social problems than Cuban Americans. Other risk factors for men are unemployment, a higher volume of drinking, and a higher frequency of binge drinking. Among women, Mexican American origin and binge drinking are also risk factors for reporting problems. U.S.-born Hispanics may experience stress and other detrimental effects to health because of their minority status, which may increase the likelihood of more drinking and the development of alcohol-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

OBJECTIVE: The state of Florida has some of the most dangerous highways in the USA. In 2006, Florida averaged 1.65 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles travelled (VMT) compared with the national average of 1.42. A study was undertaken to find a method of identifying counties that contributed to the most driver fatalities after a motor vehicle collision (MVC). By regionalising interventions unique to this subset of counties, the use of resources would have the greatest potential of improving statewide driver death. METHODS: The Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicle database 2000–2006 was used to calculate driver VMT-weighted deaths by county. A total of 3 468 326 motor vehicle crashes were evaluated. Counties that had driver death rates higher than the state average were sorted by a weighted averages method. Multivariate regression was used to calculate the likelihood of death for various risk factors. RESULTS: VMT-weighted death rates identified 12 out of 67 counties that contributed up to 50% of overall driver fatalities. These counties were primarily clustered in central and south Florida. The strongest independent risk factors for driver death attributable to MVC in these high-risk counties were alcohol/drug use, rural roads, speed limit ≥45 mph, adverse weather conditions, divided highways, vehicle type, vehicle defects and roadway location. CONCLUSIONS: Using the weighted averages method, a small subset of counties contributing to the majority of statewide driver fatalities was identified. Regionalised interventions on specific risk factors in these counties may have the greatest impact on reducing driver-related MVC fatalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a hundred studies have established the effects of beverage alcohol taxes and prices on sales and drinking behaviors. Yet, relatively few studies have examined effects of alcohol taxes on alcohol-related mortality. We evaluated effects of multiple changes in alcohol tax rates in the state of Florida from 1969 to 2004 on disease (not injury) mortality. A time-series quasi-experimental research design was used, including nonalcohol deaths within Florida and other states' rates of alcohol-related mortality for comparison. A total of 432 monthly observations of mortality in Florida were examined over the 36-year period. Analyses included ARIMA, fixed-effects, and random-effects models, including a noise model, tax independent variables, and structural covariates. We found significant reductions in mortality related to chronic heavy alcohol consumption following legislatively induced increases in alcohol taxes in Florida. The frequency of deaths ( t = −2.73, p = 0.007) and the rate per population ( t = −2.06, p = 0.04) declined significantly. The elasticity effect estimate is −0.22 ( t = −1.88, p = 0.06), indicating a 10% increase in tax is associated with a 2.2% decline in deaths. Increased alcohol taxes are associated with significant and sizable reductions in alcohol-attributable mortality in Florida. Results indicate that 600 to 800 lives per year could be saved if real tax rates were returned to 1983 levels (when the last tax increase occurred). Findings highlight the role of tax policy as an effective means for reducing deaths associated with chronic heavy alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This state level case based study is aimed at providing a complete picture of contributing factors for fatal crashes caused by younger drivers (younger than age 25) in Florida. Results showed that nonhuman factors were primary contributing causes in only 6% of the crashes, but secondary and tertiary contributing factors in up to 25% of those crashes. The most common nonhuman factor was tire blowout/tread separation. Common human factors included alcohol use, inattention, and high speed. Younger drivers were at fault in 62% of crashes in which they were involved, and they were highly overrepresented in fault in forward impacts with control loss due to high speeds and abrupt steering input. At the time of the fatal crash, younger drivers were more likely to have had passengers in the vehicle than older drivers and approximately one in four younger at fault drivers was under the influence of alcohol. However, most of the youngest (16 to 17 year olds) at fault drivers were in compliance with nighttime and passenger restriction statutes of graduated driver licensing at the time of the fatal crash. The findings imply that there still remains gaps and weaknesses in current driving programs aimed at younger drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the Information Motivation Behavioral Skills (IMB) model, we examine the alcohol severity/sexual risk relationship for juvenile offenders who are at extreme risk for HIV/AIDS due to situational vulnerabilities, substance abuse,1 and personality factors. Sexual risk behavior was analyzed by levels of alcohol use among 634 ethnically diverse adolescents in Miami between 1998 and 2002. Adolescents with the highest levels of alcohol use reported significantly higher levels of total and unprotected sexual activity and sex acts proximate to drinking. Alcohol use related problems require more attention by HIV interventionists. Alcohol severity may reduce the effectiveness of HIV interventions that do not address concurrent substance use. 1The journal's style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused. Editor's note. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: This study tested the potential of a novel intervention addressing alcohol prevention within the context of a sport program. Study participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, with one group receiving the sport consultation (Sport), a second the sport consultation plus an alcohol consultation (Sport Plus), and a third a sport consultation, alcohol consultation, and mailed parent print materials (Sport Plus Parent). Researchers recruited 465 eighth graders from three schools in the northeast Florida region to participate in the study. The Youth Alcohol and Health Survey(n1) was used to collect data on alcohol and drug consumption, alcohol use risk and protective factors, and exercise habits at baseline and three-month post-intervention. Significant time effects (p's < .05) were found on three of six alcohol measures, both exercise measures, and four risk/protective factors, with all but one risk factor showing improvements over time. Time by assignment by current drinking status (yes/no) interaction effects (p's < .05) were found on alcohol initiation, length of alcohol use, quantity, heavy use, moderate physical activity, and four risk/protective factors, with preintervention drinking adolescents exposed to the Sport intervention showing the greatest improvements on all but two measures. Findings suggest that a brief sport-based screen and consultation tailored to adolescents' health habits, with and without parent materials, may potentially reduce alcohol use while increasing exercise frequency. (J Sch Health. 2003;73(10):380-388) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the alcohol health warning signs distributed to vendors in Florida. The sign covers the hazards of addiction, birth defects, drunk driving and the danger of mixing alcohol with other drugs. It is a response to the Congress' failure to require health warnings in alcohol advertising. Surveys were conducted after the sign was introduced and they showed that awareness of alcohol-related birth defects rose to 100% at the end of the period. They also indicated that some 40% of respondents have learned something they had not known before.