The decline in adolescent substance use across Europe and North America in the early twenty-first century: A result of the digital revolution?

OBJECTIVES: Increases in electronic media communication (EMC) and decreases in face-to-face peer contact in the evening (FTF) have been thought to explain the recent decline in adolescent substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis). This study addresses this hypothesis, by examining associations between (time trends in) EMC, FTF, and substance use in more than 25 mainly European countries. METHODS: Using 2002-2014 data from the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, we ran multilevel logistic regression analyses to investigate the above associations. RESULTS: National declines in substance use were associated with declines in FTF, but not with increases in EMC. At the individual level, both EMC and FTF related positively to substance use. For alcohol and cannabis use, the positive association with EMC was stronger in more recent years. Associations between EMC and substance use varied across countries, but this variation could not be explained by the proportion of young people using EMC within countries. CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that the decrease in FTF, but not the increase in EMC, plays a role in the recent decrease in adolescent substance use.

The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS): some psychometric properties.

The present study aimed to develop a short, easily administered, psychometrically sound, and valid instrument to assess the severity of compulsive Internet use. A set of criteria was determined based on the addiction literature. Next, the internal consistency and convergent validity were determined, and the set was tested as a one-factor solution in two representative samples of heavy Internet users (n = 447 and n = 229) and in one large convenience sample of regular Internet users (n = 16,925). In these three studies, respondents were asked about their online behavior and about problems related to Internet use. In the first study, the Online Cognition Scale (OCS) was included to determine concurrent validity. The newly developed Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) contains 14 items ratable on a 5-point Likert scale. The instrument showed good factorial stability across time and across different samples and subsamples. The internal consistency is high, and high correlations with concurrent and criterion variables demonstrate good validity.

Depressive mood and smoking onset: A comparison of adolescents with and without asthma.

This prospective population-based study aimed to compare associations between depressive feelings and smoking behaviour of adolescents with and without asthma. Data were collected from a two-wave 22-24 months prospective study among 5938 adolescents who completed self-report questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses showed that depressive feelings and smoking were related both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Smoking behaviour was similar for adolescents with and without asthma, as well as its correlation with depressive feelings. However, participants with asthma were more likely to report depressive feelings than those without asthma, implying an indirect relationship between asthma and smoking behaviour. Implications for prevention are addressed.

Alcohol consumption in The Netherlands in the last decade: sharp decreases in binge drinking, especially among youngsters.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the development of alcohol consumption and 'binge drinking' in The Netherlands over the period 1997-2005. METHODS: Data from three national population surveys commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health were compared. RESULTS: Decreases in binge drinking have appeared, especially for youngsters, which are not explained by changes in the composition of the population according to religious orientation, and for which no other explanation can be given at present. CONCLUSION: Trends in binge drinking in The Netherlands can vary over relatively short spaces of time.

Alcohol y emigración: los problemas de medición en la investigación sobre el consumo de alcohol entre inmigrantes marroquíes y turcos / Alcohol and migrations: problems in the measurement of alcohol consumption in Turkish and Moroccan immigrants

El Islám prohíbe el consumo de alcohol, por lo que uno de los factores determinantes del consumo de alcohol entre los ciudadanos de origen turco y marroquí que viven en Holanda es el grado en el que viven conforme con las normas del Islám. Esto último depende en parte de su historia migratoria, su bagaje subcultural y su grado de integración en la sociedad holandesa. En este capítulo resumen 24 estudios holandeses que tratan el consumo de alcohol entre turcos y marroquíes y discutimos los problemas metodológicos y conceptuales que conllevan este tipo de estudios. Estas investigaciones se enfrentan con el problema de contactar con turcos y marroquíes, el problema de la validez de las respuestas obtenidas (el Islám destaca la importancia de valores tales como el honor y el respeto que pueden llevar a que los sujetos subestimen su consumo de alcohol), así como problemas de idioma. Además del problema del reducido tamaño de las muestras, se discuten los distintos métodos de investigación utilizados en los distintos estudios, y la conceptualización de “origen étnico”, que influyen en la fiabilidad y validez de los resultados. A pesar de todo se puede concluir que el consumo de alcohol entre los ciudadanos de origen turco y marroquí residiendo en los Países Bajos consumen menos alcohol que los holandeses; que los turcos consumen más alcohol que los marroquíes; que tanto entre los turcos como entre los marroquíes los hombres beben más que las mujeres, y los jóvenes más que los mayores (AU)

Since most Turks and Moroccans living in The Netherlands are Muslim, and the Islamic religion prescribes abstinence of alcohol, the main determinant of alcohol use seems to be the degree to which live up to Islamic rules. This is linked to questions such as the migration history, the sub-cultural background and the degree of integration into the Dutch society. The present article also presents a review of 24 Dutch studies on alcohol use among Turkish and Moroccan migrants and discusses the methodological and conceptual problems that accompany these studies. According to these literature the data are affected by a low reachability of Turks and Moroccans (often resulting in the participation of a selective, non-representative group), unreliable answering tendencies (the Islamic orientation and cultural values of honor and respect may result in underreporting of alcohol use) and language problems. The authors argue that, although several conceptual and methodological difficulties accompany alcohol research among Turkish and Moroccan inhabitants of The Netherlands, the following tendencies seem evident: Turks and Moroccans drink less alcohol than Dutch inhabitants do; alcohol use is higher among Turks than among Moroccans; in the Turkish as well as the Moroccan population, men tend to drink more alcohol than women do, and younger people tend to drink more than older people do (AU)

Predictors of AIDS-preventive behavioral intentions among adult heterosexuals at risk for HIV-infection: extending current models and measures.

This study examined the predictors of the intention to use condoms with new sexual partners. A sample of heterosexual adult females and males (n = 711) was recruited through various channels. A substantial part of the sample had engaged in risky sexual behavior. Predictors were based on various theoretical models. Compared with men, women were in general more aware of the risks of AIDS and perceived fewer barriers to using condoms, but they also perceived less support for condom use among potential new partners. Among those with a risk factor for HIV infection (n = 514), various types of barriers, absolute and comparative self-efficacy, and three types of social norms were independently related to the intention to use condoms. When including all relevant predictors, self-efficacy, anticipated regret, and descriptive norms in the reference group, were independent predictors of condom use intention among men as well as among women. The implications for prevention are discussed.