Daily patterns of conjoint smoking and drinking in college student smokers

Abstract

Epidemiological data indicate a robust association between smoking and alcohol use. However, a critical question that is less resolved is the extent to which the smoking event takes place during the time of alcohol consumption. The present study used data from an 8-week prospective web-based study of college student smokers to examine daily associations between smoking and alcohol use, using measures of both likelihood and level of use. Findings indicated that consumption of alcohol and smoking covaried on a daily basis per person. In addition, consistent with the idea of smoking as a social activity for college students, light smokers were more likely than heavier smokers to smoke while drinking and to smoke more cigarettes while drinking. Smoking behavior among light smokers may be influenced by external social contextual cues, in contrast to heavier smokers who may be more affected by internal cues. Implications of findings for prevention work suggest the importance of targeting social situations in which smoking and drinking co-occur.

Figure 1

Prevalence of any drinking and any smoking (top left panel), mean number of drinks consumed, feeling high, and feeling intoxicated (top right panel), mean number of cigarettes smoked and number of cigarettes smoked per smoking day (bottom left panel), and percent time smoke while drink and number of cigarettes while drinking (bottom right panel). N’s range from 82 to 115 across days and variables, with the exception of percent smoked while drinking (N’s ranged from 37 to 85). Note that due to a one-day delay in survey commencement for Cohort 1, data for Day 1 contain responses for Cohorts 2 and 3 only.

Figure 2

Predicted values of any drinking as a function of smoking, for non-daily and daily smokers (top panel) and for low- and high-intensity smokers (bottom panel). Models control for sex and weekend. Note that as smoking was “group-centered,” the range across the x-axis (values from 5% to 95%) includes both negative and positive values.

Figure 3

Predicted values of number of drinks as a function of smoking, for non-daily and daily smokers. Models control for sex and weekend. Note that as smoking was “group-centered,” the range across the x-axis (values from 5% to 95%) includes both negative and positive values.

Figure 4

Predicted values of number of cigarettes as a function of drinking, for non-daily and daily smokers. Models control for sex and weekend. Note that as drinking was “group-centered,” the range across the x-axis (values from 5% to 95%) includes both negative and positive values.