Eilin K. Erevik

Alcohol use among Norwegian students: Demographics, personality and psychological health correlates of drinking patterns

Aims: This study investigates demographic, personality, and psychological health correlates of different drinking patterns. Design: Students at the four largest institutions of higher education in Bergen municipality were invited via email to complete an internet-based questionnaire. The final sample size was 11,236 (39.4%), mean age 24.9 years (SD = 6.5), and 63.3% were women. The survey included the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and questions about demographics, personality traits, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Binary logistic regressions were used to identify correlates of different drinking patterns. Results: A total of 53.0% of the students had an AUDIT score of or above 8 (i.e., hazardous drinking). Being native Norwegian, male, single, without children, non-religious, extroverted, unconscientious, and less open to experience were associated with higher AUDIT scores, drinking frequently, and binge drinking. Having parents with high alcohol or drug use increased the odds of engaging in binge drinking, but this factor was not associated with frequent drinking. Students scoring higher on neuroticism and openness were less likely to report problematic alcohol usage. Conclusions: A majority of the students reported alcohol habits that are associated with harm if they persist. This emphasises the need to examine the long-term consequences of students’ alcohol use.

Alcohol Use Among Business Students: Demographic, Personality, and Social Correlates of Increased Consumption

ABSTRACT This article aims to investigate drinking patterns among business students, and dispositional (e.g., demographics) and social factors (e.g., norms of alcohol use) that may explain differences in alcohol consumption between business and non-business students. Students in Bergen, Norway, were invited to participate in a survey. The sample consisted of 11,236 students. Binary logistic regressions were run to examine the relationship between institutional affiliation and alcohol use when controlling for covariates associated with alcohol use. Business students had higher alcohol consumption than other students, and shared several dispositional and social factors known to predict alcohol use. The heightened alcohol use among business students can partly be explained by dispositional factors, but seems mostly related to social norms and attitudes.

Recurrent cannabis use among Norwegian students: Prevalence, characteristics, and polysubstance use

Background: Research on cannabis has focused on lifetime use or regular/heavy use (i.e., daily or almost daily). Regular, albeit not necessarily daily, cannabis use has received less scientific attention. Objectives: This study aims to identify demographic and personality factors associated with recurrent cannabis use (i.e., cannabis usage 5 to 50 times in the last six months) and to investigate the relationship between cannabis use and use of other substances. Methods: Public and private university students (N = 11,236) in Bergen, Norway, participated in an online survey during autumn 2015. Binary logistic regression was run to identify individual characteristics related to recurrent cannabis use. Chi-square tests were conducted to investigate differences in substance use (alcohol, nicotine, and illicit drugs) between recurrent cannabis users and cannabis abstainers/low-frequency users. Results: A total of 4.0% of the students reported recurrent cannabis use. Students born in North America, non-Christians (compared to non-religious students), and men were more likely to be recurrent users. Recurrent cannabis users scored higher on extroversion and intellect/imagination compared to abstainers/low-frequency users. Male and female recurrent cannabis users had somewhat different characteristics (e.g., agreeableness scores were negatively associated with recurrent use among females but not among males). Recurrent cannabis use was overall strongly associated with polysubstance use. Conclusions: The prevalence of recurrent cannabis use among Norwegian students is low. Recurrent cannabis use seems more prevalent among individuals marked by extroversion and intellect/imagination, which supports the notion of cannabis use as a social activity for individuals identifying themselves as outgoing and unconventional. Cannabis use among students seems strongly associated with use of other substances, suggesting that cannabis should not be considered a replacement drug.

Sleep Detriments Associated with Quick Returns in Rotating Shift Work: A Diary Study

Objective: We aimed to compared sleep characteristics associated with quick returns (QRs, <11 hours between shift intervals) with those associated with other common shift transitions. Methods: Sixty-seven nurses completed a 2-week work and sleep diary (94.0% female, mean age 47.7 years). A multilevel fixed effects model was used to examine the sleep in QRs compared with two consecutive night shifts, two consecutive evening shifts, and two consecutive day shifts, respectively. Results: None of the other shift transitions studied encumbered as many detriments as QRs, which included short sleep duration (5.6 hours), slightly prolonged sleep onset latency, more abrupt ending of main sleep period, increased sleepiness, and higher level of perceived stress on the following shift. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need for sufficient time for rest and recuperation between shifts.

Prevalence and correlates of stimulant and depressant pharmacological cognitive enhancement among Norwegian students

Aims: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with stimulant and depressant pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) drug use among Norwegian students. Design: In the first wave (T1), 28,553 students were invited to participate, of whom 9370 (32.8%) responded and completed the survey (mean age = 24.9 years, 63.5% female). One year later (T2) those who had responded to some items at T1 were invited to participate in a follow-up survey, where 4783 (47.2%) responded and completed the survey (mean age = 24.8 years, 64.8% female). Results: Lifetime prevalence of stimulant PCE drug use was 2.1% at T1 and 3.6% at T2. The lifetime prevalence of depressant PCE drug use was 1.5% at T1 and 3.3% at T2. Stimulant PCE drug use at T2 was predicted by low scores on agreeableness and anxiety, high scores on intellect/openness, and alcohol use, and stimulant and depressant PCE drug use at T1; while depressant PCE drug use at T2 was predicted by low scores on extroversion, high scores on conscientiousness, intellect/openness, and anxiety, and stimulant and depressant PCE drug use at T1. Conclusions: The rates of stimulant and depressant PCE drug use increased from T1 to T2. Pharmacological cognitive enhancement drug use may be explained by a combination of a motivation for improving academic achievements and a general inclination towards substance use. The current results may suggest that stimulant PCE drug users are more antisocial and indifferent to rules, while depressant PCE drug users are more motivated by coping with stress.