Mohammed Al-Hamdani1, Kayla M Joyce2, Megan Cowie3, Steven Smith4, Sherry H Stewart5. 1. a Dalhousie University, Psychology and Neuroscience , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada. 2. b Dalhousie University, Psychiatry , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada. 3. c University of Calgary, Psychology , Calgary , Alberta , Canada. 4. d Saint Mary's University, Psychology , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada. 5. e Dalhousie University, Psychiatry and Psychology/Neuroscience , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although alcohol is the most socially accepted drug, little is known about the classification of alcohol consumers into clusters influencing drinking outcomes. Past research has demonstrated that injury/illness sensitivity predicts health protecting behaviors. OBJECTIVES: The present study explored whether alcohol consumers can be classified based on injury/illness sensitivity and intentions to reduce drinking, and whether the identified clusters exhibited meaningful differences in negative affect and drinking levels. METHODS: Four-hundred and eighty-six participants (54.3% male; mean [SD] age = 26.5 [7.2] years) completed online questionnaires between July and October of 2017. Questions were asked pertaining to injury/illness sensitivity, intentions to reduce drinking, negative affect, and heavy drinking behavior. A k-means cluster analysis was performed on illness/injury sensitivity and intentions to reduce drinking scores. We then examined whether clusters varied according to negative affect or drinking variables. RESULTS: The k-means cluster analysis identified four clusters: Insensitive non-internalizers, Insensitive internalizers, Sensitive non-internalizers, and Sensitive internalizers. Sensitive internalizers reported the highest, whereas Insensitive non-internalizers reported the lowest, negative affect. Sensitive internalizers also had the lowest percentage of heavy drinkers. Conclusion/importance: Current findings add to the alcohol literature by indicating that high sensitivity to illnesses/injuries and the internalization of sensitivities via behavior change intentions may provide the best protection against high alcohol consumption levels.
BACKGROUND: Although alcohol is the most socially accepted drug, little is known about the classification of alcohol consumers into clusters influencing drinking outcomes. Past research has demonstrated that injury/illness sensitivity predicts health protecting behaviors. OBJECTIVES: The present study explored whether alcohol consumers can be classified based on injury/illness sensitivity and intentions to reduce drinking, and whether the identified clusters exhibited meaningful differences in negative affect and drinking levels. METHODS: Four-hundred and eighty-six participants (54.3% male; mean [SD] age = 26.5 [7.2] years) completed online questionnaires between July and October of 2017. Questions were asked pertaining to injury/illness sensitivity, intentions to reduce drinking, negative affect, and heavy drinking behavior. A k-means cluster analysis was performed on illness/injury sensitivity and intentions to reduce drinking scores. We then examined whether clusters varied according to negative affect or drinking variables. RESULTS: The k-means cluster analysis identified four clusters: Insensitive non-internalizers, Insensitive internalizers, Sensitive non-internalizers, and Sensitive internalizers. Sensitive internalizers reported the highest, whereas Insensitive non-internalizers reported the lowest, negative affect. Sensitive internalizers also had the lowest percentage of heavy drinkers. Conclusion/importance: Current findings add to the alcohol literature by indicating that high sensitivity to illnesses/injuries and the internalization of sensitivities via behavior change intentions may provide the best protection against high alcohol consumption levels.
Authors: Aroldo Gavioli; Patrícia Tieme Nishimura Pazin; Sonia Regina Marangoni; Anai Adario Hungaro; Cleiton José Santana; Magda Lúcia Felix de Oliveira Journal: Rev Lat Am Enfermagem Date: 2020-06-19