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Project Publications
Social
Developmental Overview of Heavy Episodic or Binge Drinking Among U.S. College
Students
Weitzman ER.
Psychiatric Times. 2004; (21): 2
Description:Misuse and abuse of alcohol are among the most
prevalent mental health problems among young adults today (Grant, 1997), and
there is good evidence that these problems have increased along with
depression and anxiety disorders (Fombonne, 1998; Kessler and Walters, 1998).
Young adults are among the heaviest drinkers in the United States (Naimi et
al., 2003), and college students drink more heavily than their non-college
attending peers (Johnston et al., 1997). In fact, colleges have proven
uniquely risky for several mental health and behavioral problems, including
alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use (Hingson et al., 2002; Johnston et al.,
1997; O'Malley and Johnston, 2002).
Heavy episodic or binge drinking may be the most frequently reported and
researched mental health problem among college youth. About 44% of U.S.
college students binge drink--consuming five or more drinks in a row for
males and four or more drinks for females on one or more occasions during a
two-week period. Half of these students do so frequently (i.e., three or more
times within two weeks) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997;
Douglas et al., 1997;Wechsler et al., 1994).
This article includes a summary of research on social and developmental
aspects of binge drinking in college, and an overarching framework for
considering vulnerability and life course issues relevant to prevention and
treatment.
The relationship of alcohol
outlet density to heavy and frequent drinking and drinking-related problems
among college students at eight universities.
Weitzman ER, Folkman A, Folkman KL, Wechsler H.
Health and Place (2003); 9:1-6.
Description:
To determine whether alcohol outlet density was correlated with frequent,
heavy and problem drinking, we compared ecological measures of outlet density
with survey measures of drinking using a geographic information system and
the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (n=3,421, site
n=8). We identified 2,304 outlets. Approximately 45% (n=996) fell within two
mile study areas. Densities/site ranged from 32 to 185. Density was
correlated with heavy drinking (r=0.82, p=0.01), frequent drinking (r=0.73,
p=0.04) and drinking-related problems (r=0.79, p=0.02). Women, underage
students and students who picked up binge drinking in college were affected.
Implications for prevention and GIS research are discussed.
Assessing success in a
coalition-based environmental prevention programme targeting alcohol abuse
and harms.
Weitzman ER, Nelson TF, Wechsler H.
Nordic Journal of Substance Use. 2003; 20: 1-9.
Description:
Community-based prevention programs that aim to reduce alcohol abuse and
harms can experience tensions among participants, including external or
expert agents working to catalyze change, local or grassroots change agents,
and others. Because tensions can impede even well conceptualized efforts, it
may be important to consider whether being community-based is a necessary
criterion for a project's success, and if so, how to measure it. In this
paper we argue for including within a comprehensive assessment of program
success several measures of community-based, including environmental
orientation in program development. We describe methods, measures and select
formative findings from the Harvard School of Public Health "A Matter of
Degree" (AMOD) program evaluation. AMOD is a 10-site longitudinal
demonstration, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program
supports coalitions to affect environmental change to reduce binge drinking
and harms among college students. The evaluation uses case study and
quasi-experimental methods that span policy analysis, prospective
intervention tracking, stakeholder surveying and behavioral surveillance
within an action research framework. The present paper draws on two
evaluation systems to describe the degree to which AMOD projects are
community-based and environmentally oriented, both process-related factors
expected to prefigure success by signaling the capacity of coalitions to
alter the formal and informal social controls necessary to alter student
beliefs and behaviors and reduce consumption and harms. Measures and data are
discussed in terms of the larger program context, degree of readiness for
change, and formative lessons learned. These issues may be applicable to
other community-based, demonstration programs.
Background Publications
Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College:
A National Survey of Students on 140 Campuses
Wechsler H, Davenport A, Dowdall GW, Moeykens B, Castillo S.
Journal of the American Medical Association. 1994;272:1672-1677.
The
Adverse Impact of Heavy Episodic Drinkers on Other College Students
Wechsler H, Moeykens B, Davenport A, Castillo S, Hansen J.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 1995; 56: 628-634.
Binge Drinking in College: The Impact of Price, Availability,
and Alcohol Control Policies
Chaloupka FJ, Wechsler H.
Contemporary Economic Policy. 1996; 112-124.
From
Knowledge to Action: How Harvard's College Alcohol Study Can Help Your Campus
Design a Campaign Against Student Alcohol Abuse
Wechsler H, Nelson TF, Weitzman ER.
Change. 2000. 32 (1): 38-43.
Environmental
Correlates of Underage Alcohol Use and Related Problems of College Students
Wechsler H, Kuo M, Lee H, Dowdall GW.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2000; 19(1): 24-29.
Underage College StudentsŐ Drinking Behavior, Access to
Alcohol, and the Influence of Deterrence Policies: Findings From the Harvard
School of Public Health College Alcohol Study
Wechsler H, Lee JE, Nelson TF, Kuo M.
Journal of American College Health. 2002; 50(5): 223-236.
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
Wechsler H, Lee JE, Kuo M, Seibring M, Nelson TF, Lee H.
Journal of American College Health. 2002; 50(5): 203-217.
Taking
up Binge Drinking in College: The Influences of Person, Social Group, and
Environment
Weitzman ER, Nelson TF, Wechsler H.
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2003; 32(1): 26-35.
The Marketing of Alcohol to College Students: The Role of Low
Prices and Special Promotions
Kuo M, Wechsler H, Greenberg P, Lee H.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2003; 25(3): 204-211.
Heavy Drinking and Alcohol Policy Enforcement in a Statewide
Public College System
Knight JR, Harris SK, Sherritt L, Kelley K, Van Hook S, Wechsler H.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2003; 64(5): 696-703
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