Individuals who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmEDs) have been identified as higher-risk drinkers, as they are more prone to drink increased amounts of alcohol and experience more consequences compared to non-AmED users. The present study examined differential AmED use and alcohol consumption simultaneously as multi-dimensional risk behaviors among AmED users. Students who identified as drinkers and current AmED users (n = 195) completed a web-based survey related to their AmED consumption and typical drinking patterns. Latent profile analysis was used to classify participants into distinct AmED user profiles. Profiles were then compared on AmEd-based cognitive factors (e.g., expectancies, norms) and alcohol-related consequences. Four AmED user profiles emerged: Moderate drinker, low proportion AmEd users (ML); Heavy drinker, low proportion AmED users (HL); Moderate drinker, high proportion AmED users (MH); and Heavy drinker, high proportion AmED users (HH). Membership in higher-proportion AmED groups was associated with more positive AmED expectancies and perceived norms. No significant differences were observed in the amount of consequences endorsed by HL and HHs, however MHs experienced significantly more alcohol-related physical consequences than MLs. This suggests increased use of AmEDs is associated with increased risk of experiencing alcohol related consequences for moderate drinkers. Screening students for AmED use could be used as a novel, inexpensive tool to identify high-risk drinkers for targeted interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and related problems.
The present study examines how individuals judge others who use performance enhancing drugs in two different domains, the athletic domain and the academic domain. Approximately 1,200 males in their freshman year of college completed a questionnaire that included two scenarios. One scenario described an athlete who misused anabolic steroids to help him succeed at a sporting event. The other described a college student who misused Adderall to help him succeed on his midterm exams. Participants rated the extent to which they thought the target had cheated and the extent to which they felt the substances were necessary for success. Results showed participants believed the athlete was more of a cheater than the student, and this difference got larger as past prescription stimulant misuse increased. Results also demonstrated that participants felt Adderall was more necessary than anabolic steroids for bringing about success. Contributions to the literature on zero-sum and non zero-sum domains are discussed. Implications for future research and efforts to prevent substance misuse are described.
Objective The mixing of alcohol and energy drinks (AMEDs) is a trend among college students associated with higher rates of heavy episodic drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. The goals of the present study were to take a person-centered approach to identify distinct risk profiles of college students based on AMED-specific constructs (expectancies, attitudes, and norms) and examine longitudinal associations between AMED use, drinking, and consequences. Method A random sample of incoming freshmen (n = 387, 59% female) completed measures of AMED use, AMED-specific expectancies, attitudes, and normative beliefs, and drinking quantity and alcohol-related consequences. Data were collected at two occasions: spring semester of freshmen year and fall semester of sophomore year. Results Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four subgroups of individuals: occasional AMED, anti-AMED, pro-AMED, and strong peer influence. Individuals in the pro-AMED group reported the most AMED use, drinking, and consequences. There was a unique association between profile membership and AMED use, even after controlling for drinking. Conclusions Findings highlighted the importance of AMED-specific expectancies, attitudes, and norms. The unique association between AMED risk profiles and AMED use suggests AMED use is a distinct behavior that could be targeted by AMED-specific messages included in existing brief interventions for alcohol use.
Recent studies have examined alcohol-related consequences in college students as an independent outcome variable, rather than as a result of heavy drinking. The present study examined the patterns of consequences experienced by first-year college students (n = 169). Specifically, the number of distinct consequences and the frequency of repeated consequences were evaluated as well as the combination of the two. Results revealed that 80% of participants reported experiencing multiple consequences, with over 34% of students reporting 6 or more unique consequences over the course of their freshmen year. In addition, nearly 50% of the sample reported experiencing 3 or more consequences repeatedly. Further, 23% of the sample reported experiencing 5 or more repeated consequences and 6 or more multiple consequences. These individuals experienced 38% of the multiple consequences and 54% of the repeated consequences reported by the entire sample, suggesting individuals who endorsed experiencing multiple consequences repeatedly also experienced a disproportionate number of the total consequences reported by the sample. The findings suggest there are specific high-risk patterns of alcoholrelated consequences and demonstrate a need for further examination of additional variables that predict consequences.
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