Merrill Jennifer E, Kenney Shannon R, Barnett Nancy P
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, BOX G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, United States.
Behavioral Medicine Department, Butler Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, United States.
Addict Behav. 2017 Oct;73:57-62. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.04.022. Epub 2017 Apr 28.
College students experience myriad negative consequences from alcohol misuse. The strength of the association between level of alcohol use and consequences may change across the initial years of college, as students develop tolerance or learn to avoid negative effects of drinking. Time varying effect models (TVEM) allow for statistical examination of the changing strength of associations between two variables as they unfold across time. Goals of the present study were to test the hypothesis that the association between weekly quantity of alcohol use and the odds of an alcohol consequence that week would decrease in strength from the first week of freshman year to the end of sophomore year, and to examine gender differences in the association between use and consequences over time. Participants (N=812 college student drinkers, 60% female) completed 36 assessments of alcohol use and consequences across two years (every other week). TVEM models revealed that the proportion of those for whom alcohol use led to a consequence declined across time. Aside from the first few weeks of college, the association between alcohol use and odds of a consequence was consistently stronger for women than men. Among men, the odds of a consequence declined relatively steadily over time. Among women, the strength of this association was more dynamic. This study provides initial insight into the complex relationship between drinking and consequences. Future research focusing on understanding factors that explain the decreasing association between use and consequences with time can contribute to college student alcohol education and interventions.
大学生因酒精滥用而经历无数负面后果。饮酒水平与后果之间关联的强度可能在大学最初几年有所变化，因为学生会产生耐受性或学会避免饮酒的负面影响。时变效应模型（TVEM）允许对两个变量之间关联强度随时间展开的变化进行统计检验。本研究的目的是检验以下假设：从大一年级第一周到大二结束，每周饮酒量与当周酒精相关后果发生几率之间的关联强度会减弱，并研究饮酒与后果之间关联随时间变化的性别差异。参与者（N = 812名大学生饮酒者，60%为女性）在两年内（每隔一周）完成了36次饮酒及相关后果的评估。TVEM模型显示，饮酒导致某种后果的人群比例随时间下降。除了大学最初几周外，饮酒与后果发生几率之间的关联在女性中始终比男性更强。在男性中，后果发生几率随时间相对稳定地下降。在女性中，这种关联的强度更具动态性。本研究初步洞察了饮酒与后果之间的复杂关系。未来聚焦于理解解释饮酒与后果之间关联随时间减弱的因素的研究，可为大学生酒精教育和干预提供帮助。
