Toben F. Nelson

Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993–2001

Abstract The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at 119 4-year colleges that participated in the 1993, 1997, and 1999 studies. Responses in the 4 survey years were compared to determine trends in heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and encounters with college and community prevention efforts. In 2001, approximately 2 in 5 (44.4%) college students reported binge drinking, a rate almost identical to rates in the previous 3 surveys. Very little change in overall binge drinking occurred at the individual college level. The percentages of abstainers and frequent binge drinkers increased, a polarization of drinking behavior first noted in 1997. A sharp rise in frequent binge drinking was noted among students attending all-womens colleges. Other significant changes included increases in immoderate drinking and harm among drinkers. More students lived in substance-free housing and encountered college educational efforts and sanctions resulting from their alcohol use.

Binge drinking and the American college student: what's five drinks?

The use of the term binge drinking and the 5/4 measure have helped to advance the understanding of college alcohol use over the past 10 years. The present article discusses the importance, relevance, and utility of this measure.

What We Have Learned From the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: Focusing Attention on College Student Alcohol Consumption and the Environmental Conditions That Promote It

The Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at a nationally representative sample of 4-year colleges in the United States four times between 1993 and 2001. More than 50,000 students at 120 colleges took part in the study. This article reviews what we have learned about college drinking and the implications for prevention: the need to focus on lower drink thresholds, the harms produced at this level of drinking for the drinkers, the secondhand effects experienced by other students and neighborhood residents, the continuing extent of the problem, and the role of the college alcohol environment in promoting heavy drinking by students. In particular, the roles of campus culture, alcohol control policies, enforcement of policies, access, availability, pricing, marketing, and special promotions of alcohol are highlighted.

Underage College Students' Drinking Behavior, Access to Alcohol, and the Influence of Deterrence Policies: Findings from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study

Abstract Underage drinking is a major problem at American colleges, but little is known about the extent of alcohol use in different student groups, in different colleges, and in states with different control policies. We used data from the 2001 and 3 previous Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies that compared responses of underage students with those of their 21-23-year-old peers. Underage students drank alcohol less frequently but were more likely to drink to excess when they drank. College educational efforts and deterrent policies were limited in their outreach, and half of underage students obtained alcohol very easily. Underage students in states with extensive laws restricting underage and high-volume drinking were less likely to drink and to binge drink. A majority of underage students supported increasing efforts to control underage drinking. The results suggest that additional policy efforts to control underage dnnking may be effective and feasible.

Reducing Risks to Children in Vehicles With Passenger Airbags

This review examines the risk that passenger airbags pose for children and discusses behavioral and technologic measures aimed at protecting children from airbag deployment. Although airbags reduce fatal crash injuries among adult drivers and passengers, this safety technology increases mortality risk among children younger than age 12. The magnitude of the risk is multiplied when children are unrestrained or restrained improperly. As new vehicles are resold to buyers who tend to be less safety-conscious than new car owners, the number of children endangered by passenger airbag deployment may increase. For vehicles already in the fleet, strong measures are required to secure children in the rear seat and increase the proper use of appropriate restraint systems through police enforcement of laws. One promising strategy is to amend child passenger safety laws to require that parents secure children in the rear seats. For future vehicles, a mandatory performance standard should be adopted that suppresses airbag deployment automatically if a child is located in the front passenger seat. Other promising improvements in airbag design also are discussed. Major changes in passenger airbag design must be evaluated in a broad analytical framework that considers the welfare of adults as well as children.

Drinking and driving among college students ☆: The influence of alcohol-control policies

BACKGROUND Studies have reported high rates of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems, including drinking and driving, among college students. However, most studies have been conducted in single colleges or states. This study used a national sample to examine policy factors associated with alcohol-involved driving. METHODS A random sample of full-time students (N=10,904) attending a nationally representative sample of 4-year colleges in 39 states (n=119) completed self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire examined driving after consuming any alcohol, driving after > or = 5 drinks, and riding with a high or drunk driver. Individual-level data about driving after > or = 5 drinks were linked to information on the policy environment at both local and state levels and to ratings of enforcements for drunk driving laws. RESULTS Drinking and driving behaviors are prevalent among a minority of college students and differ significantly among student subgroups. Students who attend colleges in states that have more restrictions on underaged drinking, high volume consumption, and sales of alcoholic beverages, and devote more resources to enforcing drunk driving laws, report less drinking and driving. CONCLUSION The occurrence of drinking and driving among college students differs significantly according to the policy environment at local and state levels and the enforcement of those policies. Comprehensive policies and their strong enforcement are promising interventions to reduce drinking and driving among college students.

Perception of pain following aerobic exercise

The literature regarding the effect of exercise on pain is equivocal. The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the influence of an acute bout of exercise on pain threshold (PT) and pain ratings (PR). A secondary purpose was to measure heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and state anxiety (SA) responses. Pressure (3000-g force) was applied to the middle digit of the right forefinger for 2 min with the Forgione-Barber pain stimulator before and following (5 min of cycling at 75% VO2max. Quiet rest consisted of sitting quietly for 30 min in a sound-dampened chamber. Order was counterbalanced, randomly assigned, and performed on different days. Data was analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA for multifactor experiments. PT was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and PR were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the exercise condition 5 min post-exercise in comparison with quiet rest. Changes in pain perception were accompanied by lower SBP (P < 0.03) and higher HR (P < 0.0001). in the exercise condition. It is concluded that an acute bout of exercise is associated with changes in pain perception.

School spirits: alcohol and collegiate sports fans.

While studies have addressed alcohol use and related problems among college athletes, little is known about the drinking patterns of non-athletes who are sports fans. This study examines the relationship between alcohol use and interest in collegiate sports on two levels. First, do sports fans in college binge drink more and exhibit more negative alcohol-related outcomes than other students? Second, do colleges with large numbers of sports fans have higher rates of heavy drinking and accompanying secondhand effects affecting other students? The study analyzed the responses of a nationally representative sample of students who completed questionnaires in the spring of 1999 regarding their extracurricular activities and substance use. The responses of 3445 student sports fans were compared to those of 8405 students who were not sports fans. More sports fans drank alcohol, engaged in binge drinking, had a heavy drinking style and reported alcohol-related problems than nonfans. The percentage of sports fans at a school was associated with binge drinking rates and the secondhand effects. The implications for those working with college athletics and for alcohol prevention personnel are discussed.

Disparities in Overweight and Obesity among US College Students.

OBJECTIVES To examine social disparities and behavioral correlates of overweight and obesity over time among college students. METHODS Multilevel analyses of BMI, physical activity, and television viewing from 2 representative surveys of US college students (n=24,613). RESULTS Overweight and obesity increased over time and were higher among males, African Americans, and students of lower socioeconomic position and lower among Asians. Television viewing and in activity were associated with obesity, and disparities in these behaviors partially accounted for excess weight among African Americans. CONCLUSIONS Social disparities in overweight and obesity exist among college students. Promoting physical activity and reducing television viewing may counteract increasing trends.

The State Sets the Rate: The Relationship Among State-Specific College Binge Drinking, State Binge Drinking Rates, and Selected State Alcohol Control Policies

OBJECTIVES We assessed the relationship between college binge drinking, binge drinking in the general population, and selected alcohol control policies. METHODS We analyzed binge drinking rates from 2 national surveys, the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Binge drinking data were linked to a summary measure of 7 salient alcohol control policies and a rating of resources devoted to law enforcement. RESULTS State-level college and adult binge drinking rates were strongly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.43; P<.01). Attending college in states with the lowest binge drinking rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.41, 0.97) and presence of more stringent alcohol control policies (adjusted OR=0.57; 95% CI=0.33, 0.97) were independent predictors of student binge drinking, after adjusting for state law enforcement and individual-, college-, and state-level covariates. CONCLUSIONS State of residence is a predictor of binge drinking by college students. State-level alcohol control policies may help reduce binge drinking among college students and in the general population.