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Abstract
We examined the associations between depressive symptoms and four indicators of alcohol consumption (high frequency of drinking, frequency of heavy episodic drinking, problem drinking, and possible alcohol dependence). We also explored whether personal importance of religious faith as well as healthy lifestyle had any modifying roles in these relationships. During 2007–2008, 3,220 students at seven UK universities completed a questionnaire containing questions on CAGE, frequency alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, modified Beck-Depression Inventory, physical activity and sleep, and importance of religious faith. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed separately for four alcohol consumption indicators, stratified by gender. Controlling for demographic variables, depressive symptoms were positively associated with problem drinking and possible alcohol dependence for both genders. Religiosity was negatively associated with frequency of drinking and heavy episodic drinking among both genders, while healthy lifestyle was not associated with any of the four measures of alcohol consumption among both genders. No evidence suggested that either religiosity or healthy lifestyle modified the relationships between depressive symptoms and any of the four measures of alcohol consumption. This study shows a link between hazardous drinking and mental ill health and suggests religiosity as a protective factor for high alcohol consumption. Promotion of students’ mental and spiritual health could have a preventive role in hazardous drinking at universities.
THE AUTHORS
Walid El Ansari, M.B.B.Ch., M.P.H., Ph.D., is Professor of Public Health at the School of Sports and Exercise, Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. He has completed projects funded by, for example, WHO Geneva, National Institute for Health Research (UK), and the European Parliament. His research interests include the health of university and college students, and the components that contribute to explain health behaviors and observed academic grades of university students. He is also internationally renowned for his work on patient and public participation in health, community alliances and partnerships in health, and interagency collaboration and team working.
Rene Sebena, Ph.D., is Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia. He has taken part and responsibility for the completion of several Slovak research projects assessing health and health-related behaviors among university students. His research is focused on identification of risk/protective factors for substance use. He is particularly focused on the role of self-regulation and perceived self-efficacy within the health behavior change process.
Christiane Stock, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark. She is head of studies of the public health programs at the University of Southern Denmark and was previously assistant professor at the School of Public Health, University of Bielefeld, Germany. Her main area of research is students’ health and lifestyle as well as programs to promote students’ health in the context of a health-promoting university. She has also interest in neighborhood effects on health and health behavior of young people such as associations between the built environment and physical activity.
GLOSSARY
CAGE: The CAGE test consists of four questions for which its name is an acronym. The CAGE is widely used as a validated screening method for alcoholism.
Heavy episodic drinking: Heavy episodic drinking, also called binge drinking is a way of heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. This drinking style is popular in several countries worldwide and it is often done in groups. Therefore it overlaps with social drinking.