Drinking locations and alcohol-related harm: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations in a sample of young Swiss men.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption--in particular drinking volume (DV) and risky single occasion drinking (RSOD)--has been related to a wide range of negative consequences and health problems. Previous studies also suggested that drinking in certain locations may be more strongly associated with the occurrence of alcohol-related harm than drinking in others. However, they were conducted in countries culturally and legally different from European countries and were limited to cross-sectional designs. This study investigates the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of alcohol-related harm with DVs in different locations in a sample of young Swiss men. METHODS: A representative sample of 4536 young Swiss male drinkers completed baseline and 15-month follow-up questionnaires. These assessed DVs in 11 locations, alcohol-related harm (i.e. number of alcohol-related consequences and alcohol use disorder criteria) and frequency of RSOD. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of alcohol-related harm with DVs in each location were tested using regression models, with and without adjustment for frequency of RSOD. RESULTS: Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses showed significant positive associations between alcohol-related harm and DVs at friends' homes, in discos/nightclubs and in outdoor public places, when controlling for frequency of RSOD. In contrast, the contribution of DVs at one's own home and in restaurants was consistently not significant when adjusted for frequency of RSOD. When controlling for RSOD, associations between alcohol-related harm and DVs in bars/pubs, when playing sports, during other leisure activities, at cinemas/theatres, during sporting events, and during special events were not consistent between cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that prevention interventions should not only target reducing the overall volume of alcohol consumed and the frequency of RSOD in general, but they should additionally focus on limiting alcohol consumption in outdoor public places, discos/nightclubs, and in friends' homes in particular, or at least on preventing harm occurring in these occasions.

Validation of French and German versions of a Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion questionnaire among young Swiss males, and its relationship with substance use

This study main purpose was the validation of both French and German versions of a Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire. The sample group comprised 5065 Swiss men from the "Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors." Multigroup Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model fits the data well, which substantiates the generalizability of Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire factor structure, regardless of the language. The Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire demonstrated excellent homogeneity (α = 95) and split-half reliability (r = .96). The Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire was sensitive to community size and participants' financial situation, confirming that it also measures real social conditions. Finally, weak but frequent correlations between Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire and alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis dependence were measured.

Reframing video gaming and internet use addiction : empirical cross-national comparison of heavy use over time and addiction scales among young users

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence-based and reliable measures of addictive disorders are needed in general population-based assessments. One study suggested that heavy use over time (UOT) should be used instead of self-reported addiction scales (AS). This study compared UOT and AS regarding video gaming and internet use empirically, using associations with comorbid factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data from the 2011 French Survey on Health and Consumption on Call-up and Preparation for Defence-Day (ESCAPAD), cross-sectional data from the 2012 Swiss ado@internet.ch study and two waves of longitudinal data (2010-13) of the Swiss Longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). SETTING: Three representative samples from the general population of French and Swiss adolescents and young Swiss men, aged approximately 17, 14 and 20 years, respectively. PARTICIPANTS: ESCAPAD: n =22 945 (47.4% men); ado@internet.ch: n =3049 (50% men); C-SURF: n =4813 (baseline + follow-up, 100% men). MEASUREMENTS: We assessed video gaming/internet UOT ESCAPAD and ado@internet.ch: number of hours spent online per week, C-SURF: latent score of time spent gaming/using internet] and AS (ESCAPAD: Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, ado@internet.ch: Internet Addiction Test, C-SURF: Gaming AS). Comorbidities were assessed with health outcomes (ESCAPAD: physical health evaluation with a single item, suicidal thoughts, and appointment with a psychiatrist; ado@internet.ch: WHO-5 and somatic health problems; C-SURF: Short Form 12 (SF-12 Health Survey) and Major Depression Inventory (MDI). FINDINGS: UOT and AS were correlated moderately (ESCAPAD: r = 0.40, ado@internet.ch: r = 0.53 and C-SURF: r = 0.51). Associations of AS with comorbidity factors were higher than those of UOT in cross-sectional (AS: .005 ≤ |b| ≤ 2.500, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.000) and longitudinal analyses (AS: 0.093 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.079, UOT: 0.020 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.329). The results were similar across gender in ESCAPAD and ado@internet.ch (men: AS: 0.006 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.211, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.061; women: AS: 0.004 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.155, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.094). CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of heavy use over time captures part of addictive video gaming/internet use without overlapping to a large extent with the results of measuring by self-reported addiction scales (AS). Measuring addictive video gaming/internet use via self-reported addiction scales relates more strongly to comorbidity factors than heavy use over time.

Bidirectional relationship between the Body Mass Index and Substance Use in Young Men

BACKGROUND: Obesity and substance use are major concern in young people. This study explored the bidirectional longitudinal relationships between the body mass index (BMI) of young men and their use of: 1) four classes of non-medical prescription drugs; 2) alcohol; 3) tobacco; and 4) cannabis. METHODS: Baseline and follow-up data from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors were used (n=5,007). A cross-lagged panel model, complemented by probit models as sensitivity analysis, was run to determine the bidirectional relationships between BMI and substance use. Alcohol was assessed using risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD); tobacco, using daily smoking; and cannabis, using hazardous cannabis use (defined as twice-weekly or more cannabis use). Non-medical prescription drugs use (NMPDU) included opioid analgesics, sedatives/sleeping pills, anxiolytics and stimulants. RESULTS: Different associations were found between BMI and substance use. Only RSOD (β= -.053, p=.005) and NMPDU of anxiolytics (β=.040, p=.020) at baseline significantly predicted BMI at follow-up. Baseline RSOD predicted a lower BMI at follow-up while baseline NMPDU of anxiolytics predicted higher BMI at follow-up. Furthermore, BMI at baseline significantly predicted daily smoking (β=.050, p=.007) and hazardous cannabis use (β=.058, p=.030). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest different associations between BMI and the use of various substances by young men. However, only RSOD and NMPDU of anxiolytics predicted BMI, whereas BMI predicted daily smoking and hazardous cannabis use.

Latent Class Analysis of Gambling Activities in a Sample of Young Swiss Men : Association with Gambling Problems, Substance Use Outcomes, Personality Traits and Coping Strategies.

The study aimed to identify different patterns of gambling activities (PGAs) and to investigate how PGAs differed in gambling problems, substance use outcomes, personality traits and coping strategies. A representative sample of 4989 young Swiss males completed a questionnaire assessing seven distinct gambling activities, gambling problems, substance use outcomes, personality traits and coping strategies. PGAs were identified using latent class analysis (LCA). Differences between PGAs in gambling and substance use outcomes, personality traits and coping strategies were tested. LCA identified six different PGAs. With regard to gambling and substance use outcomes, the three most problematic PGAs were extensive gamblers, followed by private gamblers, and electronic lottery and casino gamblers, respectively. By contrast, the three least detrimental PGAs were rare or non-gamblers, lottery only gamblers and casino gamblers. With regard to personality traits, compared with rare or non-gamblers, private and casino gamblers reported higher levels of sensation seeking. Electronic lottery and casino gamblers, private gamblers and extensive gamblers had higher levels of aggression-hostility. Extensive and casino gamblers reported higher levels of sociability, whereas casino gamblers reported lower levels of anxiety-neuroticism. Extensive gamblers used more maladaptive and less adaptive coping strategies than other groups. Results suggest that gambling is not a homogeneous activity since different types of gamblers exist according to the PGA they are engaged in. Extensive gamblers, electronic and casino gamblers and private gamblers may have the most problematic PGAs. Personality traits and coping skills may predispose individuals to PGAs associated with more or less negative outcomes.

E-cigarette use in young Swiss men : is vaping an effective way of reducing or quitting smoking ?

QUESTION UNDER STUDY: To test longitudinally differences in conventional cigarette use (cigarettes smoked, cessation, quit attempts) between vapers and nonvapers. METHODS: Fifteen months follow-up of a sample of 5 128 20-year-old Swiss men. The onset of conventional cigarette (CC) use among nonsmokers, and smoking cessation, quit attempts, changes in the number of CCs smoked among smokers at baseline were compared between vapers and nonvapers at follow-up, adjusted for nicotine dependence. RESULTS: Among baseline nonsmokers, vapers were more likely to start smoking at follow-up than nonvapers (odds ratio [OR] 6.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.81, 12.88 for becoming occasional smokers, and OR = 12.69, 95% CI 4.00, 40.28 for becoming daily smokers). Vapers reported lower smoking cessation rates among occasional smokers at baseline (OR = 0.43 (0.19, 0.96); daily smokers: OR = 0.42 [0.15, 1.18]). Vapers compared with nonvapers were heavier CC users (62.53 vs 18.10 cigarettes per week, p <0.001) and had higher nicotine dependence levels (2.16 vs 0.75, p <0.001) at baseline. The number of CCs smoked increased between baseline and follow-up among occasional smokers (b = 6.06, 95% CI 4.44, 7.68) and decreased among daily smokers (b = -5.03, 95% CI -8.69, -1.38), but there were no differential changes between vapers and nonvapers. Vapers showed more quit attempts at follow-up compared with nonvapers for baseline occasional smokers (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.81, 95% CI 1.24, 2.64; daily smokers IRR 1.28, 95% CI 0.95, 1.73). CONCLUSIONS: We found no beneficial effects of vaping at follow-up for either smoking cessation or smoking reduction.

Simultaneous acute pulmonary embolism and isolated septal myocardial infarction in a young patient

While the overall incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) has been decreasing since 2000 [1], there is an increasing number of younger patients presenting with MI [2]. Few studies have focused on MI in very young patients, aged 35 years or less, as they only account for a minority of all patients with myocardial infarction [3]. According to the age category, MI differs in presentation, treatment and outcome, as illustrated in table 1. Echocardiography is considered mandatory according to scientific guidelines in the management and diagnosis of MI [4,5,6]. However, new imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and computed tomography (CT) are increasingly performed and enable further refinement of the diagnosis of MI. These techniques allow, in particular, precise location and quantification of MI. In this case, MI was located to the septum, which is an unusual presentation of MI. The incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) has also increased in young patients over the past years [7]. Since symptoms and signs of PE may be non-specific, establishing its diagnosis remains a challenge [8]. Therefore, PE is one of the most frequently missed diagnosis in clinical medicine. Because of the widespread use of CT and its improved visualization of pulmonary arteries, PE may be discovered incidentally [9]. In the absence of a congenital disorder, multiple and/or simultaneous disease presentation is uncommon in the young. We report the rare case of a 35 year old male with isolated septal MI and simultaneous PE. The diagnosis of this rare clinical entity was only possible by means of newer imaging techniques.