WeeklySA_AdminSAMPLE: Black individuals reported higher average levels of alcohol craving across a 17-day assessment window compared to their White counterparts…
By WSAM Correspondent
Racial discrimination contributes to increases in alcohol craving to cope with racial stress, a new study has revealed.
The research is the first to examine how distinct experiences of interpersonal racial discrimination contribute to elevated alcohol craving. It was conducted by Sarah L Pedersen, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, and a team of researchers.
She is scheduled to share their full findings at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) conference in Washington this weekend. The RSA starts tomorrow and ends on Wednesday.
Data for this study were drawn from a larger ongoing alcohol administration study: 140 young adults (44 of whom self-identified as Black or African American, 56 percent self-identified as White or European-American) who consume alcohol at least weekly completed a survey and a 17-day assessment of acute alcohol craving as well as experienced microaggressions.
“The Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale is a 28-item self-report measure examining five domains of racial discrimination experiences during the previous six months,” explained Pedersen. “Examples include: ‘Someone told me that they don’t see colour,’ ‘I was ignored at school or work because of my race,’ and ‘someone assumed I was poor because of my race.’”
Black individuals reported higher average levels of alcohol craving across the 17-day assessment window compared to their White counterparts.
“Cravings can be intense and challenging to not act on,” said Pedersen. “Research has also shown that stress increases craving for alcohol and can precipitate a lapse or relapse following alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. My team is invested in identifying influences of inequities in alcohol-related problems and, given prior research showing associations between general stress and craving, we wanted to understand how specific experiences of discrimination may increase alcohol craving.”
Alcohol craving is ordinarily associated with relapse following alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment.
Pedersen believes that experiences of interpersonal racial discrimination contribute to increases in craving alcohol to cope with racial stress. “These results have treatment implications related to promoting the development of emotion regulation skills and strategies after experiencing racial discrimination, and policy and training implications regarding the deleterious effects of exposure to interpersonal racial discrimination,” she said.
Additional analyses by Pedersen’s team will integrate momentary experiences of discrimination and subsequent alcohol craving in a naturalistic environment.
“My team uses a community-engaged approach and we have worked closely with community members to understand their needs, experiences, and ideas for research,” added Pedersen. “Our community partners are centred in our research and have been incredible contributors to this study; including the interpretation and presentation of these results.”
Based in the United States, the RSA provides a forum for communication among researchers who share common interests in understanding the disease of alcoholism and alcohol’s various effects, both positive and negative, on the body and behaviour.
It describes its purpose as to promote research that can lead the way toward prevention and treatment of alcoholism, and a reduction in the harmful effects of alcohol in society. It is the leading international society of research scientists working on alcohol problems, with over 1 500 members in the US and around the world.
GLOBAL PRESSURETO REIN IN ‘UNWIELDY’ BABY FORMULA MILK COMPANIES
STRATEGY: Countries convene to tackle questionable marketing placing commercial interests ahead of health of children and families…
By WSAM Correspondent
Delegates from more than 130 countries met in Geneva over three days this week to devise strategies to counter what they termed harmful marketing of baby formula milk by manufacturers.
The delegates met at the World Health Organisation headquarters in Geneva from Tuesday until yesterday, for the first global congress on the implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
During the three-day Congress, countries shared their experiences on the challenges they face in fully implementing the Code; develop national work plans to strengthen legislation, monitoring and enforcement relating to its provisions; and build regional networks to share information and support national action.
While a majority of countries had enacted at least some provisions of the Code in national laws and regulations, gaps and loopholes often remain in the legislation, allowing violations of the Code to persist. Most countries did not have systems to monitor marketing practices, and enforcement provisions were typically weak.
In the last few years, many countries had strengthened their protections against inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes.
Meanwhile, one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases was poor nutrition, especially in the earliest stages of life, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus warned.
Speaking during his weekly media briefings, Ghebreyesus said noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes are responsible for more than 70 percent of all deaths globally.
“Nowhere is the threat of NCDs felt more acutely than in small island developing states,” he said, adding poor nutrition, particularly earliest stages of life, and inadequate breastfeeding increased the risks of childhood obesity, sudden unexplained infant death, leukaemia, and maternal diabetes and cancers.
WHO recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding for two years or beyond.
“In the decades following the Second World War, aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes led to significant reductions in rates of exclusive breastfeeding,” he said. “To respond to this threat, in 1981, WHO Member States adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. The Code helps to protect health, nutrition, and development in the first years of life, so that parents and caregivers receive sound medical advice, untainted by commercial interests”.
