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March Madness: NCAA Tournament Participation and College Alcohol Use

TL;DR: This article examined the impact of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on college students' drinking behavior using a nationally representative sample of American institutions and found that a school's participation in the NCAA Tournament is associated with a 30% increase in binge drinking and a 9% increased in self-reported drunk driving by male students at that school.
Abstract: We examine the impact of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on college students’ drinking behavior using a nationally representative sample of American institutions. While success in intercollegiate athletics may augment the visibility of a university to prospective students and thereby benefit the school, it may also have a negative effect on the current student body by influencing risky behavior, especially the consumption of alcohol commonly associated with game day festivities. Using the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS), we find that a school’s participation in the NCAA Tournament is associated with a 30% increase in binge drinking and a 9% increase in self-reported drunk driving by male students at that school. The results suggest that this increase is not offset by less alcohol use before or after the tournament (intertemporal substitution) but instead seems to represent a net increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by students at participating schools.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Research since 2010 confirms the importance of alcohol use as a risk factor for disease and injuries; for some health outcomes, more than one dimension of use needs to be considered.
Abstract: Background and aims Alcohol use is a major contributor to injuries, mortality and the burden of disease. This review updates knowledge on risk relations between dimensions of alcohol use and health ...

681 citations


Cites background from "March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..."

  • ...Two reviews on this topic came to the same conclusion: that all three mechanisms are possible and probably existing, but the first mechanism—that alcohol use (especially heavy use and alcohol use disorders) causes depression—is stronger andmore prevalent than the other pathways ([5,219]; see also [221,222])....

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  • ...There are three possible descriptions of the potential causal pathways that underlie the association between heavy alcohol use and alcohol use disorders and major depressive disorders [5,219]: (a) heavy drinking/alcohol use disorders cause depressive disorders; (b) depressive disorders increase alcohol use and cause alcohol use disorders (often discussed under the heading of a ‘self-medication’ hypothesis [220]); and (c) a reciprocal causal relationship or causation by another mechanism such as genetic vulnerability....

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  • ...While such a hypothesis is based on individual-level studies, it could not always be confirmed in ecological analyses such as time–series analyses (for confirmation see [5,324]; for essentially no relations in a number of countries in the EuropeanUnion, see [325]; for a result contrary to the hypothesis, see [326])....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: ASCO joins a growing number of international organizations by establishing a platform to support effective public health strategies in this area and identifies areas of needed research regarding the relationship between alcohol use and cancer risk and outcomes.
Abstract: Alcohol drinking is an established risk factor for several malignancies, and it is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cancer. The Cancer Prevention Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) believes that a proactive stance by the Society to minimize excessive exposure to alcohol has important implications for cancer prevention. In addition, the role of alcohol drinking on outcomes in patients with cancer is in its formative stages, and ASCO can play a key role by generating a research agenda. Also, ASCO could provide needed leadership in the cancer community on this issue. In the issuance of this statement, ASCO joins a growing number of international organizations by establishing a platform to support effective public health strategies in this area. The goals of this statement are to:• Promote public education about the risks between alcohol abuse and certain types of cancer;• Support policy efforts to reduce the risk of cancer through evidence-based strategies that prevent exce...

230 citations


Cites background from "March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..."

  • ...have had such a disorder at some point in their lifetime.(6,7) In addition to alcohol use disorder, Author affiliations and support information...

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  • ...College-age and younger people who drink are prone to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life.(7) Most adults who engage in high-risk alcohol drinking behavior started drinking before age 21 years....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a meta-analysis examines the strength of the link between substance use (e.g., alcohol use vs. drug use) and intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization.
Abstract: Objectives: This meta-analysis examines the strength of the link between substance use (e.g., alcohol use vs. drug use) and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization. Method: Data from 285 studies (yielding 983 effect sizes (ESs) and a combined sample size of 627,726) were analyzed using random effects. Moderator analyses compared the impact of overall substance abuse, alcohol use, and drug use on IPV perpetration and victimization for males and females. Results: Overall substance use, alcohol use, and drug use were significantly related to IPV perpetration and victimization, with mean ESs ranging from r = .18 to .23. Results indicate that drug use is a significantly stronger correlate with victimization, compared with alcohol use. Problematic alcohol use measures (i.e., abuse, dependence, and drinking problems) were significantly stronger correlates than consumption measures (e.g., alcohol use or frequency) for IPV victimization, but statistically similar for IPV perpetration. Problematic drug use measures were significantly stronger correlates with perpetration than drug consumption measures. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences between the impact of different drug types, and no significant difference between the impact of stimulants versus nonstimulants on IPV perpetration and victimization. Conclusions: This study provides the most comprehensive analysis of the link between substance use and IPV to date. Even if certain drugs are regarded as a lower health risk, clinicians are encouraged to evaluate the impact on their clients’ IPV. Future IPV researchers are encouraged to include specific drug types and frequencies of substance use.

215 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Over half of all deaths were substance-attributable, but this did not fully explain the mortality disparity with the general population, and interventions should address both addiction and non-addiction sources of excess mortality.
Abstract: Objectives. We quantified tobacco-, alcohol-, and drug-attributable deaths and their contribution to mortality disparities among homeless adults.Methods. We ascertained causes of death among 28 033 adults seen at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program in 2003 to 2008. We calculated population-attributable fractions to estimate the proportion of deaths attributable to tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. We compared attributable mortality rates with those for Massachusetts adults using rate ratios and differences.Results. Of 1302 deaths, 236 were tobacco-attributable, 215 were alcohol-attributable, and 286 were drug-attributable. Fifty-two percent of deaths were attributable to any of these substances. In comparison with Massachusetts adults, tobacco-attributable mortality rates were 3 to 5 times higher, alcohol-attributable mortality rates were 6 to 10 times higher, and drug-attributable mortality rates were 8 to 17 times higher. Disparities in substance-attributable deaths accounted for 57% of the all...

141 citations


Cites background or methods from "March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..."

  • ...The risk for alcohol-related injury deaths is influenced more by heavy drinking occasions than by average daily consumption.(44,46) Therefore, we followed the CDC(32) and others in using the case series method to estimate PAFs for these deaths....

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  • ...We considered these deaths 100% attributable to the named substance and assigned them a PAF of 1.(38,44,45)...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of the present study indicate that the DIAMOND is a promising semistructured diagnostic interview for DSM-5 disorders.
Abstract: Three hundred sixty-two adult patients were administered the Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders (DIAMOND). Of these, 121 provided interrater reliability data, and 115 provided test-retest reliability data. Participants also completed a battery of self-report measures that assess symptoms of anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Interrater reliability of DIAMOND anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive and related diagnoses ranged from very good to excellent. Test-retest reliability of DIAMOND diagnoses ranged from good to excellent. Convergent validity was established by significant between-group comparisons on applicable self-report measures for nearly all diagnoses. The results of the present study indicate that the DIAMOND is a promising semistructured diagnostic interview for DSM-5 disorders.

136 citations

References
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Journal Article
TL;DR: The percentages of abstainers and frequent binge drinkers increased, a polarization of drinking behavior first noted in 1997, and a sharp rise in frequent binge drinking was noted among students attending all-women's colleges.
Abstract: 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-women's 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.

1,491 citations


"March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..." refers background in this paper

  • ...This accounts for any lag between the date a student filled out the survey and the date they mailed it, time spent in the mail, and any lag between receipt of the survey 6For details on the survey design, see Wechsler et al. (2002)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Research reveals student peer norms to be the strongest influence on students' personal drinking behavior, with the more socially integrated students typically drinking most heavily.
Abstract: Objective: This article provides a review of conceptual and empirical studies on the role of social norms in college student al- cohol use and in prevention strategies to counter misuse. The norma- tive influences of various constituencies serving as reference groups for students are examined as possible factors influencing students' drink- ing behavior. Method: A review of English language studies was con- ducted. Results: Parental norms have only modest impact on students once they enter college beyond the residual effects of previously instilled drinking attitudes and religious traditions. Faculty could theoretically provide a positive influence on student drinking behavior, but there is little evidence in the literature that faculty norms and expectations about avoiding alcohol misuse are effectively communicated to students. Al- though the norms of resident advisers (RAs) should ideally provide a restraint on student alcohol misuse, the positive influence of RAs is lim- ited by their negotiated compromises with students whom they oversee and by their misperceptions of student norms. Research reveals student peer norms to be the strongest influence on students' personal drinking behavior, with the more socially integrated students typically drinking most heavily. The widespread prevalence among students of dramatic misperceptions of peer norms regarding drinking attitudes and behav- iors is also a consistent finding. Permissiveness and problem behaviors among peers are overestimated, even in environments where problem drinking rates are relatively high in actuality. These misperceived norms, in turn, have a significant negative effect promoting and exacerbating problem drinking. Conclusions: Interventions to reduce these misper- ceptions have revealed a substantial positive effect in several pilot studies and campus experiments. (J. Stud. Alcohol, Supplement No. 14: 164- 172, 2002)

894 citations


"March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..." refers background in this paper

  • ...For example, changing perceptions about what constitutes “normal” drinking (Haines and Spear, 1996 and Perkins, 2002) and providing motivational interventions (Borsari and Carey, 2000) have been shown to reduce drinking (at least in the short run) in other contexts....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol consumption among high school youth who drink alcohol and is strongly associated with a wide range of other health risk behaviors.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES. Underage drinking contributes to the 3 leading causes of death (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide) among persons aged 12 to 20 years. Most adverse health effects from underage drinking stem from acute intoxication resulting from binge drinking. Although binge drinking, typically defined as consuming ≥5 drinks on an occasion, is a common pattern of alcohol consumption among youth, few population-based studies have focused specifically on the characteristics of underage binge drinkers and their associated health risk behaviors. METHODS. We analyzed data on current drinking, binge drinking, and other health risk behaviors from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using SAS and SUDAAN statistical software. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between different patterns of alcohol consumption and health risk behaviors. RESULTS. Overall, 44.9% of high school students reported drinking alcohol during the past 30 days (28.8% binge drank and 16.1% drank alcohol but did not binge drink). Although girls reported more current drinking with no binge drinking, binge-drinking rates were similar among boys and girls. Binge-drinking rates increased with age and school grade. Students who binge drank were more likely than both nondrinkers and current drinkers who did not binge to report poor school performance and involvement in other health risk behaviors such as riding with a driver who had been drinking, being currently sexually active, smoking cigarettes or cigars, being a victim of dating violence, attempting suicide, and using illicit drugs. A strong dose-response relationship was found between the frequency of binge drinking and the prevalence of other health risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS. Binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol consumption among high school youth who drink alcohol and is strongly associated with a wide range of other health risk behaviors. Effective intervention strategies (eg, enforcement of the minimum legal drinking age, screening and brief intervention, and increasing alcohol taxes) should be implemented to prevent underage alcohol consumption and adverse health and social consequences resulting from this behavior.

872 citations


"March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Binge drinking is associated with increased rates of drunk driving, sexual assault, and other negative outcomes among young people (Miller et al., 2007)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Research since 2010 confirms the importance of alcohol use as a risk factor for disease and injuries; for some health outcomes, more than one dimension of use needs to be considered.
Abstract: Background and aims Alcohol use is a major contributor to injuries, mortality and the burden of disease. This review updates knowledge on risk relations between dimensions of alcohol use and health ...

681 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The intervention provided students with feedback regarding personal consumption, perceived drinking norms, alcohol-related problems, situations associated with heavy drinking, and alcohol expectancies, and further extended previous work regarding potential mechanisms of change.
Abstract: This study consisted of a randomized controlled trial of a 1-session motivational intervention for college student binge drinkers. Sixty students who reported binge drinking 2 or more times in the past 30 days were randomly assigned to either a no-treatment control or a brief intervention group. The intervention provided students with feedback regarding personal consumption, perceived drinking norms, alcohol-related problems, situations associated with heavy drinking, and alcohol expectancies. At 6-week follow-up, the brief intervention group exhibited significant reductions on number of drinks consumed per week, number of times drinking alcohol in the past month, and frequency of binge drinking in the past month. Estimates of typical student drinking mediated these reductions. This study replicates earlier research on the efficacy of brief interventions with college students and extends previous work regarding potential mechanisms of change.

605 citations


"March Madness: NCAA Tournament Part..." refers background in this paper

  • ...For example, changing perceptions about what constitutes “normal” drinking (Haines and Spear, 1996 and Perkins, 2002) and providing motivational interventions (Borsari and Carey, 2000) have been shown to reduce drinking (at least in the short run) in other contexts....

    [...]