Libby Brockman

Associations Between Displayed Alcohol References on Facebook and Problem Drinking Among College Students

OBJECTIVE To examine the associations between displayed alcohol use and intoxication/problem drinking (I/PD) references on Facebook and self-reported problem drinking using a clinical scale. DESIGN Content analysis and cross-sectional survey. SETTING Facebook Web site (http://www.facebook.com/). PARTICIPANTS The study included undergraduate students (age range, 18-20 years) at 2 state universities with public Facebook profiles. MAIN EXPOSURES The profiles were categorized into 1 of 3 distinct categories: Nondisplayers, Alcohol Displayers, and I/PD Displayers. OUTCOME MEASURES An online survey measured problem drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scale. Analyses examined associations between alcohol display category and (1) AUDIT problem drinking category using logistic regression, (2) AUDIT score using negative binomial regression, and (3) alcohol-related injury using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS Among 307 profiles identified, 224 participants completed the survey (73% response rate). The average age was 18.8 years; 122 (54%) were female; 152 (68%) were white; and approximately 50% were from each university. Profile owners who displayed I/PD were more likely (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.0-9.4) to score in the problem drinking category of the AUDIT scale, had 64.0% (incidence rate ratio, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.27-11.0) higher AUDIT scores overall, and were more likely to report an alcohol-related injury in the past year (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS Displayed references to I/PD were positively associated with AUDIT scores suggesting problem drinking as well as alcohol-related injury. Results suggest that clinical criteria for problem drinking can be applied to Facebook alcohol references.

Hookah's new popularity among US college students: a pilot study of the characteristics of hookah smokers and their Facebook displays.

Objectives (1) To confirm the prevalence of hookah use among US college students. (2) To identify substances commonly smoked in hookahs and other substance use characteristics of hookah smokers. (3) Given the powerful influence of Facebook and its potential role in promoting behaviours, to assess the prevalence of hookah references on Facebook profiles. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Two large US universities; www.Facebook.com. Participants 307 Facebook profiles were coded and 216 of these profile owners completed an online survey. On average, participants were 18.8 years old (SD=0.7), women (54%), Caucasian (70.4%) and approximately half were from each university. Outcome measures Lifetime and frequency of hookah use, substance smoked in hookah, cigarette and marijuana use, hookah references displayed on Facebook. Results 27.8% of participants endorsed hookah use; there were no significant differences between age, gender, race or university for hookah use. Hookah users reported smoking tobacco (78%), hash (12%) and both tobacco and marijuana/hash (10%) in their hookah. Compared with non-hookah smokers, hookah smokers were more likely to report using cigarettes (OR=3.41, 95%CI=1.2 to 9.64) and marijuana (OR=15.01, 95%CI=6.5 to 34.65). Hookah references were present on 5% of Facebook profiles. Conclusions More than one quarter of college students smoke hookah. Most smoke tobacco in their hookah, and hookah smoking is associated with polysubstance use. Hookah may present new risks for nicotine addiction in this population.

An Evaluation of the Distribution of Sexual References Among “Top 8” MySpace Friends

To evaluate whether online friends of adolescents who display sexual references on a social networking site also display references. The method used was content analysis. The result of this study was that adolescents who displayed explicit sexual references were more likely to have online friends who displayed references. Thus, social networking sites present new opportunities to investigate adolescent sexual behavior.

Development of a Researcher Codebook for Use in Evaluating Social Networking Site Profiles

INTRODUCTION Social networking sites (SNSs) are immensely popular and allow for the display of personal information, including references to health behaviors. Evaluating displayed content on an SNS for research purposes requires a systematic approach and a precise data collection instrument. The purpose of this article is to describe one approach to the development of a research codebook so that others may develop and test their own codebooks for use in SNS research. METHODS Our SNS research codebook began on the basis of health behavior theory and clinical criteria. Key elements in the codebook developmental process included an iterative team approach and an emphasis on confidentiality. RESULTS Codebook successes include consistently high inter-rater reliability. Challenges include time investment in coder training and SNS server changes. CONCLUSION We hope that this article will provide detailed information about one systematic approach to codebook development so that other researchers may use this structure to develop and test their own codebooks for use in SNS research.

A Pilot Evaluation of Older Adolescents’ Sexual Reference Displays on Facebook

Many older adolescents display sexual references on their social networking site profiles; this study investigated whether these references were associated with self-reported sexual intention, sexual experience, or risky sexual behavior. Public Facebook profiles of undergraduate freshmen were identified within 1 large U.S. university Facebook network. Profile owners who displayed sexual references (Displayers) and did not display references (Non-Displayers) were invited to complete surveys. Surveys measured sexual intention, using the Postponing Sexual Intercourse (PSI) scale, and sexual experiences. A higher PSI score was inversely related to intention to initiate sexual intercourse. Of the 118 profiles that met inclusion criteria, 85 profile owners completed surveys. Profile owners were mostly female (56.5%) and Caucasian (67.1%). The mean PSI score for Displayers was 6.5 ± 1.6, and the mean PSI score for Non-Displayers was 10.2 ± 0.6 (p = .02). There were no differences between Displayers and Non-Displayers regarding lifetime prevalence of sexual behavior, number of sexual partners, or frequency of condom use. Display of sexual references on college freshmens Facebook profiles was positively associated with reporting intention to initiate sexual intercourse. Facebook profiles may present an innovative cultural venue to identify adolescents who are considering sexual activity and may benefit from targeted educational messages.

Withholding information from an adolescent.

An overview of what the law and medical ethics have to say about gaining consent from adolescent for medical treatment. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.