Researchers have argued that in times of need having supportive, caring people available can make all the difference between achieving optimum health and well-being or suffering from mental or physical illness (Cobb, 1976; Sarason & Sarason, 1985; Thoits, 1986). The direct-effect model of support postulates that having the knowledge of available relationship resources (i.e., perceived support) and receiving benefits from those relationships (i.e., received support) both have beneficial effects on health behaviors and well-being (Cohen & Wills, 1985). According to the stress-buffering model, when stressors are encountered, the certainty of having available resources, as well as having tangible support resources, is hypothesized to lessen the negative effects of stressors (Cohen, et al., 2000; Cohen &Wills, 1985, Cutrona, 1986; Thoits, 1986). Most of the research that has examined social support effects on drinking-related outcomes has focused on the association between support and alcohol problems, particularly among high risk populations (those who are alcohol dependent, alcohol abusers, or adolescents). Yet, it could be argued that when examining drinking levels, not all consumption is harmful. Of particular concern is drinking that is motivated to reduce negative or stressful experiences. Individuals who use drinking as a method of avoidant coping, or reducing tension drink significantly more alcohol and be at a greater risk for developing later drinking problems (Cooper, Russell, & George, 1988). Research employing daily process methodology has been able to resolve documented methodological inconsistencies (e.g., Greeley & Oei, 1999) by examining the within-person processes between negative experiences and alcohol consumption (Tennen & Affleck, 1996; Tennen, Affleck, Armeli, & Carney, 2000; Mohr et al., 2008). Similarly, these methodologies have been useful to social support researchers in helping to understand social support as a within-person process rather than just an interpersonal event between two individuals. This research was part of a larger study about the influence of alcohol use on daily emotion regulation among 47 moderate-to-heavy drinking adults in the local metropolitan area. Participants carried a personal data assistant (handheld interviewer) for 30 days, responding to surveys three times each day (late afternoon, evening). Each survey probed supportive and negative interpersonal exchanges and drinking behaviors. Prior to the daily diary portion of the study, participants completed the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, a measure of perceived social support. For purposes of analyses, I examined the extent to which exchanges occurring in an earlier interview predicted subsequent solitary drinking at home using data from 2 of the three interviews (predicting evening and late evening drinking only). My analyses revealed that daily socially supportive exchanges had a significant direct effect on subsequent drinking at home alone. Interestingly, the daily supportive exchanges did not buffer the negative exchanges-later drinking relationship. However, my findings revealed that negative exchanges also resulted in a reduction in subsequent consumption, which contrasts previous studies that used similar methodologies but with heavier drinkers (e.g., Mohr et al., 2001). Further, perceived support was not related to solitary consumption. The results of this study indicate that in healthy adults, positively appraised received support directly reduces solitary consumption. This is an important finding given that received support is difficult to document. At the same time, my results showed that among these types of drinkers, negative exchanges may have a stronger direct effect than positive exchanges on solitary consumption. In non-clinical samples, such as this the relationship between social support and drinking is not straightforward. Thus, using a sophisticated methodology (i.e., daily process methods), this study was able to examine the relationship of drinking and social support on a daily basis; thus, further bridging the gap between social support and the drinking literature.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (February 21, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 313-330).

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-51).

Objective: The review aims to evaluate associations of occasional and moderate drinking with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), specifically to compare results for occasional and moderate drinking, as moderate drinking is widely investigated while occasional drinking is relatively understudied and can potentially inform whether alcohol is causally related to CVD. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching for observational and interventional studies from three databases (ScienceDirect, Ebscohost, and PubMed) for alcohol consumption and its association with cardiovascular health. Online internet sources were also used for more supplementary research in this literature review. Patient-oriented outcomes, primarily on heart diseases, including cardiovascular heart disease, myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease, were extracted from all study groups. Results: Fifteen studies were included, most of which were conducted in the United States of America (9 studies). Generally, moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduction in CVD risks, including extensive coronary calcification, sudden cardiac death, congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic heart disease. Studies also suggests that alcohol may be associated with better endothelial function and lower systolic blood pressure Current occasional alcohol use is found to be associated lower IHD mortality in men, but is not related to IHD mortality in women. Conclusion: We found consistent evidence of protective association of moderate alcohol consumption against cardio-mortality and CVD, while occasional alcohol consumption has relatively less protection against CHD deaths. Such associations were only found in studies with living controls. Only a small number of studies have studied occasional drinking, in relation to cardiovascular health. Further studies that specifically examine occasional drinking, are needed. If the biological effects of occasional drinking towards CVD are limited, then occasional drinking may indicate the magnitude of residual and unobserved confounding in the association with cardiovascular health. This will in turn inform alcohol-related policies such as alcohol duties and minimum alcohol pricing. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The present research examined the impact of two dimensions of friends' and parents' influence (relationship quality and deviance) on adolescent deviance. Friends' deviance is a consistent correlate of adolescent deviance, yet the quality of the friendship within which deviance occurs has not been assumed to have any bearing on its incidence. The development of egalitarian relationships at adolescence is theorized to promote social and emotional maturity, qualities that could inhibit deviance. This research examined whether the quality of friendships inhibits adolescent deviance and also whether it modifies the expected association between adolescents' and friends' deviance. The quality of parent-adolescent relations is consistently linked to adolescent deviance, but is considerably less influential if contrasted to friends' deviance. This research sought to determine whether the quality of parent-adolescent relationships modifies the expected correlation between adolescents' and friends' deviance and whether the effect holds if parents themselves are deviant. Subjects were assessed in Grade 7 (N = 173) for general deviance and again in Grade 10 (N = 167) for alcohol use. A subsample of 131 were analyzed for long-term effects. In all analyses, friends' deviance, as expected, emerged as the most significant correlate of adolescent deviance, particularly for males. The quality of friendship was not found to be related to deviance at Grade 7, but was associated with lower drinking at Grade 10 for adolescents who had drinking friends. Additionally, longitudinal analyses showed that adolescents who had deviant friends at Grade 7 and whose friendships were of poor quality were at risk for later drinking. The quality of parent-adolescent relations modified the effect of deviant friends for females at Grade 7, but did not predict drinking at Grade 10. High quality parent-adolescent relations at Grade 10, however, increased the likelihood that adolescents would imitate par

Thesis (M.A.)--Kutztown University. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2775. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-52).

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2006. / "June 2006." Includes abstract. DTIC report no.: ADA451315. Author was part of NPS's company officers program and was stationed at the Naval Academy while doing the research for this thesis Includes bibliographical references (p. 113 - 115). Full text available online from DTIC and USNA LEAD theses database.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 5, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (October 20, 2008) Includes appendices: p. 71-92. Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-70)