The validity of the desired effects of drinking scale with a late adolescent sample.

This study evaluated the validity of the Desired Effects of Drinking Scale (DEoDS) with a late adolescent sample. This brief measure (37 items) was designed to assess reasons for drinking across 9 domains. Across a culturally diverse sample of late adolescents (ages 18-20 years), this measure evidenced high internal consistency, particularly when all items were summed in 1 full-scale score. Contrary to the factors found with adults, 8 factors emerged with this sample. No differences were found by culture, providing initial evidence for the cross-cultural validity of this measure. In addition, gender differences emerged for only 1 factor. Overall, the results provide empirical support for the use of this measure to assess late adolescents' and emerging adults' reasons for drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain in young adults: I. Relationship to gender and family pain history

OBJECTIVES/DESIGN: Two studies were carried out to examine how gender and family pain history related to pain and activity interference in young adults. The first study (n = 252 college students) examined how gender and family pain history related to pain intensity and the second study (n = 206 college students) examined how these variables related to pain intensity, location, and activity interference. Whenever possible, data from the two studies were combined for purposes of data analyses. RESULTS: Results indicated that more than half of the young adults studied reported experiencing some type of pain at the time of the investigation. The intensity of the pain was in the low range and the most frequent sites of pain were in the head and legs or feet. Gender differences were noted, with women reporting a greater number of sites of pain. Family pain history was found to be related to pain and activity interference. Subjects who had a strong family history of pain problems reported a greater number of pain sites, and higher levels of pain-related activity interference. CONCLUSIONS: Generalizability of results is limited due to the group of young adults studied, yet several conclusions relative to this group may be suggested. First, this group of young adults do appear to experience pain. Second, there may be gender differences in the types of pain they report and the ways they react to pain. Third, family history of pain may be related to the pain experiences of this group of young adults.     

Baroreceptor reflex function in young normotensive men with a family history of hypertension

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the baroreflex function using lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and neck suction in young normotensive men with or without a family history of hypertension. Twenty-two young normotensive men with a family history of hypertension (FH+) and eight young normotensive men who had no family history of hypertension (FH-) were studied. FH(+) consisted of men who had a family history of hypertension within second degree relatives. We studied cardiopulmonary baroreflex function using LBNP and carotid sinus baroreflex function using neck suction and evaluated the reflex function under stimulated conditions using both LBNP and neck suction at the same time. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP)(F = 5.42, p < 0.0001) and pulse pressure (PP)(F = 15.57, p < 0.0001) decreased similarly in both groups in response to LBNP. SAP and PP responses to LBNP were not significantly affected by the family history of hypertension. Diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) increased (F = 2.89, p < 0.005) in both groups. There was a relationship between the LBNP level and family history of hypertension (F = 2.53, p < 0.013), and the increment in DAP during LBNP -30, -40 mmHg was larger in the FH(+) group. Through mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not effected by LBNP, there LBNP level was related to the family history of hypertension (F = 2.23, p < 0.02). Heart rate increased progressively (F = 25.7, p < 0.0001) with increasing levels of LBNP; however, these changes did not differ significantly in either group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Family history of problem drinking among young male social drinkers: Modeling effects on alcohol consumption.

This research tested the effect of social drinking models on the drinking behavior of 19- to 21-year-old subjects with (FH+) and without (FH-) family histories of problem drinking. The project involved 50 subjects (24 FH+ and 26 FH-) whose drinking habits did not differ. Measures of alcohol intake and the resulting blood alcohol concentration each indicated an interaction between FH and model treatment. The drinking by FH+ subjects changed significantly to conform with the model. Similar but nonsignificant model effects were displayed by FH- subjects. The evidence suggests that social drinking models may have a particularly salient influence on the drinking behavior of FH+ individuals. Because modeling effects have not previously been explored in relation to family history of problem drinking, the present study identifies a promising direction for research on the etiology of alcohol abuse and the development of prevention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing the validity of an instrument for assessing family of origin history

Family of origin history information is often gathered for research and clinical purposes in psychology, but there has been relatively little examination of the validity of the data obtained. This report describes several tests of the validity of the recently developed Family Background Questionnaire, a relatively behaviorally specific instrument designed to comprehensively assess characteristics of one's family of origin. Using a sample of 678 nonclinical and clinical participants, it was found that a history of incest, parental chemical dependency, clinical status, socioeconomic status, and birth order all predicted Family Background Questionnaire scores as hypothesized and that 38% of the variance in Total Scale scores was accounted for by these variables.     

Impairment and distress associated with relationship discord in a national sample of married or cohabiting adults.

The clinical importance of relationship discord was examined through evaluating the association between relationship discord and multiple measures of impairment and psychological distress in a population-based sample of married and cohabiting adults (N = 2,677). In comparison to people that were not in discordant relationships, individuals in discordant relationships reported greater social role impairment with relatives and friends and greater work role impairment. They also reported higher levels of general distress and poorer perceived health and were more likely to report suicide ideation. With the exception of suicide ideation, the associations between relationship discord and impairment and psychological distress remained significant when controlling for current mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, suggesting that relationship discord is incrementally related to impairment and psychological distress over and above the effects of psychiatric disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

DSM-IV alcohol disorders in a general population sample of adolescents and young adults

AIMS/DESIGNS: As part of the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP) study, results from the baseline cross-sectional assessment of DSM-IV alcohol disorders are presented for a sample of 14-24-year-olds residents in Munich, Germany (N = 3021; 71% response rate). FINDINGS: Life-time prevalence of DSM-IV alcohol abuse (men: 15.1%; women; 4.5%) was found to be considerably more prevalent than dependence (men: 10.0%; women 2.5%) with few cases among respondents younger than 16 years of age; 12-month prevalence of abuse was 8.4% among men and 2.7% among women and of dependence was 7.3% among men and 2.2% among women. Results show that peak incidence of alcohol disorders occurs at 16-17 years of age and that early initiation into alcohol use is associated with an increasing odds of disorder onset, especially for dependence among women. Exploratory analysis of retrospectively assessed diagnostic stability show: a temporal progression to abuse and then dependence, that nearly half of past abuse diagnoses are in remission, abuse remission is more common than progression to dependence, and dependence is highly persistent, especially among women. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol disorders are frequent in adolescent and young adults being characterized by transient abuse and less prevalent but persistent dependence syndromes. The relatively high prevalence of dependence diagnoses in this young population wit few years of alcohol use is discussed with regard to the clinical validity of DSM-IV criteria in adolescents and young adults.     

Stress, drinking, and the adverse consequences of drinking in two samples of young adults.

This study examined the relationships between stress and both alcohol use and alcohol problems, in addition to testing the possibility that social support and coping styles significantly moderate these relationships. Two samples of men and women in their 20s and 30s were studied. Findings showed that stress was unrelated to alcohol consumption in 1 sample, and, although there were significant associations in the 2nd sample, the overall percentage of variance explained was small. Stress appeared to be more highly related to alcohol problems, with some stress measures showing a protective relationship vis á vis alcohol problems and others acting in ways that can put people at risk for alcohol problems. Coping styles and social support interacted significantly with some measures of life stress (e.g., daily hassles, negative life events), but only in some circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Endothelium-dependent dilatation is impaired in young healthy subjects with a family history of premature coronary disease

BACKGROUND: A family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) in a first-degree relative is an independent risk factor for coronary disease. Both genetic and environmental influences are likely to be responsible and may interact, but their relative importance is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied endothelial function in 50 first-degree relatives (31 men, 19 women; mean age, 25+/-8 years) of patients (men < or = 45 years, women < or = 55 years) with proven CAD. All subjects were well, lifelong nonsmokers, not diabetic, and not hypertensive and took no medications. Using high-resolution external vascular ultrasound, we measured brachial artery diameter at rest and in response to reactive hyperemia (with increased flow causing an endothelium-dependent vasodilatation) and to sublingual glyceryltrinitrate (GTN, an endothelium-independent dilator). Vascular responses were compared with those of 50 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was impaired in the family history group (4.9+/-4.6% versus 8.3+/-3.5% in control subjects, P<.005). In contrast, GTN caused dilatation in all subjects (family history, 17.1+/-8.8%; control subjects, 19.0+/-6.3%; P=NS), suggesting that reduced FMD was due to endothelial dysfunction. When the family history subjects were subdivided, those found to have a serum cholesterol > 4.2 mmol/L (group A, n=10) had mildly impaired FMD compared with control subjects (5.5+/-5.1% versus 8.3+/-3.5%). In others whose affected relative had coronary risk factors (group B, n=24), FMD was also only slightly reduced (6.2+/-4.8% versus 8.3+/-3.5%). In contrast, subjects with no risk factors and whose affected relative had a normal cardiovascular risk factor profile (group C, n=16) had markedly impaired FMD (2.9+/-3.7% versus 8.3+/-3.5%). Although ANOVA of the three family history subgroups did not reach statistical significance (F=2.55, P=.09), pairwise analysis showed that FMD in group C was significantly impaired compared with group B (P=.026). CONCLUSIONS: Healthy young adults with a family history of premature coronary disease may have impaired endothelium-dependent dilatation, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors. Those subjects, who were free of risk factors and whose affected first-degree relative was free of risk factors, had the most impaired endothelial function, suggesting a genetic influence on early arterial physiology that may be relevant to later clinical disease.     

Paget bone disease involving young adults in 3 generations of a Korean family

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a dismal prognosis. It has long been regarded as one of the most difficult cancers to accurately diagnose and stage preoperatively. The purpose of this review is to provide an update of the state-of-the-art for early detection, diagnosis, and staging of pancreatic cancer. These methods include spiral CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, laparoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, CA 19-9 serology, fine needle aspiration cytology, ERCP brush cytology, and screening for p53 and ras oncogenes. These advanced techniques should help us to detect pancreatic cancers in high-risk populations at a curative stage and to decrease pancreaticoduodenectomies for benign disease which could otherwise be treated with less morbid procedures. In addition, these tests will help reliably diagnose pancreatic cancer preoperatively.     

Significance of a behavioral economic index of reward value in predicting drinking problem resolution.

This study investigated whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons improved prediction of drinking outcomes beyond established biopsychosocial predictors. Preferences for immediate drinking versus more delayed rewards made possible by saving money were determined from expenditures prior to resolution attempts by problem drinkers with different help-seeking experiences (N = 144). As hypothesized, stable resolutions over a 2-year follow-up were associated with proportionally more preresolution discretionary expenditures on savings and less on alcohol compared with unstable resolutions. The relationship held regardless of help-seeking history, and preresolution drinking practices, problems, and income were similar across outcomes. The findings extend experimental work on behavioral economics and indicate that measuring monetary allocation improves prediction of outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of social context and gender on drinking patterns of young adults.

The social context of alcohol use involves both motivational and situational factors that influence drinking behavior among young adults. In this study, a significant multivariate interaction involving gender and alcohol use intensity was found on 6 social context factors. Among women, the social context of Emotional Pain most clearly separated lower intensity from higher intensity drinkers, whereas for men, the clearest separating factor was the context of Social Facilitation. Higher intensity drinkers were more likely than lower intensity drinkers to use alcohol in these contexts. Significant interaction effects involving gender were not found for driving under the influence or riding with an impaired driver; however, significant main effects for these 2 factors were discovered. The implications of the findings for counseling alcohol-abusing young adults are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Underage drinking among young adolescent girls: The role of family processes.

Guided by family interaction theory, this study examined the influences of psychological, peer, and familial processes on alcohol use among young adolescent girls and assessed the contributions of familial factors. An ethnically diverse sample of 1,187 pairs of girls (M age = 12.83 years), and their mothers completed surveys online. Questionnaires assessed girls’ lifetime and recent alcohol use, as well as girls’ demographic, psychological, peer, and family characteristics. Hierarchical logistic regression models showed that although girls’ drinking was associated with a number of psychological and peer factors, the contributions of family domain variables to girls’ drinking were above and beyond that of psychological and peer factors. The interaction analyses further highlighted that having family rules, high family involvement, and greater family communication may offset risks in psychological and peer domains. Study findings underscore the multifaceted etiology of drinking among young adolescent girls and assert the crucial roles of familial processes. Prevention programs should be integrative, target processes at multiple domains, and include work with parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associations among religiousness, social attitudes, and prejudice in a national random sample of American adults.

Psychologists have devoted considerable theoretical and empirical attention to the scientific study of social attitudes and prejudice. Most of these studies were conducted with relatively small, nonrepresentative samples of college students. In this study, the authors analyzed self-report data from a random probability sample with over 1500 American adults. Participants answered questions about their religiousness, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), political ideology, demographic characteristics, and attitudes toward persons in historically disadvantaged social groups (i.e., ethnic minorities and homosexual individuals). In support of the selective intolerance hypothesis, general religiousness was associated with less accepting attitudes toward homosexuals and negligibly with general racial prejudice. These associations remained when controlling for some other known individual differences in prejudice. The authors tentatively conclude that general religiousness is not associated with universal acceptance of others. Rather, general religiousness appears to be linked with selective self-reported intolerance toward persons perceived to behave in a manner inconsistent with some traditional religious teachings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chromium-51-EDTA clearance in adults with a single-plasma sample

In 1996, a committee on renal clearance recommended a mean sojourn time-based methodology for single-sample determination of plasma clearance of 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) to be used on adults if the patient's glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is suspected to be >30 ml/min. The main purpose of this study was to derive a mean sojourn time-based formula for calculation of 51Cr-ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) clearance in adults. METHODS: Two groups of patients with 51Cr-EDTA clearance (Cl) between 16 and 172 ml/min were studied. In Group I (n = 46), reference Cl was determined as a multiplasma sample, single-injection method (ClSM). Sixteen blood samples were drawn from 0 until 5 hr after a single intravenous injection of 51Cr-EDTA. In Group II (n = 1046), reference Cl was determined by the Br?chner-Mortensen four-sample clearance method (ClBM). The plasma time-activity curves of Group I were used to derive two mean sojourn time-based formulas (Formulas 1 and 2) for calculation of a single-sample clearance. Formula 1 was derived from the entire time-activity curve, whereas the derivation of Formula 2 used only the final slope of the time-activity curve. The accuracy of the two formulas and the Christensen and Groth 99mTc-DTPA formula was tested on Group II. RESULTS: Chromium-51-EDTA Cl calculated by Formula 1 was almost identical to the Cl calculated by the reference Cl method (r = 0.982; SDdiff = 5.82 ml/min). Both 51Cr-EDTA Cl calculated by Formula 2 and by the 99mTc-DTPA formula showed close correlation with the reference method (r = 0.976, r = 0.985, respectively) but systematically overestimated GFR for the whole range of clearance values by 3.5 and 3.2 ml/min (p<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: It is possible to get an accurate determination of 51Cr-EDTA Cl from a single-plasma sample in adults by the mean sojourn time methodology. The determination is marginally more accurate (p<0.001) if using a formula derived from the entire plasma time-activity curve than from only the final slope. The single-sample formula derived for determination of 99mTc-DTPA Cl tends slightly to overestimate GFR if used to calculate 51Cr-EDTA Cl.     

Factors in the current adjustment of young adult daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers.

The adjustment status of women whose fathers were alcoholic, psychiatrically disturbed, or normal was compared to determine the extent of daughters' vulnerability and whether family climate and social support variables moderated the development of symptomatology. The 240 respondents, who were either university staff members or students, comprised four groups: women with normal fathers (n?=?81), women with alcoholic and problem drinking fathers (n?=?114), women with psychiatrically disturbed fathers (n?=?30), and women with both parents who were alcoholic or problem drinkers (n?=?15). Daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers reported more neurotic and acting-out symptoms than did daughters of normal fathers. However, a similar elevation of neurotic and acting-out symptoms was found among the daughters of psychiatrically disturbed fathers, who in addition had significantly higher depression scores than did the daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers. Daughters' rates of alcohol use did not distinguish the groups. Family climate and social support variables were found to be related to daughters' current adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of drinking history on food-deprived drinking in the rat.

Investigated the role of drinking during development in 40 male hooded Long-Evans rats. Experimental Ss were deprived of water during rearing; ingestion of lettuce provided for sufficient fluids. Body weight, feeding, drinking, and urine volume over successive food deprivation periods were compared with normally reared controls. The lettuce-reared Ss drank less water and ate less lettuce when food deprived, but did not differ from normal Ss in drinking or in lettuce intake when food was available ad lib. It is suggested that lettuce-reared animals drink water principally in response to fluid deficits. Other research indicates that the drinking of normally reared rats anticipates fluid deficits and is not initiated by events related to the need for water. The present results suggest that this anticipatory drinking is acquired. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Helicobacter pylori risk associated with sibship size and family history of gastric diseases in Japanese adults

BACKGROUND: Data on whether long-acting somatostatin analogue octreotide causes or prevents pancreatic injury following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are controversial. AIM: This multicentre, prospective trial studied the effect of octreotide on pancreatic injury in a large unselected group of patients after ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy. METHODS: The study was carried out in a prospective random manner on 2102 patients in 11 endoscopic centres. Patients in the study received 0.1 mg octreotide acetate and those in the control group received isotonic sodium chloride, subcutaneously before and 45 min after ERCP. Pancreatic injury was assessed by clinical symptoms such as pain, fever and abdominal tenderness. Serum amylase and blood sugar were determined prior to, and 6 and 24 h after the endoscopic procedure. RESULTS: Data from 599 patients in the study group and 600 in the control group were included in the final evaluation. When all the patients were considered, octreotide did not induce pancreatic injury as assessed by clinical symptoms, and diminished the increase of serum amylase levels following ERCP. However, when subgroups of patients were studied, the frequency of increased amylase levels decreased significantly in patients with chronic obstructive pancreatitis and in patients who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy (P < 0.01). The peak serum glucose level was higher in the treated group when compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: The prophylactic use of long-acting somatostatin does not alter the frequency of post-ERCP pancreatic injury, but it may diminish the rate of increased serum amylase levels in patients with chronic obstructive pancreatitis and also in those with an endoscopic sphincterotomy.     

The reliability and validity of the family history method for assessing pathological gambling and gambling involvement.

The family history (FH) method, which involves the use of an informant to gather information about one or more family members, has been used in a number of previous gambling studies. However, no evaluation of the reliability and validity has been conducted on the use of the FH method for assessing pathological gambling (PG) and gambling involvement. The current study examined the test-retest and inter-rater reliability and the validity of the FH method for assessing PG and gambling involvement among a large community-based sample of adult twins (N = 4,764) reporting on their parents, co-twins, and spouses. The test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities of the FH reports of PG were high. Validity of the FH reports of PG was low, primarily because of substantial underestimation of pathology (low sensitivity). The test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities of the FH reports of gambling involvement (ever gambled, ever gambled monthly, and ever gambled weekly) were moderate and the sensitivities were quite high. The results of this study support the use of the FH method for studies of PG and gambling involvement. A number of potential explanations for the low sensitivity of FH reports of PG are elaborated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The stress test in adolescents with and without a family history of arterial hypertension: the prognostic role of a systolic arterial pressure index

A family history of hypertension can influence the behaviour of blood pressure during ergometric stress test (EST) in normotensive subjects, so that it is also used in the assessment of risk of hypertension. To evaluate the relationship between parental history and blood pressure values during exercise, 57 consecutive adolescents (aged 10-16 years) were studied. Out of them, 25 patients have not been considered because of the presence of organic pathologies of various nature that could interfere with the pressure behaviour. All patients underwent EST with a load increase of 25 W every 3 min until the maximal age-related heart rate. The patients were divided in 2 groups based on the presence (PH+ 13 patients, mean age 13 +/- 2 years) or on the absence (PH- 19 patients, mean age 13 +/- 2 years) of parental history of hypertension. No difference in body surface and maximum workload was observed between the 2 groups. Exercise test induced an increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) both in PH- and PH+ patients, but no significant differences were found in any stage of the exercise in the 2 groups. Maximum heart rate (HR) was not different in the 2 groups and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was substantially unchanged during exercise. The variation of SBP (delta SBP) between maximum stress and first, third, fifth and tenth min of the recovery phase were considered. Besides, 4 SBP indexes were deduced from the ratio of SBP values at the first, third, fifth and tenth min of the recovery by the SBP value at the acme of stress.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)