ABSTRACT. Objective: Pregaming (drinking before a social occasion) predicts alcohol consequences between persons; people who pregame report greater consequences than those who do not. The present study examined within-person associations between pregaming and daily consequences. Method: Participants were college students (N = 44; 50% female) reporting past-month pregaming. Daily drinks consumed (during pregaming and across the entire drinking episode) and alcohol consequences were assessed with a 30-day Timeline Followback interview. Results: Within individuals, engaging in pregaming predicted consequences experienced on a given day above and beyond the number of drinks consumed across the drinking episode and typical drinking level. Furthermore, there was a trend toward pregaming placing women at more risk for consequences than men. Conclusions: Findings support a context-specifi c risk for consequences that is conferred by pregaming and that is independent of how much drinking occurs across the drinking episode. Results highlight pregaming as a target for future interventions. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 74, 757-764, 2013) Received: December 18, 2012. Revision: March 21, 2013. This research was supported by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant R01AA016564 (to Jennifer P. Read).*Correspondence may be sent to Jennifer E. Merrill at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, BOX G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, or via email at: Jennifer_Merrill@brown.edu. H EAVY DRINKING AND ASSOCIATED alcoholrelated consequences among college students continue to present a public health concern (Hingson et al., 2005(Hingson et al., , 2009. Therefore, examinations of specifi c contexts or drinking behaviors that are associated with alcohol-related consequences are needed. Such work may serve to identify those students most in need of interventions and may help uncover important intervention targets. One specifi c drinking behavior that has been a recent focus of the literature is pregaming. Pregaming, also referred to as prepartying or preloading, is a pervasive and risky drinking practice among college students that commonly involves drinking large quantities of alcohol in a compressed period before a planned social occasion . The current research on pregaming, albeit limited, indicates that this drinking practice places students at risk for experiencing more alcohol-related consequences (Pedersen and LaBrie, 2007;Read et al., 2010). In the present study, we extend this literature by using daily data analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine whether, within persons, pregaming (the practice of consuming alcohol before going out for the night or before a function has started) is associated with subsequent alcohol-related consequences at the daily level, above and beyond (a) the amount of drinking across the drinking day and (b) between-person infl uences of typical drinking behavior. We also examined whether the association betw...

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are shared by many patients. They both affect sleep and the quality of life of affected subjects. A critical review of the literature supports an association between the two disorders in both combat-related and non-combat-related PTSD. The exact mechanism linking PTSD and SDB is not fully understood. A complex interplay between sleep fragmentation and neuroendocrine pathways is suggested. The overlap of symptoms between PTSD and SDB raises diagnostic challenges that may require a novel approach in the methods used to diagnose the coexisting disorders. Similar therapeutic challenges face patients and providers when treating concomitant PTSD and SDB. Although continuous positive airway pressure therapy imparts a mitigating effect on PTSD symptomatology, lack of both acceptance and adherence are common. Future research should focus on ways to improve adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy and on the use of alternative therapeutic methods for treating SDB in patients with PTSD.

Introducing mobile produce markets and farmers’ markets increased fruit and vegetable consumption in lower-income communities, while opening larger retailers (e.g. grocery stores) did not improve fruit and vegetable intake.

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Access to affordable fruit and vegetables (F&V) remains a challenge within underserved communities across the United States. Mobile produce markets (mobile markets) are a well-accepted and effective strategy for increasing F&V consumption in these communities. Mobile market organizations share similar missions that focus on food, health, and empowerment, participate in incentive programs, offer nutrition education, utilize grassroots-based marketing strategies, prioritize local produce, and sell competitively priced produce through a market style. While mobile markets have become increasingly prevalent, models vary widely. Establishing standardized practices is essential for ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of this important food access program. This research seeks to identify common practices of established mobile markets and describe the resources they rely on.

Study Objectives: Sleep fragmentation has been linked to poor pain tolerance and lowered pain threshold. Little evidence exists on whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in veterans with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are taking opioids for non-malignant pain would ameliorate pain and reduce consumption of opioids. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed at a VA sleep center. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numerical Categorical Scale prior to CPAP treatment and 12-mo follow-up. Opioids intake was assessed using the morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD). Adherence to CPAP was evaluated with the built-in meter. Results: We reviewed 113 patients with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] 35.9 ± 29.5) using a MEDD of 61.6 mg (range 5-980 mg) and a control group of 113 veterans with OSA (AHI 33.4 ± 27.3) on no opioids treatment. CPAP adherence was significantly lower at 12 mo in opioid-treated patients compared to controls (37% versus 55%; p = 0.01). Greater pain intensity was the only independent variable associated with CPAP non-adherence at 12-mo follow-up (p = 0.03). Compared to baseline, no significant difference was observed in pain intensity or consumption of opioids in CPAP adherent patients. I NTRO DUCTI O NChronic pain is a serious and highly prevalent condition among service members. Although the prevalence of chronic pain and opioid use associated with deployment is not well known, a recent report indicated that nearly half of a group of infantry soldiers who had seen combat in Afghanistan have reported experiencing chronic pain.1 The better body armor combined with advanced medical care on the battlefield had led to improved survival rates following serious residual injuries (such as limb amputations and severe nerve and musculoskeletal damage) caused by blasts or projectiles. The multiplicity of these wounds in soldiers, coupled with cognitive impairments associated with traumatic brain injury and mental health morbidity has caused an increase in dependency on opioids to suppress these ailments.The use of opioids has been associated with development of sleep-disordered breathing, including central apneas, ataxic breathing, and nocturnal hypoxemia.2-4 However, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered the predominant form of sleep-disordered breathing among veterans receiving chronic opioid therapy.5 However, this reduced pain sensitivity has been reported in healthy volunteers with induced rather than preexisting pain. It is speculated that the sleep disruption resulting from repeated arousals alters the nociceptive system, rendering it more susceptible to maladaptive plasticity. Preliminary investigations in healthy volunteers have suggested that although pain sensitivity is increased following sleep restriction, restoring sleep architecture ameliorates pain thresholds. 6,7 Further, treatment of underlying sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been associated with reduced hyperalgesia in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. ...

College matriculation begins a period of transition that is marked by new freedoms and responsibilities by and increases in a variety of risky behaviors, including smoking. Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are well-established risk factors for smoking outcomes, and thus may be a point of intervention for college smoking. Yet, no studies have examined associations among trauma, PTSD, and smoking in college students. The present study provides such an examination. Matriculating student smokers (N=346) completed surveys in September (T1) and at five subsequent time points (T2-T6) over their first year of college. With latent growth analysis, we modeled smoking trajectories conditioned on PTSD symptom status (i.e., No PTSD Symptoms vs. Partial PTSD vs. Full PTSD). Results showed that, although smoking tended to decline during the first semester for all groups, significant risk for escalation in smoking during the second semester was conferred specifically by the presence of PTSD at matriculation. Interventions that offer support and resources to students entering college with PTSD may help to prevent smoking behaviors from escalating, and may ultimately prevent the adoption of daily smoking in later adulthood.