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UrduCertain genetic influences contribute to disordered eating and problematic alcohol use, leaving some people vulnerable to both conditions, according to a large study of late adolescent twins. Previous research has found concurrent eating disorders and risky drinking in younger teens amplify the chance of worse outcomes, including death.
Tag: risky drinking
Parental provision of alcohol to adolescent children and peer influence linked to subsequent alcohol harms
Parental supply of alcohol is a relatively common practice in Australia, believed by some parents to be an effective means of teaching their children to drink responsibly. New research shows that family and peer factors each play a role in the development of excessive and risky drinking in early adulthood and associated harms. These results and others will be shared at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.
Objective Blood Alcohol Measures Confirm the Limitations of Questionnaires and Offer Increased Clinical Opportunities for Treating Dangerous Drinking
Patients in the Emergency Room (ER) should be blood-tested for hazardous drinking rather than evaluated by questionnaires alone, according to a new study comparing alcohol use screening methods. A sizeable minority of patients attend the ER for alcohol-related reasons (12–15% in the UK). That proportion is growing, a US study has found. The ER offers valuable opportunities to identify hazardous drinking and intervene with treatments that can help patients reduce their alcohol use. This requires efficiently and reliably screening ER patients for risky consumption. Validated methods include the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) — and its shorter version, AUDIT-C —which are among the most frequently used screening questionnaires. Another, the Timeline Followback Questionnaire (TLFB), is a retrospective self-administered survey estimating daily alcohol consumption over a specific prior period. In contrast, phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a metabolite of ethanol, is a direct and
Smoking & drinking means higher surgery risks, but health coaching before surgery could help
Two habits are riskier than one when it comes to surgery-related problems, according to a new study of cigarette and alcohol use before an operation. A second study shows coaching about drinking-related surgical risks in the weeks before their operation helped patients cut their drinking in half on average.
Facebook Users’ Language Predicts Who’s at Risk for Dangerous Drinking
The language used in Facebook posts can identify people at risk of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorders (AUDs), according to a new study. Social media platforms are a “low-cost treasure trove” of data, researchers claim, expanding the options for studying, screening, and helping people at risk. Social media content in recent years has been used to explore various public health phenomena. For example, language and “likes” have predicted depression, hospital visits, low birthweight, obesity, and life expectancy. Social media language has also been linked to patterns of alcohol consumption and related problems. For the study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators explored how convincingly the language of Facebook could be used to identify risky drinking. They compared the accuracy of multiple predictive tools, including a new technique for processing language that has rarely been applied to health research.
Young People’s Fluctuating Beliefs on Alcohol’s Effects Influence Their Drinking and Consequences
College students’ beliefs around the likelihood and desirability of alcohol’s effects vary over time, and predict drinking level and consequences, according to a study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Dual health-risk behaviors in young adults: Problem drinking and maladaptive eating both linked to the brain’s reward pathway and impulsivity
Risky drinking often co-occurs with maladaptive eating in young adults, according to a study reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. While previous research had suggested a link between heavy alcohol use and obesity-related factors in college students, the latest study aimed to identify specific profiles of problematic drinking, food addiction, and obesity within a more diverse sample of community-dwelling young people. The researchers also explored shared theoretical risk factors for heavy drinking and overeating, and how these differ across the profiles. Calorie-dense food and alcohol both require little effort to obtain and consume, and each generates immediate and potent experiences of reward in the brain. According to ‘reinforcer pathology’ theory, people who place a high value (‘demand’) on unhealthy items, and who also favor small immediate rewards (such as food and alcohol) over larger delayed rewards (such as health), are at highest risk for overconsumption
Huge Study Links Risky Drinking with Low Social Support and Area of Residence
People who report having low social support are substantially more likely to experience heavy drinking and binge drinking than those who feel more supported, a large European study suggests. The researchers also found strong evidence that risky drinking is associated with areas of residence. Although alcohol use is known to be linked to social, economic, and demographic factors, the research is incomplete; it is not clear to what extent some of these factors, especially environmental conditions, predict dangerous drinking. Investigators in Spain designed a study that was unusual in exploring both heavy drinking and binge drinking and both individual and contextual (environmental) factors. The study, in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, confirmed individual risk factors and highlighted certain environmental conditions that may help target interventions for those at risk.
Friends’ Drinking is Linked to Alcohol Use Among Teen and Young Adult Mothers
Friends’ drinking behaviors may be key to risky drinking among pregnant teens and young adults, according to a new study. Researchers used a previously untried approach to examine the ways that adolescents’ and young adults’ alcohol use and beliefs before they become pregnant related to their drinking as they entered into motherhood. Young mothers may be particularly vulnerable to moderate or heavy drinking during pregnancy, with adverse outcomes for their babies. Understanding the factors that influence risky alcohol use in pregnancy (3+ drinks per occasion) is important for identifying and supporting at-risk teens and young adults. The study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research may be the first to use data collected before pregnancy, minimizing inaccurate recall.