Using A Four Factor Model To Determine Interactions Between Family History Of Using A Four Factor Model To Determine Interactions Between Family History Of Alcoholism, Gender, And Motives For Drinking In A Freshman College Sample. Alcoholism, Gender, And Motives For Drinking In A Freshman College Sample.

R.E. Jiantonio1; R.I. Rosen1; S. Armeli4; H. Tennen4; J.F. Sisante1, S. Raskin5; C.S. Austad3; R. Wood3, C.R. Fallahi3; M.K. Ginley1; G.D. Pearlson1,2

1Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, 2Dept. of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 3Dept. of Psychology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, 4University of Connecticut School of Medicine,

Farmington, CT, 5Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Trinity College, Hartford, CT

MATERIALS AND METHODS

INTRODUCTION

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS

For each drinking motive, a two-way between-groups ANOVA examined main and interaction effects of family history status and gender.

There was no interaction effect between FH+ males and females and their motivations to drink (See Table 1).

Results showed significant main effects of family history status on those who reported drinking for social, coping, and enhancement reasons. Independent samples t-tests indicated that FH+ were more likely to report drinking for these motives than FH- (See Table 2).

Significant main effects of gender were found on those who reported drinking to conform. A t-test showed that males were more likely to report drinking to conform than females (See Figure 2).

Our findings support previous literature reporting that individuals with a FH of alcoholism are more likely to report drinking for coping or enhancement reasons and that males are more likely to report drinking for conformity reasons.

Future research on not only how much students are drinking but why they are drinking is important in helping to identify the level of risk for future alcohol use disorders.We continue to follow students for 2 yrs to help assess this.

Funded by RO1 AA016599 (BARCS Study) and RC1 AA019036 to Dr. Godfrey Pearlson.

Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students

(aka BARCS Study) “Mascot”

Alcohol is the drug of choice among college students1.

Prior research has identified four distinct categories as psychological motivations to consume alcohol: Social, (drinking to help enjoya party), Coping (to forget about problems), Enhancement (drinking to ‘feel high’), and Conformity (drinking so as not to feel left out)2.

Prior studies show males to be more likely to drink for externalizing motives (Social and Conformity) 2 perhaps due to their competitive nature3.

Adolescents with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to show greater internalizing motives (Coping and Enhancement) to consume alcohol than those who are not4. Those who report drinking for internalizing motives are more likely to develop serious alcohol problems in adulthood4.

Identifying how young adults’ motives to drink relate to their family histories of alcoholism can provide information on how clinical interventions and health policies can best be utilized on college campuses4.

Previous research has focused on drinking motives among adolescent samples, whereas the current study focused specifically on a freshman college sample in which participants’ ages ranged from 18-25 years.

HYPOTHESES

Gender will have significant effects on externalizing motives to drink. FH status will have significant effects on internalizing motives to drink.

Interactions between FH status and gender will be minimal, because one predicts externalizing motives to drink while the other predicts internalizing motives to drink.

1. Heffernan, T.M. & Bartholomew, J. (2006). Does excessive alcohol use in teenagers affect their everyday prospective memory? Journal of Adolescent Health, 39: 138-140.

2. Cooper, M.L. (1994). Motivations for alcohol use among adolescents: Development and validation of a four-factor model. Psychological Assessment ,6(2): 117-128.

3. Grossbard, J., Geisner, I., Neighbors, C., Kilmer, J.. & Larimer, M. (2007). Are drinking games sports? College athlete participation in drinking games and alcohol-related problems. Journal for Studies of Alcohol and Drugs, 68: 97-105.

4. Chalder, M., Elgar, F., & Bennett, P. (2006). Drinking and motivations to drink among adolescent children of parents with alcohol problems. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 41(1): 107-113.

996 college freshmen (44.4% male) aged 18-25 were recruited on a voluntary basis from the ongoing NIAAA- funded BARCS (Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students) study from two Connecticut academic institutions; one a small, private college and the other a larger, public university.

Subjects were categorized into family history positive (FH+ N=188) or negative (FH- N=808) for alcoholism. FH+ was defined as having at least one 1st degree relative with a history of alcoholism, and FH- was defined as having no first degree relatives with a history of alcohol problems. Subjects unable to report on family history of alcoholism were excluded.

Motivations to consume alcohol were assessed via secure online surveys, using a modified Drinking Motives questionnaire2 .

REFERENCES

Figure. 1: Differences in Drinking Motivations based on Family History of

Alcoholism (+/- SEM)

Figure 2: Differences in Drinking Motivations based on Gender (+/- SEM)

TABLE 1: Two-way between groups ANOVA examining main and interaction effects of Family History Status and Gender

Source Dependent Variable Mean Square F Sig.Gender        

  SOCIAL 81.3 2.179 0.14  COPING 3.283 0.189 0.664  ENHANCEMENT 26.192 0.719 0.397  CONFORMITY 64.805 4.718 0.03

FH          SOCIAL 332.077 8.899 0.003  COPING 117.724 6.777 0.009  ENHANCEMENT 175.18 4.812 0.028  CONFORMITY 15.73 1.145 0.285

Gender * FH          SOCIAL 48.151 1.29 0.256  COPING 2.986 0.172 0.679  ENHANCEMENT 0.765 0.021 0.885  CONFORMITY 3.442 0.251 0.617

**: p≤0.01

*: p≤0.05