Masters in Education, Marietta College, 2007, Education

The alcohol use and abuse of college athletes is a rapidly growing concern in colleges and universities across the country. The purpose of this study was to research and evaluate a group of college student athletes at a small liberal arts college in southeastern Ohio. The researcher obtained statistical information from the student athletes at Marietta College by giving them a fifteen question survey. The researcher conducted his research the 2nd semester of 2007. The student athletes were asked to participate by completing both a confidential and anonymous survey. The survey asked questions in direct relationship to alcohol consumption and patterns of use. The statistical information was obtained with permission from the Director of Athletics and the respected coaches from the varsity teams at Marietta College. This study was designed to investigate the drinking habits of student athletes at a division 3 liberal arts college. Statistical tests were run through the data analysis program SPSS. The frequency tests indicated that Marietta College student athletes do consume alcohol; however the statistics were not as alarmingly high as other studies that have been conducted at other colleges and universities.

Bachelor of Arts, Capital University, 2021, Biological and Environmental Science

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a serious condition that affects the development of fetuses with irreversible effects that can impact individuals throughout their lives. The cardiovascular system is one example of an organ system in which abnormalities caused by alcohol can occur. The heart is one of the first structures to be formed, and heart development is highly conserved among amniotes. There are difficulties studying the effects of ethanol on human embryos due to ethical concerns; as a result, the use of animal models, particularly avian models, is widely used. The effects of ethanol have not been widely studied on Pekin ducks, Anas platyrhynchos, and ducks offer advantages compared to other model organisms, such as their larger size and durability. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for testing the effects of ethanol on the development of the heart and cardiovascular system in ducks. The development of the cardiovascular system occurs over several stages of development, and treatment of ethanol at different stages leads to various potential abnormalities of heart structure and function. The developed protocol determines which stages of heart development are most sensitive to ethanol effects, and what anomalies are expected to form after exposure to ethanol.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2020, Health Education

A particularly high-risk time on campus is the alcohol consumption associated with collegiate sporting events, specifically tailgating. The purpose of this dissertation was twofold; first, to identify and critically examine the literature on alcohol use at college sporting events, specifically football games; second, to assess college presidents' perceptions of alcohol policies regulating alcohol consumption during tailgating using the Health Belief Model. The literature review was accomplished by using multiple search engines, including Academic Search Complete, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, Health Source, Sociological Collection, SocINDEX, APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar to examine articles published on alcohol use among college students at collegiate sporting events, or football game-day. To be included in the literature review, articles must have been published in the United States within the year 2000 to 2019. A cross-sectional research design was used for the second study, which comprised of a 20-item survey questionnaire assessing college president's perceptions of alcohol use during college sporting events. The survey instrument included items assessing the Stages of Change from the Transtheoretical Model, as well as the perceived benefits, barrier, severity, and susceptibility constructs from the Health Belief Model. A population census was conducted utilizing the 2019 NCAA Division-I Football Bowl Subdivision listing (N=130). The critical literature review search yielded 25, scientific, peer-reviewed articles involving alcohol use associated with college football games. In many of the studies, researchers used cross-sectional study designs (72%), obtained convenience samples (32%), and did not include reliability and/or validity measures (48%). Data were collected either online (36%), with a paper and pencil questionnaire (32%), hybrid (in-person and online) (12%), or case-study (12%). Three topics emerged from the literature, including alcoh (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2009, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Department of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education

This study examined medical students' perceived knowledge and self-efficacy in counseling about the health risks and resources for management of alcohol use and alcoholism and screening for alcohol use and alcoholism among pregnant women. Third year medical students (n = 78) from two Midwestern medical schools were compared on their perceived knowledge and counseling of the health risks related to consuming alcohol while pregnant, screening tools, self-help and group support and treatment programs as well as their perceived self-efficacy to screen for alcohol use among pregnant women using the T-ACE, CAGE, TWEAK, MAST and AUDIT. Their perceived knowledge, counseling and screening was also compared to various learning experiences during medical school. Medical students at a public university self-reported more knowledge about the health risks related to consuming alcohol while pregnant, self-help materials and group support and treatment programs. Medical students at a private university self-reported more knowledge about screening tools for alcohol use and alcoholism. Independently learning about the health risks was associated with medical students' perceived knowledge, while receiving feedback on performance was associatedwith screening self-efficacy and role modeling was associated with counseling self-efficacy.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Psychology

Research has shown that gay and bisexual males use alcohol in higher quantities and more frequently than their heterosexual counterparts. In this study, I examined the relationship between sexual identity (internalized homonegativity and gay identity formation) and the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, drinking-related consequences, and drinking-related outcome expectancies in gay and bisexual males. I recruited two samples (n1 = 529; n2 = 337) via the World-Wide-Web who completed my survey online. Participants in both samples who reported a more integrated gay identity also reported less internalized homonegativity. In the second sample, there was a small but consistent relationship between internalized homonegativity, quantity and frequency of alcohol use and drinking related consequences. There was no relationship between gay identity formation and any of the drinking outcome variables. None of the sexual identity variables explained more than 10% of the variance in alcohol-related behaviors. Although the methods of this project attempted to address some of the limitations of previous research by using a larger sample size, using more than one measure of internalized homonegativity, and attempting to recruit a demographically diverse sample, my results are similar to previous results. Future directions for research include recruiting a wider range of problem and non-problem drinkers, more subjects in the lower stages of gay identity development, and subjects who are less educated, older, lower income, and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2012, Biology

Embryonic ethanol exposure is known to cause birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in many vertebrates, including humans. In this study, zebrafish (D. rerio) were used to investigate the affects of embryonic ethanol exposure on embryo/larval development and the subsequent adult behavior. Although zebrafish have become a widely used model for prenatal alcohol exposure, in many cases the concentrations used are high and the period of observation is short. In order to record both larval and adult measures, this study utilized a low concentration of ethanol (0.4%) throughout the embryonic period of development (0-72 days post fertilization). Anatomical and physiological data was collected from larvae (including eye and heart measures) to investigate the affects of ethanol on embryonic development and an aggression/avoidance assay was used to determine if embryonic ethanol exposure influenced adult behavioral phenotypes. Exposure to ethanol throughout embryonic development resulted in decreased eye size, increased ventricle area, increased cardiovascular function, and reduced size in the larvae. In the adult fish, neither measures of size nor behavior of the treatment group were found to be significantly different from that of the control. In conclusion, low levels of embryonic ethanol exposure can result in changes in both form and function of larval anatomy and physiology. However, this affect does not seem to carry into adulthood through size or behavioral aggression/avoidance behaviors.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology

Shared reward pathways in the brain unveil the potential for the development of dependence on a variety of substances, including commonly recognized drugs of abuse and, more insidiously, sugar. Sugar overconsumption has been associated with compulsivity and impulsivity repetitive behaviors which are predictors of later substance abuse. Furthermore, previous research has shown that rats can develop symptoms mirroring addiction such as binging, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal in response to sugar alone. Motivation research has indicated that impaired reward relativity is a key component of vulnerability to addiction. The ability of an animal to discriminate between differing levels of rewards for the amount of work exerted to receive that reward may predict later addictive behavior to a variety of substances. This thesis examined the appetitive and consummatory behavior of non-food restricted female Wistar rats in self-administration tasks of sucrose and ethanol solutions. Relative reward effects were evaluated by using trials that differ in time of access to the reward (20s vs 10s vs 5s). The results suggest that non-food restricted Wistar rats show discrimination between substance and length of trial, as well as some sensitivity to intra-session alterations in ethanol reward. They exhibit diminished sensitivity to sucrose in consumption and lick rate. Behavioral measures like consumption and nosepoke latency had some predictive potential in regard to behavioral response to ethanol. The incentive contrast paradigm used in this project allows a closer examination of the motivational processes shared by alcohol and sugar that could result in addiction. Using natural reward sensitivity to predict future addiction could aid significantly in preventing and treating substance use disorders.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

The incidence of alcohol misuse globally continues to be a significant problem with copious adverse health and social causes and implications. The prevalence of alcohol misuse in Jamaica, British West Indies, instigated the trifold objective of this study. The ecological systems model provided a framework for conceptualizing multilayered biological and social processes that interact to determine mental health. This study examined anxiety and depression, family structure, and perceived parental warmth and control as predictors of alcohol misuse among young adults ages 18 to 30 residing in Jamaica. The current study revealed a correlation between alcohol misuse and higher levels of anxiety and depression, with women reporting higher anxiety and depression than men. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between parental warmth and alcohol misuse. Parental warmth was correlated with the AUDIT; however, no significant correlation between alcohol misuse and family structure or parental overprotection was observed. Medical and mental health professionals should champion efforts to reduce the prevalence of alcohol misuse on a societal level by advocating for the implementation of community-based interventions that provide education around the deleterious effects of alcohol misuse on physical and mental health.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Psychology

Addiction disorders, majorly governed by the mesolimbic dopamine system, constitute a global health crisis, with alcoholism being particularly prevalent and pernicious. Alterations of the gut microbiome correlate with alterations in addiction pathologies, both physiological and behavioral. Fecal Microbial Transfer is an established research and clinical technique for manipulating the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis in many conditions. Ethanol is known to have massive impacts on both the gut and dopamine systems, potentially producing impacts on the latter via some action on the former. The Alcohol Preferring and Non-Preferring rat models are well suited for investigating neuropsychological processes related to alcohol addiction. We performed FMT between P and NP rats during chronic ethanol exposure to investigate the effect on drinking behaviors, and then we examined the expression of dopamine receptors 1 (D1R) and 2 (D2R) in three brain regions related to addiction (hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens). We found that NP rats drank and preferred alcohol significantly less than P rats before, during, and after the FMT treatment during chronic ethanol exposure. Differences in drinking behaviors were not statistically significant between weeks, though there were slight patterns of a bi-directional influence, with P rats decreasing and NP rats increasing drinking during FMT. Levels of the two receptor types correlated positively with each other in each brain region. D1R in hippocampus and nucleus accumbens correlated positively with preference for the weaker concentration of ethanol, and both D1R and D2R correlated positively with intake of the stronger concentration after the FMT treatment. We also found that in P rats, FMT reduced alpha diversity of the gut microbiome, and reduced abundance of Akkermancia municiphila, and Bifidobacterium animalis; these gut conditions are associated with healthier outcomes, which may suggest that FMT impacted drinking beha (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Food and alcohol disturbance, or “FAD,” involves compensatory behaviors (e.g., food restriction, self-induced vomiting, laxative use, diuretic use, exercise) intended to compensate for the caloric value of alcohol and/or to increase the intoxication effects of alcohol. FAD is linked to dangerous health consequences, such as blackouts and injury, and appears prevalent in college populations. However, due to FAD's recent introduction into empirical literature, relatively little is known regarding these potentially dangerous behaviors. In particular, there is a lack of research examining the temporal antecedents and consequences associated with FAD, which is crucial for clarifying clinical significance and identifying treatment targets. The current project addressed existing limitations by examining the temporal antecedents associated with compensatory FAD, evaluating compensatory FAD's utility as an emotion regulation strategy, and investigating the psychological distress and impairment temporally linked to compensatory FAD. Specifically, this study investigated: 1) if increases in negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and impulsivity precede compensatory FAD and if compensatory FAD is associated with greater alcohol quantity; 2) whether compensatory FAD is an effective strategy to regulate negative affect and body dissatisfaction; and 3) if engagement in compensatory FAD is prospectively associated with subsequent psychological distress and impairment. Approximately 30 adult women who engage in compensatory FAD completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol for three weeks. Results demonstrated that negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and impulsivity did not increase in the hours prior to compensatory FAD, nor did negative affect and body dissatisfaction decrease in the hours following FAD. Alcohol quantity also did not significantly differ across days when compensatory FAD was endorsed, relative to drinking days when compensatory FAD was not endorsed. Fin (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2021, Psychology

Excessive drinking is commonplace among college students and can lead to numerous negative consequences. Alcohol expectancies are a well-studied correlate of alcohol consumption, and greater understanding of expectancies in relation to drinking behavior and alcohol-related consequences could inform future assessment and intervention. Past research has investigated dose-related alcohol expectancies in terms of number of drinks or estimated blood alcohol content (BAC), both of which are problematic. The current study used earlier empirical results to operationalize alcohol dose using the colloquial terms tipsy (BAC = .09) and wasted (BAC = .22). The role of sex (male/female), alcohol consumption (low, medium, or high), and imagined intoxication (tipsy vs wasted) on perceived likelihood, valence, and subjective expected utility (SEU) of seven alcohol expectancy domains were explored in a sample of 317 college students. Results of mixed MANOVA and ANOVA indicated strong effects of imagined intoxication; most theoretically, positive effects were perceived as more likely and rated more positively when tipsy and most negative effects were seen as more likely and rated as more negative when wasted. Low drinkers rated all effects more negatively, F (14, 608) = 4.23, p < .001), but only some effects as more or less likely, F (14, 608) = 4.00, p < .001, compared to medium and high drinkers. Exploratory analyses revealed strong relations between intoxication goal and negative alcohol-related consequences, particularly in conjunction with negative evaluation of the effects of being wasted.

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2020, Psychology

Heavy alcohol use and its associated negative consequences are prevalent across college settings in the United States. Such consequences include psychological, physiological, and behavioral functioning. Past research has established a link between childhood maltreatment, including corporal punishment (CP) and later alcohol use. The current study explored two possible mediation models to investigate the relations between CP and 1) alcohol use and 2) alcohol consequences. It was predicted that the effects of CP would be mediated by the level of attachment to the primary disciplinary parent. Both models were tested in a sample of 224 college students (67.9% women; 82.1% White). Model 1 hypothesized that childhood CP would lead to increased alcohol use and that this relation would be mediated by level of attachment to the primary disciplinary parent. Model 2 hypothesized that childhood CP would lead to increased alcohol-use related consequences and that this relation would be mediated by level of attachment to the primary disciplinary parent. Neither model was supported. CP exerted no direct effect on alcohol use or consequences (b = -.35, p = .23; b = .56, p = .10, respectively) or indirect effects (b = -.31, p = .34; b = .60, p = .11, respectively). Childhood CP was not a useful predictor of college alcohol use patterns.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Biomedical Engineering

Congenital heart disease/defects (CHDs) account for approximately one-third of all birth defects globally. Many of these will require invasive treatment within the first year of life, subsequent interventions, and a lifetime of monitoring. Alcohol has been known as a teratogen for several decades, and prenatal exposure alone is a significant cause of worldwide CHDs. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has been used as an imaging modality for nearly three decades and is especially suited to the non-invasive imaging of small, semi-transparent tissue structures. Doppler OCT (DOCT) adds the ability to visualize and measure fluid flow and movement of reflective components within the tissue. This work presents the development of technology to further enable DOCT as a tool in measuring the function of anatomical structures. First, an interferometer design is described, which significantly reduces phase noise by incorporating a second, narrow band, continuous-wave light source as a phase-reference. By implementing this interferometer and related processing algorithms into a DOCT system, significant frequency noise reduction is demonstrated in reflective and scattering samples. Second, a modification to a DOCT system is presented using a single sample beam that provides velocity information from multiple angles within the beam. By introducing a delay element into part of the OCT beam path, the sample beam is divided into several components, each with a different group delay and each providing a separate interferogram with its own effective Doppler angle. By combining the Doppler shift measured in each of these component interferograms, the flow velocity vector is fully determined. OCT and DOCT are then applied to an embryonic avian model for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in order to study the effects of alcohol on early heart development. Folic acid is administered to a test group to learn more about its role in preventing CHDs. Through these embryonic stud (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Sociology

Adolescent alcohol use is a serious problem that has negative consequences for youths' well-being. To inform policy makers and practitioners, researchers have identified factors related to adolescent drinking. Although past research has found that maternal excessive alcohol use and parenting practices are strong predictors of adolescent alcohol use, most studies used cross sectional data and rarely examined the influence of maternal alcohol use and parenting practices during early childhood on adolescents' alcohol use. Using the Year 3 and Year 15 interviews from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), this project extends past research by longitudinally examining the association between excessive maternal alcohol use during early childhood and adolescents' alcohol use at age 15 with special attention to the role of two aspects of mothers' parenting practices—engagement and warmth. The findings suggest that maternal excessive alcohol use, but not moderate alcohol use, in early childhood is related to adolescents' alcohol use at age 15. Maternal warmth and engagement in early childhood were not significantly related to adolescents' alcohol use; and controlling for these types of parenting practices did not change the association between maternal excessive alcohol use in early childhood and adolescents' alcohol use. When controlling for race, education, number of children, employment status, and marital status, the association was reduced. Adolescents' current school problems and parents' current drinking were both associated with adolescents' alcohol use; and when parental current drinking was controlled for, the effects of maternal excessive drinking in early childhood on adolescent drinking were not significant. These findings suggest that the influence of maternal excessive alcohol use in early childhood on adolescent alcohol use seems to be indirect through increased the odds that adolescents have primary c (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2020, School of Professional Psychology

Sexual minority women demonstrate higher rates of Alcohol Use Disorder, or AUD, compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Factors that potentially impact how likely a sexual minority woman is to develop an AUD during her lifetime has received limited attention in existing research. These include sexual minority stress, stress and cognitive appraisal, and hardiness theories. While many factors are suggested, and some supported, no consistent risk or protective factors have emerged. This study sought to change that by testing whether proposed risk and protective factors for stress, both in general and unique to sexual minority individuals, impacted the likelihood of the development of an AUD. Sexual minority stress was explored as a potential risk factor while hardiness was proposed as a potential protective factor. Stress appraisal was explored as both a potential risk and protective factor. Quantitative data was collected from a previously conducted study that utilized self-report surveys. Participants were recruited by distributing the online survey via email to LBGT+ organizations and listservs across North America. Data was collected from lesbian and bisexual identified women (n = 344) from a larger study on substance use in sexual minority individuals. Correlational and regressional analyses were conducted. Of the proposed risk and protective factors (hardiness, bisexual minority stress, stress appraisal, and sexual minority stress), none were found to significantly impact lifetime AUD risk (as measured by the AUDIT). Strengths, limitations, clinical implications, and research recommendations are presented in the discussion section.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Disordered eating behaviors, including binge eating, food restriction, self-induced vomiting, and laxative use are prevalent within undergraduate male and female students. Problematic alcohol use and related issues, including binge drinking and alcohol-related consequences, are also widespread and these two issues are often comorbid. The unique combination of these behaviors, termed alcohol-related compensatory behaviors (ARCB), has recently come to the attention of researchers. ARCB involve compensatory behaviors performed in response to or in preparation for alcohol use in order to counteract calories consumed from alcohol or to increase intoxication. However, research regarding ARCB is sparse. Specifically, there is a lack of knowledge concerning psychological correlates that may help to explain these behaviors and a lack of consensus regarding potential sex differences in ARCB. Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic psychological correlate implicated in a multitude of psychopathology, including disordered eating and alcohol use. Therefore, the present thesis used a cross-sectional design to examine the association between emotion dysregulation and ARCB in a sample of male and female undergraduate students (N = 417). Further, sex differences in ARCB and in the association between emotion dysregulation and ARCB were also examined. While ARCB were positively associated with emotion dysregulation at the bivariate level, emotion dysregulation was not a correlate of ARCB after accounting for alcohol use and problems, disordered eating, and BMI. Finally, there were no sex differences in ARCB and the association between emotion dysregulation and ARCB did not vary among males and females. Findings provide the first study on emotion dysregulation and ARCB, and additional knowledge regarding psychological correlates of ARCB and their temporal relationship to these risky behaviors is needed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Social Work

Introduction: The excessive consumption of alcohol by college students is a major public health problem in the U.S. Heavy alcohol use has been linked to numerous consequences ranging from less serious effects (i.e.., hangovers) to death. Decades of research have linked certain beliefs, attitudes or motivations to drinking behavior but intensive prevention efforts based on these ideas have done little to mitigate this issue. Much of the past research has focused on the interplay of cognitive factors (i.e., expectancies, motivations) and typical drinking patterns (i.e., quantity or frequency of drinking during the past year). Unfortunately, examining the relationship between “general” motives, expectancies, or use of protective strategies and “typical” drinking is not adequate to understand behavior as it occurs. Therefore, the need to understand drinking at the event-level is critical. To this end, this study examined a conceptual model of college students' drinking events in order to determine the potential mediating effect of drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies in the relationship between alcohol expectancies and event-level alcohol use and consequences. Methods: An existing dataset containing information about 2,279 college student drinking events was analyzed for this study. Students completed surveys during the administration of a commercial online alcohol course during 2010 and 2011. These surveys contained measures of typical alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, and use of protective behavioral strategies. Students also provided detailed information about their last drinking event that occurred within seven days prior to the course. A theoretical model that examined the mediating influence of these cognitive factors and typical use of protective strategies on event-level alcohol use was analyzed with structural equation modeling. Results: The hypothesized causal ordering was supported by the findings. Both typical use of protective strate (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1973, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1973, Graduate School