Substance abuse is associated with a host of harmful consequences to the substance user as well as other individuals and society as a whole. Although harm is an integral component of substance abuse, there is a dearth of research that investigates the relationship between harm and substance use problems. The goal of this study was to explore…

The current study examined the degree to which associations that protective behavioral strategy use had with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences were moderated by disordered eating and race. Participants were 382 female undergraduates (ages 18-25) who had consumed alcohol at least once within the previous month.…

Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) limit overall negative consequences; however, less is known about the relationship between PBS and negative sex-related consequences. The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating effects of 2 distinct types of PBS--controlled consumption strategies and serious harm reduction…

Drinking, smoking, and health risk behaviors are significant problems for Thai adolescents. However, little is known about the association and magnitude among alcohol, tobacco, or co-using and health risk behaviors. Data of the National School Survey of 2007 were analyzed. The sample consisted of 50,033 high school and vocational college students.…

This study examined the perceived benefits of drinking alcohol among freshmen women as they relate to the college transition. Using a sample of incoming freshman college students we examined the changes in alcohol use three weeks prior to college and again within a month of arriving. We also examined the relationship between perceived benefits of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of cigarette smoking and 2 indicators of psychosocial distress (hopelessness and loneliness) among adolescents from 2 distinctly different regions of the world: Central-Eastern Europe (Hungary, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland) and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Taiwan, and the…

This study examined the impact of ethnic identity and neighborhood risk on drug and sex attitudes and refusal efficacy among early adolescent urban African American females (n = 175). The model also predicted a moderating relationship of ethnic identity on neighborhood risk for drug and sex attitudes and refusal efficacy. Data were collected as…

Male and female meth dealers exhibit numerous common characteristics and patterns. For example, both can be relatively heavy users and both have similar (long) criminal records. However, both groups show important distinctions in their drug dealing patterns. This exploratory study compares 34 male and 26 female meth dealers (N = 60) who were…

As many as 4.5 live births per 1000 are affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), preventable birth defects with life-long consequences. Prevention of FASDs is gaining in importance, and recruitment of diverse disciplines in delivering prevention to women of childbearing age is essential. This needs assessment explored to what extent…

Two workshops were desired to influence community gatekeepers' knowledge, attitudes and referral practices toward women alcohol abusers. Workshops were successful in increasing participants' knowledge, however, little change in attitudes or behavior was found. Limited success of the workshop may be due to its appeal primarily to gatekeepers…

Used a cloze procedure to measure 75 female patients' level of reading of a patient package insert for an oral contraceptive. Results showed three of four patients would need assistance in comprehending the information. Age and schooling had a significant effect on the cloze test scores. (JAC)

Reviews the recent literature on mass media campaigns and communication approaches promoting drug abuse prevention aimed at four target audiences: youth, parents, women, and the elderly. Cited the importance of audience analysis, of segmenting audiences into subgroups, and of designing customized presentations as critical across all target…

Examined female college students' (N=466) drug use, marihuana use in particular. Results indicated that the gap in marihuana usage patterns between females and males has substantially narrowed. Female marihuana users used other drugs quite extensively and had friends who use marihuana. Peer influence was a major factor in drug use. (JAC)

A drug education course was taught to seventh and eighth graders and then evaluated. Class level univariate analyses of variance and covariance showed that the course produced predicted effects for grade seven females, but not for grade seven males or grade eight males or females. (Author)

Reviews the status of women who abuse drugs and proposes considerations for treatment design. General concerns stress the importance of a well formulated treatment philosophy, encourage treatment of women with varying drug related dependencies together, and advocates the utilization of female professional staff in most instances. (Author)